Tiye

The Sexual Freedom Project: Born This Way?

(También en Español)

Are we all “born this way” or is it possible for us to evolve in our sexuality as we grow up? Do you agree that there is pressure even within the LGBT community to conform to the idea that our sexual orientation and gender identification is inherent, genetic, or otherwise predisposed? What does “born this way” mean to you?

Make a video, write a poem, song, or an essay — or even create an original work of art — and express your thoughts. If we feature your contribution on the site, we will send you a free VenusPlusX t-shirt to thank you.

Video by Tiye Massey.

The Sexual Freedom Project: A Culmination of Things

(También en Español)

In developing your sexuality, what kinds of messages do you find everyday, at home, in the media, at school, or on TV? What contradicts and what affirms you?

Make a video, write a poem, song, or an essay — or even create an original work of art — and express your thoughts. If we feature your contribution on the site, we will send you a free VenusPlusX t-shirt to thank you.

Video by Tiye Massey.

The Sexual Freedom Project: Lack of Support

(También en Español)


Do you agree that many obstacles to sexual freedom are due to lack of support from religion, government, corporations, etc., particularly affecting youth? Is the LGBT community itself doing enough to transcend these obstacles?

Make a video, write a poem, song, or an essay — or even create an original work of art — and express your thoughts. If we feature your contribution on the site, we will send you a free VenusPlusX t-shirt to thank you.

Video by Tiye Massey.

The Sexual Freedom Project: I AM: Mycroft

Here’s another video from the I AM: Trans People Speak project of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. Please be sure to check out their website for more information and videos of transgender individuals telling their own stories in their own words.

Mycroft identifies as an interfaith leader, a writer and artist, a life partner, and a transgender person. Mycroft experienced discrimination when it came time to do co-op work in the field as part of his college program. People would not even consider hiring him, because he is transgender. It was an eye-opening, shocking experience for him. One of the positive experiences that came out of this was it called him to be a leader in the transgender community.

How did you become a leader in your community? Was there one particular experience that changed the way you recognized and expressed your gender expression and/or sexual orientation? Can a bad experience bring unexpected rewards, financially, emotionally, educationally, spiritually? Do you have any advice for other people just coming to grips with their sexual orientation or gender identity? Is there any advice you wish you had been given at an earlier age?

We want to know what you think or hear your own story. Make a video, write a poem, song, or an essay — or even create an original work of art — and express yourself. If we feature your contribution on the site, we will send you a free VenusPlusX t-shirt to thank you.


The Sexual Freedom Project: Can You Believe This?

Why isn’t everyone equal before the law? Why are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people subjected to a level of discrimination on the basis of the sexual orientation and/or gender identity that heterosexual people don’t have to worry about? Why does a transgender woman walking through a park have to fear being harassed and arrested by the police who are supposed to be ‘protecting and serving’ her? Why do people fear what is different?

What role do governments and religions play in crushing individuals and relationships they are not comfortable with, not familiar with, or that they do not approve of? How does our silence or refusal to confront this oppression enable it to continue?

Let us know what you think. Make a video, write a poem, song, or an essay — or even create an original work of art — and express your thoughts on these topics. If we feature your contribution on the site, we will send you a free VenusPlusX t-shirt to thank you.


The Sexual Freedom Project: Human Trafficking

Today’s video comes to us from the Demi & Ashton Foundation (DNA Foundation) and is about human trafficking: the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery. Some important facts from their website:

Today, more than twelve million people worldwide are enslaved.[1] An estimated two million children are bought and sold in the global commercial sex trade.[2] The sex slavery industry has become an increasingly important revenue source for organized crime because each young girl can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for her pimp.

While this is a problem in many countries, many Americans don’t realize that it happens here at home as well. Thousands of children are forced into domestic sex slavery each year and that the average age of entry is 13 years old.[3] The majority of American victims of commercial sexual exploitation tend to be runaway youth who live on the street, often who have left homes where they were abused or abandoned. Pimps prey on their vulnerability. These girls are our neighbors, our friends, our sisters and our daughters. [Footnotes on their site.]

The DNA Foundation website includes a comprehensive list of important organizations that are working on this issue. How much have you heard about this important subject? Has it personally affected anyone you know, a neighbor, a friend, a relative? Do you think the topic is getting the public discussion and the media attention that it needs and deserves? Do you think people may be uncomfortable talking about it? What can we do to make it okay to talk about this subject, and what can we as individuals do to stop this practice?

Let us know what you think. Make a video, write a poem, song, or an essay — or even create an original work of art — and express your thoughts on these topics. If we feature your contribution on the site, we will send you a free VenusPlusX t-shirt to thank you.


Love Poly Style

This video comes to us from Newsweek, and is called “POLYAMORY: Making Poly Love Work.” For anyone not familiar with the term polyamory (from Greek πολύ [poly, meaning many or several] and Latin amor [love]), Wikipedia defines it as “the practice, desire, or acceptance of having more than one intimate relationship at a time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved.”

From the Newsweek article:

Terisa and Matt and Vera and Larry—along with Scott, who’s also at this dinner—are not swingers, per se; they aren’t pursuing casual sex. Nor are they polygamists of the sort portrayed on HBO’s Big Love; they aren’t religious, and they don’t have multiple wives. But they do believe in “ethical nonmonogamy,” or engaging in loving, intimate relationships with more than one person—based upon the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. They are polyamorous, to use the term of art applied to multiple-partner families like theirs, and they wouldn’t want to live any other way.

More from Newsweek:

Some polyamorists are married with multiple love interests, while others practice informal group marriage. Some have group sex—and many are bisexual—while those like Greenan have a series of heterosexual, one-on-one relationships. Still others don’t identify as poly but live a recognizably poly lifestyle. Terisa describes her particular cluster as a “triad,” for the number of people involved, and a “vee” for its organization, with Terisa at the center (the point of the V) and her two primary partners, Scott and Larry (who are not intimate with each other) as the tips of each arm. Other poly vocabulary exists, too: “spice” is the plural of “spouse”; “polygeometry” is how a polyamorous group describes their connections; “polyfidelitous” refers to folks who don’t date outside their menage; and a “quad” is a four-member poly group.

What unique challenges do individuals in polyamorous relationships face from society, from religion, from the government? What do you think are the advantages of being in a polyamorous relationship? Is it something that you have ever considered or experienced? How do children factor into these challenges? What role would jealousy play, and how could it be overcome?

Let us know what you think. Make a video, write a poem, song, or an essay — or even create an original work of art — and express your thoughts on these topics. If we feature your contribution on the site, we will send you a free VenusPlusX t-shirt to thank you.

Image by Ratatosk, used with permission.

The Sexual Freedom Project: Bisexuality

For some people, bisexuality is their sexual orientation, and it’s here to stay. For some other people, coming out as bisexual is a first step to admitting that they’re gay — to friends and family, perhaps even to themselves. The men in these two videos have a lot to say about bisexuality. (Note: Some video not appropriate for certain environments.)

Did these videos make you change your opinions about bisexuality, or even reconsider them?

What’s your reaction upon learning someone is bisexual? Do you automatically think they are just confused, just as straight people think of gay people?Is it ever our place to try to influence someone else’s sexual orientation. Some believe bisexuals suffer discrimination from all sides, from both gay and straight people, so what do you think?

Let us know share your voice. Make a video, write a poem, song, or an essay — or even create an original work of art — and express your thoughts on these topics. If we feature your contribution on the site, we will send you a free VenusPlusX t-shirt to thank you.


The Sexual Freedom Project: Take It Personally…Please

Thursday at 1:00 PM in Washington, DC, the Transgender Day of Action will confront the Metropolitan Police Department, the United States District Attorney for DC, the Mayor, and Members of the City Council about systemic bias against the trans community in our nation’s capital. Local activists, members of the LGBT community, and concerned area residents will be participating in this action to bring media and political attention to the serious ongoing problem of neglect and abuse of trans folks in DC. It is in honor of that action that we bring you today’s video, “Transgender People In The Workplace.”

Have you witnessed biased and prejudiced jokes or remarks about someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity? What was your reaction and action? Did you take it personally even if it wasn’t about you?

Let us know what you think. Make a video, write a poem, song, or an essay — or even create an original work of art — and express your thoughts on these topics. If we feature your contribution on the site, we will send you a free VenusPlusX t-shirt to thank you.


The Sexual Freedom Project: “I AM” Gina

Here’s another great video from the I AM: Trans People Speak project of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. Please be sure to check out their website for more information and videos of trans individuals telling their own stories in their own words.

Gina identifies as a union elevator constructor, a parent, a dog owner, and trans. She talks about the results of coming out as trans to her mom and dad, her children, and the owners of her company and her union, and her joy in how she has been accepted and welcomed. Gina reminds us that by living one’s truth and walking through our fears, we open our lives up in new, better, and unpredictably exciting ways.

What is your coming out story, and what were the results?

Tell us your story, let us know what you think. Make a video, write a poem, song, or an essay — or even create an original work of art — and express your thoughts on these topics. If we feature your contribution on the site, we will send you a free VenusPlusX t-shirt to thank you.

.