Category: Trauma

4 Sexual Healing Series To Stream

1/7/2023

Heads up: This post mentions sexual assault.

1. Unorthodox
Unorthodox is a miniseries about a 19-year-old woman named Esty who leaves her ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in New York and moves to Berlin.

Circumcision is a Consent Issue

12/26/2022

An Interview with Sex & Kink Educator Winter Tashlin

Bodily autonomy is key to consent. “My body, my rules” is a common catchphrase of the feminist movement — and rightfully so! When we think about bodily autonomy, we often think of the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion or have sex (both of which are incredibly important rights!). But other bodily autonomy issues often get overlooked, minimized, or even scoffed at.

Sex Ed in Gaza

9/6/2018

An Interview with Gazan Sex Educator Mohammed Alkrunz

While I was living in Jerusalem and trying to find sexuality-related initiatives in the area (for this zine), I came across the website of an organization called the International Youth Alliance For Family Planning (IYAFP for short). They’re a youth-run (ages 15 to 30) nonprofit that advocates for sex ed and sexual rights around the world.

A Poem

3/1/2017

nightmare (ptsd)

mean Mike
guy we went to
high school with –
was he a friend of yours? –
tortures me

Grief as Self Care for Survivors

2/16/2017

I was struck by this recommendation while reading Survivor Theatre Project’s email newsletter this morning. I’ve often assumed that in order to fully process trauma, a person has to have some kind of emotional breakdown, and then build themself back up (like in the movies). But what do you do when that breakdown never comes? That’s why I love what the newsletter said about the many ways that grief can look:

I am a rape survivor, and I like sex.

11/30/2016

By anonymous Pleasure Pie contributor

I am a rape survivor, and I like sex.

And I have nightmares about my abusive ex. And I have trouble orgasming with other people. And I worry about being assaulted most days. And I think I probably have PTSD. And I love being touched. And I like casual sex (and that doesn’t have to be an “unhealthy coping mechanism”). And I like loving and being loved. And I find my body really sexy. And I get insecure about whether I’m “doing” sex right/well. And I communicate about consent, STIs, and desires (theirs and mine). And I have creative, weird, kinky, complicated fantasies. And I remind myself all of the time that my desires (and lack of desires) are valid, and that my pleasure is worthwhile!

My Sexuality Will Not Be Defined by Bad Experiences

9/2/2016

By anonymous Pleasure Pie contributor

[Content notice: Rape and sexual coercion]

Last night I went on my first Tinder date, and it was horrible!