Tampon photo incites controversy at the Fashion Institute « Blogging Censorship

Artwork "composed of a number of seemingly used tampons on a bright red background" were covered up by the Fashion Institute of Technology's squeemish administrators during the opening night show for the art and design college. Despite warning that the show "may not be appropriate for all individuals" and the presence of other students' work depicting nudity and violence done to women's faces, the tampon artwork was the only piece censored by special request from the Dean.

Student artist Jessica Chow said, "many people who saw my piece have said 'this is an art school, are you kidding me?!' So much hypocrisy." The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) calls the FIT Dean's actions "a classic act of censorship" that "suggests there is something possibly obscene/shameful/indecent about the image" depicting used tampons. The NCAC is now calling on FIT administrators to "reconsider their decision to treat an image of tampons—ordinary enough objects—as shameful and dangerous."

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Bi the Dozen: A Bisexuality Quiz | Scarleteen

Scarleteen has put out a fantastic True/False quiz of a dozen Bisexuality Myths, ranging from "bisexuals are just confused about their sexuality" and "bisexuals are just opportunists" to more complicated myths like "sexual identity never changes" and "if you've never had sex, you can't know if you're bisexual or not" to downright insidious social brain-washing like "bisexual people spread HIV/AIDS because they have sex with gay people, then go pass AIDS on to straight people." An absolutely fantastic resource and setting-straight for people of any and every sexual orientation, and another strong step away from bi-invisibility. Thanks again, Scarleteen!

PS: Here's a helpful hint while you're taking the quiz – the answer is always "false."

For more great sexuality information, follow Scarleteen on Twitter.

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Virginity Auction Comes to Reality TV | CarnalNation

Documentary filmmaker Justin Sisley wants to make a reality TV show that will culminate in a virginity auction and, unsurprisingly, "Sisley's project has become a lightning rod for debates over morality," writes Tim McElreavy. "He has spent more than a year recruiting virgins of both sexes who have agreed to auction off their first time to the highest bidder. Each participant will be paid $20,000 plus 90 percent of the final bidding price. However, Sisley's original plan to hold the auction in Sydney was scrapped after receiving a letter of warning from the government of the Australian state of Victoria, threatening to prosecute him for prostitution should he proceed. As a result, he will relocate the entire project to Nevada where prostitution is legal."

21 year old Veronica, one of the virgins who wants to participate in the auction, says her motivation was to "challenge society, […] and change society's views on sex," and had to allay her father's fears that she had been abused.

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Folks 45 and older are loving sexual liberation, AARP survey finds

An AARP study conducted in August 2009 "is more empirical evidence that the older folks are fully invested in doing the wild thing whenever possible," the Washington Post reports. The study surveys Americans who are at least 45 years old regarding sexual behaviors, attitudes and fantasies and found that "The favorite fantasy of [the] men [surveyed] is sex with a stranger. Same with women."

The national study of American elders found "The percentage who think you must be married to have sex has dropped by almost half in 10 years, from 41 percent to 22 percent," and "that 48 percent of those who are dating have sex at least once a week, while 36 percent of the married ones do." In other words, researchers found "an assertion of sexual freedom among widows, widowers, divorced people or folks who never married."

Curiously, despite increased freedom to have it, less partnered sex is being had. "[F]requency of self-stimulation, sexual thoughts, and fantasies have not changed," however.

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Christian Anti-Porn Activists Now Targeting Female "Porn Addicts" | AlterNet

If you're a woman who watches 1 hour of pornography a week or enjoys such lurid acts as masturbation, lustful thinking or self-gratification, you're a "porn addict," according to several Christian anti-porn activist groups like XXXChurch and Dirty Girls Ministries. "Now women have fallen under fire for their naughty consumption, as Anti-porn activists such as XXXChurchand Dirty Girls Ministries have targeted women for porn addiction," Lorna D. Keach writes. The refocusing on women by anti-porn activists comes at a time when women are more often consumers of porn. "According to Theresa Flynt, vice president of marketing for Hustler video,female consumers make up 56% of video sales."

Their message is similar to the one emerging from other Church groups. "It’s an injustice that the church is not more open about physical sexuality. God created sex. But the enemy has twisted it," Dirty Girl Ministries administrator Crystal Renaud says. I guess that enemy is me since I sure do masturbate!

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