SexIs

SexIs Magazine is a quarterly print publication and daily webzine devoted to sex and sexual culture, founded in 2008 by Web Merchants, parent company of sex toy e-tailer EdenFantasys.com. The first print issue debuted in November 2009, distributed nationwide as an insert in BUST magazine. The website publishes articles, columns, video presentations and news items daily.

According to AVN, SexIs provides "clear, honest sexual advice and education in a friendly, sex-positive way."^[1]

Coverage

In addition to in-depth interviews with personalities such as pioneering adult author/director, Tristan Taormino, alt porn star April Flores (a.k.a. Fatty D) and counterculture icon, Paul Krassner, SexIs covers a broad range of adult topics from sex education and reproductive health to gay, lesbian and transgender issues, BDSM and kink; non-traditional lifestyle choices, such as polyamory, as well as arts and culture, fashion, body image, media, technology, sex and aging, and relationship advice.

"Sex is a force that has an impact—be it subtle or sledgehammer—on everything from art and fashion, health and law to relationships and even parenting—and these are the topics you'll find on SexIs."^[2] — according to the review of the magazine on curated blog platform Divine Caroline, named among the top 100 blogs for women by Forbes magazine.^[3]

Ongoing projects

In April 2010, SexIs embarked on a joint venture, The Naked Reader Book Club, in conjunction with independent publisher, Cleis Press. In addition to features and regular columns, SexIs also publishes content under the auspices of several ongoing themed projects.

• The Green Project
  Focusing on how sexual the choices we make impact our relationship with the planet and its ever-dwindling resources, The Green Project has included stories on eco-friendly dildos, sustainable aphrodisiacs, population control, and environmentally conscientious methods for disposing of waste produced in the manufacture and sales of sex toys, as well as proper disposal of used toys and batteries.
• The Safer Sex Project
  A combination of clinical and practical data on STDs and their prevention (including information on identification and treatment, as well as social/cultural significance and stigmas), The Safer Sex Project has included articles on the truth about HPV, safer sex practices for same-sex couples, and why STDs are making a comeback on college campuses.
• The World AIDS Project: AIDS, the Arts and the Legacy of Activism
  In honor of World AIDS Day, in 2009, SexIs commissioned a series of first-person essays inspired by the lives lost and lessons learned in the wake of the tragic worldwide AIDS epidemic. In June 2010, SexIs broadened the range of this project to include a look at the impact of seminal figures, such as Keith Haring, Angels in America playwright, Tony Kushner and Larry Kramer in their capacities as both artists and activists on culture, the arts and AIDS-related activism.
• The BDSM Project
  This series explores the many permutations of BDSM, kink and sexual fetish. Topics have included specific practices such as edgeplay, figging and leather fetish, as well as the biochemistry of sadomasochism, an overview of the life and death of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, and the influences of kink and BDSM on popular culture with regard to fashion, film and technology.
• The Man Project
  In June 2010, SexIs launched The Man Project, which focuses on the role of male sexuality in modern culture. The project debuted with a profile of Michael Alvear, co-host of HBO's The Sex Inspectors.

Charitable outreach

SexIs is a sponsor of the AIDS Service Center NYC, and also holds annual charity events at New York City’s Museum of Sex.

Notable contributors

Among the notable regular contributors to SexIs are:

• Buck Angel: FTM transsexual and adult film maker.
• Rachel Kramer Bussel: Author, columnist, and editor, specializing in erotica.
• Nina Hartley: Pornographic actress, pornographic film director, sex educator, feminist, and author.
• Midori: Human sexuality writer, speaker, and sex educator.
• The Bloggess: (Jenny Lawson) Journalist, blogger, and author.
• Jerry King: Cartoonist, past winner of the National Cartoonist Society Magazine Gag Cartoon Award.
• Em & Lo: (Emma Taylor and Lorelei Sharkey) Authors, bloggers, sexual advice columnists.

References

External links

• Official website SexIs Magazine
• AIDS Service Center NYC ASCNYC.org
• The Bloggess' website TheBloggess