SAN FRANCISCO—Adult retailer Good Vibrations will celebrate Masturbation Month throughout the month of May.
Good Vibrations founded International Masturbation Month in 1995 in the wake of the controversy surrounding the firing of former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, who evoked conservative wrath when she stated that discussion of masturbation might have a place in sex education curricula. Realizing that one simple, sensible mention of solo pleasuring was enough to lose this prominent woman--the country's first African-American surgeon general--her job convinced Good Vibrations staff that this most basic and accessible form of sex needed a serious image boost. Since that time others have followed suit and helped us spread the word.
The retail chain will celebrate with two events, coast to coast, on May 15 with author Jenny Block in San Francisco for the book launch of The Ultimate Guide to Solo Sex and in Brookline, Mass., with a free workshop, “Love Yourself, Literally: Empowerment Through Masturbation.” Both events are free and open to the public.
"Know Thyself" takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to self-pleasure.
"Too many people still feel uncomfortable about masturbation and guilty about doing it," said Good Vibrations staff sexologist Carol Queen, Ph.D., author of The Sex & Pleasure Book: Good Vibrations Guide to Great Sex for Everyone. Queen is one of the originators of the Masturbation Month concept. "If only so much of U.S. culture were not so burdened with ideas that masturbation is shameful, a sin or a poor second choice to partner sex."
Good Vibrations offers several choices of products for self-pleasure and solo play to help remind the public that masturbation is relaxing, allows people to learn more about their own sexual response, is a basic recommendation of sex therapists that can help people with many different sexual concerns, relieves menstrual cramps, and helps keep the genitals fully functional.
For more information, visit GoodVibes.com.
