What does sex, love, intimacy and consciousness look like in the digital age? For the Season 2 finale, Liz talks to three experts about where sex and artificial intelligence intersect, and where we’re going: Gray Scott, a techno-philosopher; Stephanie Dinkins, a visual artist interacting with AI as part of a revolutionary ongoing project; and Bruce Duncan, the managing director of the innovative and mysterious Terasem Movement Foundation.

Joey Soloway is the creator, writer, and director of the groundbreaking Amazon series TRANSparent, I Love Dick, and more. Liz and Joey talked about Hollywood power dynamics, the importance of being awkward; navigating their own #MeToo moment on set - and, of course, toppling the patriarchy.

*In June of 2020, Soloway announced a preference to be referred to as Joey rather than Jill.*

On the podcast this week is Rebecca Sugar-animator, writer, musician and creator of the groundbreaking animated series Steven Universe. Rebecca is the first non-male in Cartoon Network history to create their own series, which featured the first ever engagement and wedding between same-sex characters. In this episode, Rebecca and Liz discuss the importance of making wholesome LGBTQ+ content; their role in educating children—and their parents—via entertainment; the censorship an internationally syndicated animated kid’s show faces, and the upcoming Steven Universe: The Movie, out September 2.

This week’s podcast features activist and journalist Ashlee Marie Preston. Ashlee is the first openly trans person to run for state office in California, as well as the first trans person to become editor-in-chief of a nationwide publication. Ashlee and Liz talk about how tattoos have been a source of empowerment for her; life as a survival sex worker; abstinence and how transitioning, by its very definition, doesn’t follow a linear path.

This week, our guest is Rabbi Denise Eger, who leads Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood. Rabbi Eger is one of the first lesbian Rabbis to work openly in the United States, and was the first queer President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, which is the largest organization of Rabbis in the world. Rabbi Eger gives a blessing before a conversation about sex and spirituality; the myth of Lilith; ordaining California’s first legal lesbian wedding and how she is leading her congregation to evolve past the gender binary.

This week’s guest is legendary fashion designer Jeremy Scott, who’s the creative force behind his own label, Jeremy Scott; has an ongoing collaboration with Adidas; and is the creative director of Moschino. Old friends Liz and Jeremy talk about letting his fashion freak flag fly as a teenager in Missouri; “making it” in Paris as a designer; and how gender identity and dress codes have been revolutionized over the last decade.

Today, our guest is Barbara Carrellas, the founder of Urban Tantra, an approach to conscious sexuality that adapts and blends a wide variety of sacred sexuality practices from Tantra to BDSM. Barbara and Liz talk about conscious kink; that one time she had an energy orgasm in a tree; how Tantra can prepare you for death; and so much more.

This week, our guest is Midori, legendary sex educator, author and artist. Midori wrote the classic rope bible, The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage— the first English-language book on shibari. Liz and Midori cover bondage’s roots in warfare, incarceration and slavery as well as why, when tying up a lover for the first time, it’s important to maintain eye contact.

We’re kicking off Season 2 of The Sex Ed Podcast fabulously with Violet Chachki, — iconic drag queen, aerialist and burlesque performer. Violet is the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 7 and a showgirl who tours the world. On this episode, Violet and Liz discuss Catholic school uniforms, breaking Drag Race taboos, being a fashion icon and so much more.

No one person is an expert in love. So, for our season finale, Liz asked 50 strangers about LOVE: What is love? Does love hurt? Is love scary? Have you been in love? Their answers reflected a diversity of experiences and perceptions from young, old, single, happily partnered, divorced, polyamorous and currently heartbroken people. From fears of dying alone and being eaten by cats, to a couple that have been together 47 years— this episode covers it all. Visit www.thesexed.com to stay up to date on Season 2!

Nina Hartley is a world-famous adult film actress, director, author, and educator. She first achieved mainstream recognition in the 80s and 90s for promoting sex-positive feminism. In this interview, we discuss Nina’s early training as a Registered Nurse, feminism in the 1970s, and sex as an artistic medium. You can find Nina at her website, nina.live and follow her on Twitter where she’s @ninaland. Watch a video here of a talk we had at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles.

Dr. Joshua Gonzalez, MD, is a urologist specializing in Sexual Medicine. He has devoted his career to studying and treating sexual dysfunction, with a special concentration on LGBTQ+ issues. On this episode we discuss erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, birth control side effects, and a whole host of other medical mysteries that don’t get discussed enough in polite company.

What do you imagine when you hear the word celibacy? A monk taking a vow of chastity? Someone denying themselves pleasure? Do you imagine someone saving themselves for marriage or God? Do you think that if you go too long without penetrative sex, you’ll grow cobwebs? Do you consider celibacy the absence of all orgasms - including masturbation? Have you ever gone through a period of self-imposed celibacy? For our season three finale, Liz dives deep into the topic of Celibacy with the help of some friends and guests from this season.

Harvey Guillén is a GLAAD award-winning actor and producer who currently stars as Guillermo on the FX TV show, What We Do In The Shadows. Harvey joined Liz to discuss pansexual vampires; fatphobia in the LGBTQ community; sneaking into the 18+ section of Circus of Books as a teenager; and what his dream Hollywood project is.

Justin Simien is the creator of the incredible film and Netflix series Dear White People, which is now in its third season, and the upcoming film Bad Hair. Liz spoke to this renaissance man about queer black cinema; being the target of alt-right trolls; how he learned to market films before he made one; Buddhism; Carl Jung, Terence Nance and more.

Mykki Blanco is an internationally renowned performance artist, LGBTQ activist, and musician who’s worked with the likes of Bjork, Kanye West, Madonna, Kathleen Hanna, Major Lazer and more. Liz sat down with Mykki in Milan in February shortly before the COVID-19 outbreak to chat about how transitioning has changed their sex life; sending letters to their heroes; being HIV positive and touring in the Middle East.

Joel is a hilarious and talented comedian, and writer that has been on Conan, Netflix, and Comedy Central. In this episode, Liz and Joel talk about sexual stereotypes; growing up in an Evangelical household; his thoughts on the fertility industry as an adopted child; his leaked nudes; and the Jane Austen anal sex joke that he has tattooed on his body.

An exclusive episode of the podcast featuring Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s Creative Director. Liz met Alessandro in Milan to talk about his erotic relationship to nature; why Rome is his mistress; moving beyond confining modes of masculinity; his passion for dressing like a 1950s granny and how he channels orgasmic energy every day.

When Trevor MacDonald decided to start a family, he knew that the world was going to have questions for him. As a transgender man in a gay relationship; this memoir is a book about being a breastfeeding parent and a transgender man, and the many beautiful, moving, and difficult ways these two identities collide. “Where’s the Mother?” is a memoir like no other.

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The inspiring true story of transgender actor and activist Nicole Maines, whose identical twin brother, Jonas, and ordinary American family join her on an extraordinary journey to understand, nurture, and celebrate the uniqueness in us all.

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From the ancient poet Sappho to tombois in contemporary Indonesia, women throughout history and around the globe have desired, loved, and had sex with other women. In beautiful prose, Sapphistries tells their stories, capturing the multitude of ways that diverse societies have shaped female same-sex sexuality across time and place.

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Assuming the Ecosexual Position tells of childhood moments that pointed to a future of ecosexuality; how the two came together as lovers and collaborators, how they took a stand against homophobia and xenophobia, and how this union led to the miraculous conception of the Love Art Laboratory.

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The first and only pregnancy journal created for queer individuals and families, by a queer doula. So... You're pregnant and a little (or a lot) queer? The prompts in this journal provide an opportunity for you to reflect on your pregnancy, conception story, and parenting intentions. It is intended for pregnant people to use with or without the involvement of their partner(s) (when applicable).

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In defiance of the brutal military government that took power in Uruguay in the 1970s, and under which homosexuality is a dangerous transgression, five women miraculously find one another—and, together, an isolated cape that they claim as their own.

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Mistress of sexual storytelling Carol Queen offers a fresh look at sexual lifestyles and choices that are misinterpreted and repudiated by the mainstream. Her perceptive and knowledgeable treatment inserts a new viewpoint into the carefully developed relationships of power play, destroying stereotypes and modeling open communication.

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Alok Vaid-Menon challenges the world to see gender not in black and white, but in full color. Taking from their own experiences as a gender-nonconforming artist, they show us that gender is a malleable and creative form of expression. The only limit is your imagination.

Ages: 12-17

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From Rob Sanders comes this powerful and timeless true story that will allow young readers to discover the rich and dynamic history of the Stonewall Inn and its role in the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement—a movement that continues to this very day.

Ages: 5-8

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LGBTQ is the indispensable resource for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning teens—and their allies. This fully revised and updated third edition includes current information on LGBTQ terminology, evolving understandings of gender identity and sexual identity, LGBTQ rights, and much more. Other advice covers topics such as coming out, confronting prejudice, getting support, making healthy choices, and thriving in school and beyond.

Ages: 12+

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This sweet #ownvoices picture book celebrates the changes in a transgender boy's life, from his initial coming-out to becoming a big brother. When Aidan Became a Brother is a heartwarming book that will resonate with transgender children, reassure any child concerned about becoming an older sibling, and celebrate the many transitions a family can experience.

Ages: 4-7

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An illustrated LGBTQ+ inclusive kid's guide to sex, gender and relationships education that includes children and families of all genders and sexual orientations, covering puberty, hormones, consent, sex, pregnancy and safety.

Ages: 7-12

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It took Jacob years to discover that being "a sissy" isn't something to be ashamed of. It's a source of pride. A deeply personal story of trauma and healing, a powerful reflection on gender and self-acceptance, and a hilarious guidebook for wearing tacky clip-on earrings in today's world, Sissy guarantees you'll never think about gender—both other people's and your own—the same way again.

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In this poignant memoir of personal transformation, season 2 podcast guest Jill Soloway takes us on a patriarchy-toppling emotional and professional journey. Jill pushed through the male-dominated landscape of Hollywood to create the groundbreaking and award-winning Amazon TV series Transparent.

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After earning a good living by stripping and working as a dominatrix at a sex dungeon, Asa Akira built up a reputation for being one of the most popular, hardworking, and extreme actors in the porn business, winning dozens of awards for her 330+ movies. In a wry, conversational tone, she talks about her experiences shoplifting and doing drugs while in school, her relationship with other porn stars (she is married to one) and with the industry at large, and her beliefs about women and sexuality.

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The sequel to Insatiable is a new book about turning thirty in the adult film trade. Internationally known as a porn star, Asa Akira's perceptive, funny, and straightforward writings on love, sex, death, marriage and celebrity come together in a surprising book of essays. Personally revealing as well as universal, Dirty Thirty marks the coming of age of a new literary star.

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Victim’s rights attorney Carrie Goldberg shares the diabolical ways her clients are attacked and how she, through her unique combination of advocacy, badass relentlessness, risk-taking, and client-empowerment, pursues justice for them all. With breathtaking honesty, Carrie also shares her own shattering story about why she began her work and the uphill battle of building a business.

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How do Christianity and homosexuality factor within each other? Vines embarks upon a thorough investigation of just this question (along with a host of others it triggers) throughout this catalog and interpretation of the Bibles various references to same-sex coupling. In his quest to let the text do the talking, he leaves no stone (or page) unturned. 

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A body in transition catalyzes a pen into motion; Juliana Huxtable’s journey toward confirming her own gender (chemically and conceptually) realizes this collection of essay-style prose and digital-era poetry. Rich in the Tumblr generation's linguistic codings, it chronicles the boundlessly heroic work of self-definition.

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While for some, feminist porn sounds like an oxymoron, for others it reclaims the notion of erotic media, freeing it from its misogynist conventions and centering the pleasure of female subjects no longer bottled and battered within the confines of objectification. This survey considers their many stakes in this complex dialogue.

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Not content to swim ambivalently within default currents of the mainstream feminist movement, Betty Dodson architected and shared a personal philosophy built upon a sex-positive liberation ethic. Her story affirms both the personal and political presences within "pleasure". 

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Hooks explodes trite notions of formulaic "love" crafting in their former places a beneficially strenuous work of engagement. She asserts that this active brand of "love" stands to realize that for which so many indefinitely search.

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Authored entirely while Genet was imprisoned, this largely autobiographical account details the then-illicit encounters of Paris' homosexual underground. A breathtaking snapshot of love and life within the margins. 

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Baldwin cements his literary influence via this tale of clandestine romance amid a Paris in the thrusts of creative and cultural upheaval. As a result of phrasings textured to engaged the reader's full range of senses, the story's painted pictures realize characters almost realer than life itself.

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Until very recently, much of the Trans community's media visibility erased the dynamic presences of those posited in an the intersectional marginalization of both gender transition and racial 2nd-class citizenship. Riley Snorton considers via expansive cultural research, the ways in which the deliberate obscuring of their existence works to confirm the presence and impact of these maverick individuals.

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Rodriguez' sensuous and emboldened prose locates Queer Latina presence in contexts too often committed to its erasure. Erotic visual media posits a place of inquiry from within which she excavates innumerous iterative sensibilities.

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In the tradition of Cherokee communities, a place of acknowledgment—and often veneration—was carved for those who embodied a binary-subversive gender and/or sexual identity. Driskill approaches chronicling this Queered-Indigenous, intra-community formation via a rigorously academic methodology.

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Tucked away within Harlem's early-twentieth century creative revolution was a burgeoning community of Queer artists, writing, painting, singing, dancing, and living outside of society's strict mores. Here, a location of not only their expressive cultural contributions but a study of the contexts in which those occurred illuminates the ever resilient nature of the artistic spirit. 

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Ecstatic pleasure, consensual pain, and awe-inducing precision: traditional Japanese rope bondage is not for the faint of heart or short on time. That said, those up for the challenge will find Midori's tour of this storied tradition as mesmerizing as it is thoroughly informative.

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A lady never kisses and tells. A "hustler"—by contrast—is likely to spill several juicy beans, as Bowers does within this behind the screens peak at the Hollywood Golden Era's most elicit sexcapades. Odds are 5 to 1 that the only thing dropping faster than a world-famous matinee idol's trousers will be your jaw.

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