Sex Out Loud with Tristan Taormino

This week features Melissa Gira Grant, writer and freelance journalist whose latest book is Playing The Whore: The Work of Sex Work. Based on ten years of writing and reporting on the sex trade, and grounded in her experience as an organizer, advocate, and former sex worker, Grant dismantles pervasive myths about sex work, criticizes both conditions within the sex industry and its criminalization, and argues that separating sex work from the "legitimate" economy only harms those who perform sexual labor. The interview was recorded live at CatalystCon East 2014.

The first episode of the CatalystCon East 2014 series features Tristan Taormino live before a studio audience, interviewing sex blogger Epiphora who's known for her honest writing and cheeky reviews of sex toys on her site, Hey Epiphora. Epiphora talks about her own journey into sex writing, offers insights to sex toy makers, and shows how to be both snarky and trustworthy.

This week Tristan talks live with artist, author, activist, educator and filmmaker Madison Young about the release of her new memoir, Daddy. Daddy explores Young's interwoven relationships with the men in her life from the fraught relationship with her biological father to the BDSM "leather daddies" that lead her on a journey of sexual revelation, both on and off camera. When Young finally finds the Daddy that she has been searching for, her fairytale quest is shattered with the flawed realities of human nature that exists outside of this little girl's fantasy. Find out why Michelle Tea said: "This lady has done more in the first quarter of her life than most people do in a generation."

This week's show will be live with Tristan Taormino and Susie Bright, friends and colleagues together in the studio! Author, editor, professor, screenwriter, and audio book maven, Susie Bright is the go-to expert on all things sexual politics. For the first time in Sex Out Loud history, the show will be airing live with Tristan and her guest together in the same room and this intimate, raucous, informative conversation is not one you will want to miss. They'll be taking questions from the audience, so call in to have a chance to talk with both Tristan and "Susie Sexpert" about any topic related to sex and relationships.

This week on Sex Out Loud, Tristan interviews Allison Vivas, President of Pink Visual, two-time winner of XBIZ Award for adult industry Woman of the Year and recent recipient of Free Speech Coalition's Leadership Award. Under Allison's guidance, Pink Visual has established a strong reputation within the adult entertainment industry as an innovative, forward-thinking brand that focuses as much on developing excellent technology as it does on creating high quality adult entertainment. She recently published the book "Making Peace With Porn: Adult Entertainment and Your Guy", which incorporates personal stories, clinical statistics, and the history of adult entertainment to explain why porn might not be such a bad thing after all.

This week Tristan spends an hour with Lux Alptraum, sex educator and writer whose work you know through Nerve, WoodRocket, Fleshbot, and more. She talks about how she got into writing about sex, starting her own culture sites, how the internet has changed sex and how sex has changed the internet. Alptraum will share stories from her years of writing on the adult entertainment industry and give us an idea of what to expect from the future of sex online.

Sex educator Shanna Katz talks about her passions around sex and sex education, specifically making sex education inclusive of all communities and how to get the information to people who often are left out of resources. She'll also discuss her new women's sexuality book, Your Pleasure Map: a choose-your-own-adventure style guide to hotter, naughtier, more adventurous sex.

This week on Sex Out Loud spend an hour with writer, activist, and New York Times-bestselling author, Janet Mock.

Since stepping out into the public eye in 2011, Mock has founded #GirlsLikeUs, a media visibility campaign for trans women, and spoken about issues of identity, safety, health, and community all over the country, including appearances on Melissa Harris-Perry, HBO's The Out List, and MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts. Her memoir Redefining

Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More was released in early February and is currently on the New York Times bestseller list. We'll be talking about her journey to becoming a public activist, the power of writing and storytelling, plus taking live questions from you!

This week's show focuses on sex education for young folks and features Heather Corinna - writer, activist, educator and founder of Scarleteen, the comprehensive sex ed resource for teens and people in their 20s. Heather and Tristan will discuss how sex ed effects everyone in society, what's the legacy of generations who receive abstinence-only messages, and the definition of quality, progressive sex ed for young people. The show is live and they will be taking caller questions.

Tristan finally meets Emily Morse, host of Sex with Emily and Bravo's Miss Advised, and they talk about going public about your sex life, monogamy, and Dr. Drew. CalExotics CEO Susan Colvin reflects on how sexual attitudes have changed and Emilie Rosen talks about how Fun Factory's newest invention rocked the sex toy world. Then, Cheri from Sportsheets demonstrates why equestrians make great lovers and sex blogger The Redhead Bedhead weighs in on toy company/consumer synergy. This is the final part of a series of interviews recorded at the PleasureWorks booth at the 2014 Adult Novelty Manufacturers Expo in Burbank, CA.