M^sturbati0n sleeves don't deserve their seedy reputation.
It's time to get right with male pleasure.
Hey babe,
We need to talk about strokers. Like, now.
When we think of sex toys, we typically envision a vibrator or some other toy meant for a vagina—one that stimulates the clitoris or hits the G-spot just right. But toys for penises exist, too. The most popular type of products on the market geared towards dicks are known as "strokers," aka masturbation sleeves. These gadgets are convenient to use, offer a respite for your hand and give users a completely new set of tactile sensations to enjoy.
There is so much power in exploring your sexuality as someone who owns a penis. You can find real joy in it. And everyone deserves that, you know? It’s important that we investigate what a penis toy even is, because many devices don’t deserve a reputation of being vulgar and taboo.
We should be celebrating male pleasure instead of male performance and creating toys that are nice to look at and made from high-quality materials. Playthings for your willy can be luxurious, well-made and entirely without the sleaze factor. It’s time to give masturbation the attention and reverence it deserves.
There are plenty of high quality sex toys made for penises. Masturbation sleeves are exactly what the name suggests: squishy, elastic tunnels into which someone inserts their penis for maximal stimulation. Some models are reusable, while others are disposable. It’s important to read the directions and be sure you’re cleaning and caring for your masturbation sleeves in between self-love sessions, as they can collect bacteria and become exceptionally unhygienic.
When you think of a sleeve for your member, you may think of the infamous Fleshlight. This toy is designed to look like and replicate the tightness and feel of a welcoming human orifice, made from a material called elastomer that gives it the stretch and tension. Many are shaped like vulvas and anuses and come in a variety of colors and sizes. Breaking free of the "must-look-like-a-vagina-or-anus" mold, however, several companies have instead chosen to take the lead in creating beautiful, artistically crafted tubes, especially for masturbation.
Sex toy company Tenga has a variety of models designed to offer unique sensations. In a world where young people are laden with death grip syndrome from too tightly strangling their shafts while masturbating, it’s never been more important to offer new and interesting ways to get it on with yourself.
Want to learn more? Check out my full article on Giddy.
This week’s mantras:
Everyone deserves pleasure.
Sex is about the journey, not the destination and we all should invest in that beautiful journey.
I will love myself.
I love you. Have a great week!
XOXO Auntie Gigi
~Good ReadsSsSssSsSs~
The Quality Toys You Can Buy On Amazon
My very first byline for GQ Magazine, everyone!
Contrary to popular belief, you can buy quality and affordable sex toys right on Amazon—but there are also a flood of knock-offs and low-quality Amazon sex toys. So I did the hard work for you and slugged through the endless reviews and product descriptions to sort the best from the rest.
Navigating Sex & Relationships with Religious Trauma Syndrome
This article, adapted from a podcast interview with Krista Wilson, a licensed professional counselor working in Chicago, explores the impact religious backgrounds can have on the our perceptions of selves - especially when it comes to our sexuality.
This thinking often results in the idea that there is one “correct” way of being and that differing options are ignorant and lead to the destruction of the self, others, and the world at large. RTS has many symptoms and presentations, but at its core, it messes with very important stages of the development of the self. Based on the work of psychologist Erik Erikson, early development would hopefully result in self-trust, autonomy, and a sense of initiative. Instead, those with RTS often experience mistrust of the intuition, self-doubt, shame, guilt, and difficulty making self-supportive decisions.
Of Course the Internet Hates This 23-Year-Old Man and His 60-Year-Old Girlfriend
Author, Kayla Kibbe, interviewed me for InsideHook on why people are so profoundly disgusted by age gaps in relationships. We’re really quick, even in 2021, to denote these relationships as ‘weird’ or ‘creepy,’ when they’re actually just about humans being humans. Judging these relationships is just a cultural prejudice that we accept as normal and fine. It’s considered OK to say you’re ‘grossed out’ by an age-gap relationship.
I mean, what it really boils down to is advice I give on the reg: What happens between consenting adults in none of your damn business. But I digress.
How to keep sex sexy when you're trying to conceive, according to a sex therapist
I’m always interested in stuff like this because I’m, well, 30 and might try to have a baby in a few years. More like 5 years because that sounds overwhelming AF and I have a low-tolerance for any kind of discomfort. I got a cramp in my foot yesterday and started crying. Anyway. Sex therapist, Ian Kerner, has all the good on keeping it hot while trying to grow a human inside of your body.
Spoiler: Sex doesn’t need to include intercourse to be ‘sex’ and often can be taken off the table sometimes - just because you’re trying doesn’t mean you need to try constantly.
~Ask Gigi~
Ask Gigi: What Is The Gender Binary?
We have very strict ideas about what makes someone a "man" or a "woman." And all of them are 100% made up, fake things we created as a society that have no real meaning beyond that. Someone's sex is something you're born with, gender is a different thing. The binary is, in a word, bullshit.
That’s it for me this week, pals. I love you. Remember that you need to protect your energy and set boundaries. If someone is hounding you with messages, asking for constant advice, and generally treating you like their therapist - remember that you are NOT their therapist. It’s OK to say no and set a boundary with that person. Got it? OK.