March 21st – 25th marked the 20th National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week. Last week was created to highlight and raise awareness of the very unique, holistic health needs of those in the rainbow community. Just like many other communities, the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals are vast and deserve to be met. Here is a list of some awesome wellness brands who are killing the game in supporting the LGBTQ+ community, as well as educating allies!
PrEP: Daily HIV Prevention PillTestosteroneImage Source: folxhealth.com
Whether it be asking for PrEP, questioning your gender identity, being curious about hormone therapy, or just seeking sexual wellness information pertaining to LGBTQ+ health concerns, many queer individuals dread going to the doctor for one reason or another. To address and alleviate this dread, Folx Health was founded by A.G. Breitenstein in 2019. Folx Health is the FIRST internet healthcare provider that provides gender-affirming care to the LGBTQIA+ community. Their services include HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy), ED support (erectile dysfunction), PrEP, and Primary Care, to name just a few. They also have an amazing virtual library that includes educational and informative articles about all things hormones and sexual wellness.
Butt & Gut Daily Pre + ProbioticDisposable Rectal WashImage Source: futuremethod.com
Sure, most individuals had some form of basic sex education when they were growing up (if any education at all); however, we can almost guarantee that anal sex wasn’t included in that conversation. No worries! The people over at Future Method have got it covered! Future Method’s founder, Dr. Evan Goldstein, has created judgment-free, scientifically-backed pleasure products to promote and enhance safe and healthy pleasure experiences! The products they offer include prebiotics and probiotics, skincare, and more.
Essentials Soft Bra – Rainbow Pride StripesMultipack 4.5″ Trunks MixedImage Source: tomboyx.com
Clothing can be a sensitive subject/space for many folks in the LGBTQ+ community. Most brands that exist are usually thinking about the consumer from a very narrow framing. Fran Dunaway and her wife Naomi Gonzalez realized that there was a lack of queer brands that provide quality products, are gender-affirming, and are size-inclusive. After speaking with the community, they created a brand that is widely accepted and loved in LGBTQ+ spaces today. Tomboyx, or Tomboy Exchange, is an underwear brand created with real humans in mind. Their vast collections of colors, styles, sizing, and model representation center those that they are creating for!
Two Finger ExtenderPairs nicely with Naturals H2OImage Sources: wetforher.com / sliquid.com
Shopping for sex toys can be really intimidating and difficult, especially when most sex toys are usually designed by cis-men for people with penises and vulvas. Wet For Her prides itself on being a company that makes toys “by lesbians, for lesbians” but is extremely gender and sexuality inclusive. They are known for their unique and original toy designs, such as the Two-Finger Extender, the Union, and the RockHer. In recent years, they have expanded their products to also include packers, bumpers, etc, to make sure people of all genders were affirmed in their pleasure. I personally have had the great honor of receiving the Two-Finger Extender and paired it with Sliquid’s Naturals H2O lubricant; a really great, natural, water-based lube that reduces friction and adds some much-needed slipperiness to your experience!
Jack 2-IN-1 StrokerJack 2-IN-1 StrokerImage Source: newyorktoycollective.com
For consumers that have gender affirmation as one of their core values and missions, it is oftentimes very difficult for them to find products that speak directly to their buying needs. For people with gender-expansive experiences, things are definitely not one-size-fits-all. The New York Toy Collective founder Chelsea Downs, and co-founder Laura Parker, saw a need and desire to prioritize the pleasure and sexual wellness needs of transgender and non-binary people. They started off making handmade dildos with product quality, representation, and comfortability in mind. They now sell dildos, packers, and other gender-affirming pleasure items with cutting-edge sex tech in mind!
Cute Little FuckersPair nicely with Naturals Sassy and Naturals SeaImage Source: @cutelittlefkers on Instagram / sliquid.com
One of the best things about sex toys, and sexual wellness, is how endless the possibilities are in creating fun and functional pleasure products. Step, the founder of Cute Little Fuckers, took an amazing and original vision and brought them to life! Cute Little Fuckers is a trans-owned sex toy company that has adorable little monsters that will give you a BIG ‘O’! They are well-known in the sexual wellness world for being one of the first adult toys on Kickstarter in 2019. These fun and unique toys were made by Step in an effort to make sex toys more gender-inclusive and personal. These toys are one of a kind, made with quality material, and would pair very well with Sliquid Naturals Sea, which is infused with seaweed extract for extra slip. Naturals Sassy, Sliquid’s thickest water-based formula, is another great option for all types of toy play.
While this list is non-exhaustive, we hope it gives everyone some insight into the amazing brands out there doing the work to promote, create, produce, and educate those in the LGBTQ+ communities, while actively addressing their unique needs. As a gentle reminder, remember to uplift and listen to those in the LGBTQ+ community! The health and wellness needs of LGBTQ+ folks, like all other people’s, are important and deserve to be met.
Written by Alessandra Isabella on Friday, February 23, 2024.
As you (hopefully) know, March is Women’s History Month. To commemorate these ever-important 31 days of the year, we wanted to share some amazing stories of women in history who have paved the way for many women in today’s society. These are women that are most likely not taught in your history book. We want to start off by saying that being a woman, and womanhood, lives on a beautiful spectrum and these six women are reflective of this belief. The women you are about to read about were not only champions for women’s rights but also activists working to end racism, homophobia, and bring awareness to homelessness, and transgender rights. Let’s get into it.
Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner
Born May 17th, 1912. Monroe, North Carolina.
Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner was born into an amazing family of avid and successful inventors. Mary began to follow in her family’s footsteps at the young age of six. Her first, and probably most utilized patented invention, was for the original ‘sanitary belt’ – what we know today, as the sanitary pad. The sanitary belt was invented in 1920 however, Mary was unable to afford the patent at the time and it was patented in 1957. A company called Sonn-Nap-Pack got wind of Mary’s invention and extended a marketing offer that was soon rescinded once they found out she was Black. In the 1970s the belt portion of the pads was removed and tampons became more popularized. To this day, Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner holds one of the records for the greatest number of patents awarded to a Black woman in the United States – talk about amazing women! Thank you, Mary, for such a necessary and revolutionary invention!
Bella Abzug
Born July 24th, 1920. Bronx, New York.
Bella Savitzky was born to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. She attended Hunter College for her Bachelor’s Degree in 1942 and attended Columbia University Law School immediately after. In 1944, she married novelist Martin Abzug, who would soon become her biggest supporter. Early on, Bella was already catching the attention of those in New York when she began practicing law and representing people that society considered “undesirable” or “unrepresentable” at that time; Black people and those deemed or suspected to be communists by the U.S. Government. In 1970, Bella decided to run for the House of Representatives with the very controversial and soon-to-be-recognized slogan “The women’s place is in the house… the House of Representatives!” Her platform was very radical for the time, staking firm stances of anti-war rhetoric and pro-feminism. She earned the name of “Battling Bella” early on for her robust and controversial backings of causes like ending the draft and being one of the first to publicly call for the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. She co-authored the Child Development Act with Shirley Chisolm, as well as introduced legislation increasing LGBT rights, which amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual or affectional preference. After three consecutive terms, in her final 20 years of life, she established the Women USA Fund and the Women’s Environmental and Developmental Organization; non-profit advocacy groups to aid in UN Agenda urgency surrounding women’s issues.
Wilma Mankiller
Born November 18th, 1945. Tahlequah, Oklahoma (capital of the Cherokee Nation).
Born on a reservation in Oklahoma, Wilma Mankiller’s childhood was quickly uprooted to San Francisco at the age of 11 due to the Bureau of Indian Affairs Relocation Policy. This policy forced many indigenous people out of the Southwest, into major cities, with the promises of better jobs. While living here Wilma, and many others, publicly witnessed the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz by Richard Oakes and other Indigenous protestors, after a local Indigenous Community Center caught fire. This inspired Wilma and led her to serve as the director of Oakland’s Native American Youth Center. After being married, then divorcing, Mankiller moved back to Oklahoma in 1977 and continued her activism – founding the Community Development Department for the Cherokee Nation. After many years of continued work and community activism, she was elected the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1988 – becoming one of the first women to be elected Chief of a major tribe. During her time as Principal Chief, the population number doubled, the infant mortality rate declined, and the education achievement went up. She even worked with the federal government to create a self-government agreement for the Cherokee Nation that would lead her to receive national recognition for her courageous and ambitious feats!
Raden Adjeng Kartini
Born April 21st, 1879. Jepara, Central Java, Dutch East Indies.
Born to an aristocratic family, Raden Kartini and her ideas would soon change her country forever. Her family was very influential and worked closely with the Dutch colonial administration. At age 6, she and her sisters attended Dutch school, following in the educational footsteps of her father, learning both the Dutch and Javanese cultures. Unfortunately, at the age of 12, they were forced to stop schooling and uphold the tradition of staying home until they were married. However, this did not stop them from continuing their learning. They still read, wrote, and made pen-pals of some very important people via an ad they took out in a local magazine. In these pen-pal relationships, they exchanged their thoughts, feelings, and wishes to change their traditions that included polygamy and blind, arranged marriages; with no input from women at all. Raden was vocal about the fact that she did not agree with these traditions and wanted the option to continue her education and to choose whether she wanted to be married. In 1903, she married a Javanese man and they had hopes of opening a school for Javanese girls. Unfortunately, at age 25, she died due to complications following the birth of her first child. Even though she passed, her legacy, words, and vision did not die. In 1911, one of her former pen-pals, J.H. Abendanon (former Director of Education, Industry & Religion) published her letters as a series called Door duisternis tot licht (Through Darkness into Light). This sparked support and the founding of the Kartini Foundation in the Netherlands which led to the opening of the first girl’s school in Java (Indonesia) in 1916. Her ideologies would even go on to be used in universities in the Netherlands and Java (Indonesia). Thank you for using your voice and your legacy to create radical change in your culture!
Sylvia Rivera
Born July 2nd, 1951. New York City, New York.
Trans activist, Sylvia Rivera, would come to be known as an LGBTQ+ legend whose legacy continues to inspire many people today. Sylvia was assigned male at birth. At a young age, her mother died by suicide and her father was not present. She was raised by her grandmother. During her childhood, as she was figuring out her gender identity and expression, she was often bullied and picked on for experimenting with makeup and clothing. Following this, she sadly experienced sexual assault and homelessness throughout her early teenage years. In 1963, when she met Marsha P. Johnson, she had no idea that her life was about to change forever. Marsha P. Johnson was experiencing discrimination and exclusion from the queer community, at the time, due to her gender expression. A few years later, she would ignite and lead the 1969 riots at the Stonewall Inn. Following the riots, as Pride parades were being introduced and celebrated in the 1970s, Sylvia and Marsha often found themselves still excluded for being transgender, even though they had worked to put these events together. This led Sylvia to fight against the exclusion of transgender people from the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act in New York. In 1971 and 1997 STAR and Transy House (both for transgender people experiencing homelessness and domestic situations) were both started by Sylvia, to support and bring awareness to those experiencing a lot of what she had faced in her youth. In 2002, she died of liver cancer; however, her legacy lives on, WORLD-WIDE, and we thank Sylvia Rivera for her courageous life, bravery, and advocacy!
These amazing women’s lives transformed communities and made huge impacts on the world, both then and now. This Women’s History Month, we encourage you to learn something new about the women in your local communities and thank them, not just today, or this month, but every chance you get. Women all over the world are doing amazing things every day. We want to say thank you to those who are committed to the successes and continued support of women all over the world!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“Saniyyah (They/Them/Saniyyah) aka @HeauxOnTheGeaux is a Community Sexual Health Educator, Pleasure Activist, Heaux Mentor, Abortion Doula & Sex Toy Reviewer. They strive to create easy & accessible, free sex education to folks in the Black and brown communities – prioritizing liberation, decolonization & harm reduction. Saniyyah’s goal in their work is to create a world in which sex & shame no longer co-exist; a world in which speaking freely about sex & pleasure are no longer taboo; and as a non-binary, queer, polyamorous person, Saniyyah also emphasizes uplifting & highlighting those in their marginalized communities”
To help find the best lube for you and your sex life, without having to buy and test dozens of bottles and tubes and packets of the stuff, I talked with Queen and 11 more experts — including employees at adult retailers, sex educators, advocates, and therapists — about the kind they’d recommend.
Every guy should own sex lube. A proper lubricant isn’t just for a nice handy (which, by the way, are totally underrated). If you’re heading for the backdoor, it’s the only way you’ll get in – as a doctor will tell you. But here’s why you’ll want a bottle in your nightstand even if you never leave missionary island: Lube makes vanilla P in V sex even more fantastic, if that’s even possible – not least because your partner will appreciate your thoughtfulness and consideration.
Here are our favorites for every bedroom activity – whether you’re after sex in the shower, with a toy, with someone you love, with a stranger, or all four of those things at once.
While it marks the second Valentine’s Day amid pandemic times, the upcoming holiday may still look a little different than years before. Whether you’re gearing up for a self-care day, hosting a Galentine’s event, or prepping for a Zoom date, we have you covered when it comes to searching for the perfect gift to celebrate the holiday.
Lubricant aka lube for short, not only makes sex feel great, but more importantly it helps to prevent injury, tearing, or discomfort during sex or masturbation.
If things have gone a little dry down there, lube is a great tool for giving you that helping hand and can even heighten intimacy levels with your partner – or by yourself, of course.
From compact vibrators to custom dildos, there are so many different sex toy options out there to fulfill your every whim and desire it’s almost expected to have multiple trial and error moments until you find those that really speak to you. And while there are plenty of goodies that may or may not get you off, it’s especially nice to find a special toy that feels like it was specifically made just for you.
Media Contact: Erik Vasquez, VP of Marketing, erik@sliquid.com, (800) S L I Q U I D
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: — December 16, 2021 — Dallas TX — Top, natural intimates’ manufacturer Sliquid (www.sliquid.com) is pleased to announce the promotion of Erik Vasquez and Kyleah Orwig to VP of Marketing and Creative Director, respectively.
“Erik and Ky are the team that has diligently been guiding our marketing efforts for the past year and a half,” says Dean Elliott, Founder, and CEO of Sliquid. “They make a great duo and can collaborate effectively to produce the interesting and distinctive content you associated with our brand. I am grateful to have them on team Sliquid and I’m excited to see what they accomplish in their new roles.”
Erik began his career with Sliquid in 2017 as a brand ambassador for the Sliquid LGBTQ-focused product range, RIDE BodyWorx. A year later, he was promoted to Marketing Director, for which he is a two-time nominee for XBIZ Marketing Executive of the Year.
In the newly minted role of VP of Marketing, Vasquez is responsible for the results of the company’s overall marketing strategy. Under his direction, the marketing team will design comprehensive and cohesive marketing plans that set forth short-term and long-term goals, which include scaling brand awareness and visibility, leveraging existing and new revenue channels, implementing B2B sales support resources and partnerships, and targeting new and existing customers to offer a better, more engaging customer experience.
“I am honored to be promoted to VP of Marketing,” says Vasquez. “I have spent the last 4 years identifying, harnessing, and executing the marketing strengths and capabilities of the Sliquid brand. I have a clear and solid vision for the brand’s future direction. I am proud to work for a leader in the pleasure products space, and I’m excited to play an integral role in ushering Sliquid into its 20th year in the marketplace.”
Kyleah Orwig, currently Print and Digital Artist since her hiring in June of 2020, is being promoted to Creative Director. In her new role, Kyleah will oversee all creative decisions regarding Sliquid websites, social media platforms, and sales and marketing collateral. With her unique and varied creative abilities, which include illustration, video production, and photography, she will play a key role in driving the brand’s overall aesthetic and visual representation.
“Extremely humble! That’s all I can really say,” Orwig gratefully stated. “I am extremely excited for this opportunity to grow in the industry and to expand my creativity. I can’t wait to help Sliquid grow!”
To connect with Erik, email him direct at erik@sliquid.com, or call (214) 821-4400 ext. 203. You can also find him on social media @eriksonvasquez on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin.
Kyleah can be reached directly at kyleah@sliquid.com, or by telephone at (214) 821-4400 ext. 207.
To learn more about Sliquid visit sliquid.com. Follow @Sliquid on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook www.facebook.com/sliquid, and on YouTube www.youtube.com/user/sliquidintimate.
Gone are the days when all we had for personal lubricant was KY Jelly. Not that there’s anything wrong with the original KY Jelly – it certainly can get the job done. But for those with fussier, more sensitive vulvas, vaginas, and penises, it could leave us, well, unsatisfied to say the least.
The holigays are here! It’s the perfect time to shower your lover(s) with the kinds of gifts that keep on giving. But sex toys can be expensive. Fortunately, if you need to snag something sexy for your partner or anyone you’re…uh, stuffing…you don’t have to break the bank. Shops this list of sexy stocking stuffers — featuring toys and accessories that are under $20 — and have yourself a hole-y night.
