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Friday, February 10, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Daddy Loves Who?

Posted by on Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 2:26 PM

I’m a straight woman and I am 19 and should be in college. Due to pretty major depression and anxiety problems, I am not in school and I live with my parents.

This morning, around 5 AM, I heard my father go into the bathroom, which is next to my bedroom. I have really good hearing, and trouble sleeping, so it’s not unusual for me to wake up when he uses the bathroom at night. This time, over the sound of him urinating, I heard my father say, “I’m in love with you.”

I’m the only one who could have possibly heard what he said. I couldn't shake my disgust. I lay awake, feeling like I was going to vomit, until I heard him get up and go to work.

Last night, while my mom was out and my father and I were watching TV, he told me how beautiful I looked the other night. He has given me compliments like this before, never anything sexually explicit, but they have always made me uncomfortable. I’m not an affectionate person (I’ve never had sex), and I feel uncomfortable when anyone touches or hugs me.

I am really ashamed and afraid to tell anyone about this. I’m so sick right now that I want to leave and never come back, but that seems impossible due to money concerns and my inability to live independently.

I can’t tell my mom or my sisters, who are both grown and live in other states. I’m scared if my dad finds out I heard him, it will be revealed that he does think he’s in love with me, and he’ll try to molest me or he’ll kill himself.

I would really like to hear back from you. I know there are help lines for incest victims but since he hasn’t assaulted me, I don’t want to take time away from real victims.

Troubled And Living With Parents

My response after the jump...

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Thursday, February 9, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Life Sentence

Posted by on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 3:38 PM

I am an 20 year-old male in a serious long-distance relationship. I have been seeing this girl for over a year, and I know I love her. I can't wait to see her and feel as if the emotional connection between us will not weaken, and she feels the same way. The problem is the sex-life (or the lack there-of).

We see each other once every couple months, which isn't a problem for me. In the in-between time I have masturbation and it's enough to satisfy my high libido while we are apart. The issue is that when we do see each other, she seems a borderline prude, and feels uncomfortable with me touching her. She has a very low libido and claims not to masturbate. While I understand that everyone has their personal boundaries and sexual preferences, I have a hard time getting used to this kind of anti-sexual encouragement. I don't want to be an asshole and I also don't know what to do. I will stay with her regardless, I love her, and the love we share means more to me than anything. But I feel this issue may cause problems in the future.

Am I being selfish? Will things change?

Love Interest's Bed Issues, Desiring Orgasms

My response after the jump...

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Tower of Label

Posted by on Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 3:04 PM

Hey, Dan! I love your column; read it every chance I get. I'm a 19-year-old girl with a question. I consider myself straight in the respect that I could only ever see myself in a romantic, committed relationship with a man, and thus far I've only ever been with dudes. However, I find women extremely attractive and the idea of fucking a lady turns me WAY on. Like I said, I don't feel like I could ever be in a long-term relationship with a woman (although I'm not opposed to trying new things) and don't particularly have the desire to do so, but they are so hot! What would I be "classified" as? Not that I'm all into labels, I'm just curious. Would I be a bi-curious heterosexual? Or just straight up bisexual? Or something else? Just wondering! Thanks for the help,

Can't Understand, Need Tutorial

My response—a brief one, with a link—after the jump.

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Friday, February 3, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Convention Wisdom

Posted by on Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 2:45 PM

I'm writing to you because I suspect you'll confirm something I am pretty sure is true, but all my friends are telling me isn't true (probably because they want to be nice). I'd like an honest answer once and for all.

See, I'm an overweight woman. Not obese, but chubby—not big enough for fat fetishists, I've been told, but still quite a bit larger than what's conventionally considered attractive. The problem is that I like conventionally attractive men—confident guys with classically handsome faces who look like they take care of themselves. But the only dudes who seem interested in me are old men who hit on me in bars, and geeky, socially awkward guys who I suspect see me as approachable because of my weight. I'm not blanket criticizing men in those categories; they're just not my type and I don't feel like I need to settle. I tried lowering my standards and met a really sweet guy, but I found his meekness, lack of self esteem and doughy body unattractive, and it wasn't sexually fulfilling for me. I'm not doing it again.

I see a direct connection between my socially undesirable body type and the fact that the men I like don't want me. My friends say it's all down to my attitude, but I don't think I would attract ANYONE if that was true. I do get some interest, just not from anyone who really interests me. I take generally good care of myself (probably don't exercise as much as I should, obviously); I have a pretty face and I present myself well, but it does nothing for me. Meanwhile, even the meanest of my thinner friends always manage to date the kind of men I'd love to have a shot with. So let's cut to the chase here—the best explanation for my not bagging hot dudes is my extra poundage, right?

I Can Handle The Truth

My response after the jump...

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A Note From Pissed Off Dyke

Posted by on Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 12:19 PM

Good work, gang:

OMG!!! I HAVE A BILLION EMAILS!!!!!

Haha! Seriously everyone is so amazing and great! I have my own little private invisible army! Thank you so much, I feel so much better now! Things have kind of gone silent with the parents thing. My auntie's coming down tomorrow for the weekend and I'm not sure if it's gonna be a double team of them against me or just an excuse for them to go out and get locked! I'm hoping they just go on a bender and give me some space and I'll just read these emails and feel better about everything!—POD

We're all rooting for you, POD.

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Thursday, February 2, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Lesbian Teen Not Happy With Her Parents—Or With Dan

Posted by on Thu, Feb 2, 2012 at 2:29 PM

Yeah, so I'm a 17-year-old lesbian and decided to be big and brave and come out to my parents. I did the whole "born this way," "please accept me," etc., that I'm sure everyone tries.

Things got pretty damn quiet, which was actually a good reaction in my books because my parents are kind of religious and the words "conversion therapy" were once-upon-a-time raised at the table as a good thing to have available to gay kids, so... I thought things went kind of well considering.

And then, guess what? My parents decided to have a nice sit down with me tonight and beside them is my Dad's laptop and on it is one of your videos on YouTube, which I though was pretty darn weird considering my parents usual tastes in entertainment. What played then was your video on women's sexuality with that lovely quote about your five lesbian friends—three of whom are now married to men. Bravo Dan, way to throw a sister under the bus. Because now my parents are taking your word as a fellow homosexual that there is no such thing as a woman being totally gay and that with a bit of therapy I can drag myself back to "straight."

Newsflash, Dan: I've never been into dudes. Like, ever. Always known it, from back when I prayed to God when playing spin the bottle it would land on my girl friends and not one of the guys. So some girls might like to swap and change, but others don't.

Not that I think you'll ever read this, but on the small off chance that you do, well, YOU SUCK. Like, so much. Think about what you say before you say it next time! I get that it obviously wasn't what you were trying to say. You saying that lesbians can change what gender they like is just made of fail.

Pissed Off Dyke

My response—and an epic email exchange with POD—after the jump.

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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Glasstastic Podcast

Posted by on Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 3:43 PM

Thanks for bringing Ira Glass on the "Savage Lovecast" to give sex advice! I listen to you all the time, and love you, but Ira brought things to a whole new level of Ira-ness. I would LOVE to hear him on the "Savage Lovecast" again, talking about sex! YES! Thanks again for your general awesomeness!

Diane

This is today's SLLOTD because this is the only kind of letter I've been getting in my "Savage Love" email inbox since the Ira Glass episode of the "Savage Lovecast" went up. Have you listened yet? It's here. And Ira says he'd love to come back on and give some more sex advice and say all the words he can't say on his own show—words like "fart." LISTEN!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: A Unicorn Offers Advice to Couples Hunting Unicorns

Posted by on Tue, Jan 31, 2012 at 2:51 PM

Your last SLLOTD struck my fancy and I responded to the couple looking for a unicorn in NYC. I am somewhat familiar with the unicorn community. I didn't choose to be labeled a unicorn; flattered, yes, but it's not the only thing I'm interested in. Most of the time I'm just happy to be a horse. In fact, I had a conversation recently with a friend in which we observed that the term "unicorn" doesn't even accurately apply to bi women anymore—single, hot, up-for-threesomes bi women—because they seem so common these days. The new unicorn is the bi-male, Dan, because a decent (everyone equally involved) MMF threeway is so much harder to put together than an FFM one.

I wrote to Penny&Marco and am in contact with them and I've been offering them some advice based on my experiences as a "unicorn" (by the more accepted female definition) in NYC and thought maybe you'd be interested in hearing my advice and sharing it with your readers. I've been reading your column for the last 14 years and am so indescribably grateful for your advice that I have to offer at any opportunity I might have to help by sharing my experiences. The pic I've enclosed, btw, is hopefully just to prove my assertion that I fit the term "unicorn," at least for the hot part, if you're going to accept my advice as any sort of guest "expert." Here goes:

1. My first tip is to use OkCupid. Many people think it's only for this or that type of dater. The problem is that you have to stay on the site for a few months in order for it to adapt to your needs (e.g. if you're rated in the top 50% of attractiveness, you are only shown to others in the top 50%; elitist sure, but just an example of how it helps narrow it down). Many people sign up and expect it to work right away or they give up. I've been up on it for about two years, I get a lot of messages from couples and people in open relationships because I am in the system as a bi-female who doesn't believe in monogamy and is cool with open relationships, among many other subtle indicators of who I'm interested in and who should be interested in me. That OKC even allows these indicators may make them pretty unique in the dating site realm. That's where couples should start.

Continue reading »

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Ever Wanted to Hear Ira Glass Give Sex Advice?

Posted by on Tue, Jan 31, 2012 at 10:31 AM

Your prayers are answered: Ira joins me on this week's Savage Lovecast. The host of This American Life answers sex questions, explains why you can't talk about farts on the radio, and says the word "cock" sitting in front of a microphone. Listen here!

Monday, January 30, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: We Found Our Unicorn—But She's Engaged!

Posted by on Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 4:18 PM

We’re a happily married couple who, after a lot of thought and conversations, have decided that we want a threeway with another woman. Through Craigslist, we found a woman who is everything we’re looking for with just one problem: she’s engaged. Her fiance doesn’t know anything about what she’s doing: doesn’t know we exist, doesn’t know that she’s looking, and doesn’t even know she wants a threeway.

We’ve encouraged her to be open with her fiance and see if we could possibly do this without deceiving him, but she says that’s a non-starter. There are no extenuating circumstances; he’s doesn't have an unusually low libido or anything like that. For her, it’s a last chance to do something wild before she gets married, and we’re pretty sure she’s going to have a threeway whether it’s with us or with another couple. But we just don’t think it’s ethical to help her be a cheating POS (after all: we’re not devout Catholics like Callista Gingrich).

Are we making the right ethical call here? We’d really like to fuck this girl (and she’d really like to fuck us), but right now we’re leaning towards telling her that if she can’t do this without reaching some kind of understanding with her fiance, then she can’t do it with us.

We attached a photo in the hope that it will encourage a response. Thanks!

Penny And Marco

P.S. We’re huge fans of your column and your podcast. You’ve made our sex life better, our marriage stronger. So thanks.

My response—and, yes, the picture—after the jump.

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Quickies

Posted by on Wed, Jan 25, 2012 at 12:49 PM

So this might be the most pointless correction you've ever received in an email, but Ross didn't light tea candles and put rose petals everywhere for Rachel... Monica did it when she proposed to Chandler. Unless there's something I'm forgetting, but I think this is the scene you were thinking of. Love your advice.—Beth

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You are a pathetic loser leading young people straight to hell like a wicked pied piper! Repent of your sins and quit!—David N.

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From your most recent column: "the holesome story of Newt and Callista’s courtship." I see what you did there, Dan, but I thought it was a typo at first. A cursory search on Google came up empty, even on Urban Dictionary. I think you just coined yourself a new term.—Brent R.

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I'm the wife in the "femdom" marriage that was mentioned in your most recent column. Could you let my brother-in-law know that the humiliation, the spankings, and the cuckolding were all his brother's ideas? I wasn't kinky when we met but I was a "Savage Love" reader and I was GGG and I've come to adore my husband's kinks. (I do whatever I want and he does whatever I say? What's not to like?) Tell my brother-in-law that we'll be careful to edit photos more carefully in the future. But if he doesn't want to hear about his brother getting spanked, humiliated, or cheated on, HE SHOULD STOP READING OUR BLOG.—The Good Wife

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From this week's column: "Reassure him that you're not a duckling—you're not going to imprint on the first dick you see—but that you wanted him to know..." Wouldn’t that be a “dickling”? I knew a girl like that back in high school.—Bill S.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Coming Unclean

Posted by on Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 2:00 PM

I've been together with my wife for ten years, married for five of them. I love her very much and we have a pretty healthy relationship, sexual and otherwise. My problem is before I met her I occasionally would use the services of a sex worker. I stopped this when I met her, but eventually drifted back into doing this from time to time—several times a year (at least). Despite long periods of restraint, I would still sometimes indulge in a visit to a "massage parlor," strip club, or just see an old fashioned hooker. The sex was almost always unfulfilling, but I think I liked the adventure of it, the ritual of finding someone, finding a place, getting there, etc. I always used protection and got tested periodically to make sure I didn't bring anything home.

I've finally decided that I wanted to stop this behavior, for all the obvious reasons. I love my wife, and she has recently been trying to draw out my fantasies to give us a fuller sex life. I've been hesitant to really share my fantasies with her because I don't know how to without admitting I tried some of this stuff. I need some help moving from a secretive, sexually obsessed dude to a more GGG partner. I haven't seen a therapist as a) I think I've actually done a pretty good job of figuring out my motives, rationales, etc, and b) I'm not sure I could pay for one without my wife finding out. I can't see any benefit from telling her the truth about my past—I think it would only make her upset, and possibly threaten the relationship. Do you have any advice?

Just Old Hetero Nympho

My response after the jump...

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Overheard in Hungarian Pastry Shop on Amsterdam Avenue

Posted by on Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 1:10 PM

"Friction-rich butthole is a great phrase, man"

Someone who was the subject of a "Savage Love" question a dozen years ago—his then-girlfriend was worried about being too wet—just came up to me in a cafe and shook my hand. And everyone in the cafe overheard him say "friction-rich butthole." Everyone.

Monday, January 23, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Girlfriend, Interrupted

Posted by on Mon, Jan 23, 2012 at 2:55 PM

I'm a straight guy, but I met a beautiful, wonderful transwoman a year ago. We started dating (or at the very least, fucking) a couple of months ago, and I was falling for her pretty hard. I thought the feeling was mutual. We both seemed pretty infatuated, and I thought everything was going great.

And then tonight hit me out of nowhere. When she said, "I can't do exclusivity," I braced myself. I knew that all her previous relationships had been open or polyamorous. I'm a pretty inherently monagomous guy, but I really like her, and I understand exclusivity is a difficult and perhaps even ridiculous thing, and I was a disciple of the great Dan Savage to boot. So, hell. I liked her. Maybe we could try to work out some sort of open relationship? Figure something out? Salvage it a bit? That is when she says, "I can't prioritize one person above anybody else." And that's when I realize we're talking about two different things, and about when the bottom of stomach falls out.

I'm just confused and feel blindsided. Is that normal? Is that a normal thing to say? Is that how open relationships typically work; not prioritizing one person above anybody else? Is it crazy that I want to have a special connection with this woman, to put her first and maybe have that reciprocated? This is the first I've encountered this particular line. "I can't prioritize one person above anybody else."

Do people like this really exist? Unable to "prioritize" love? Unable to or uninterested in having a primary person in their life? Also, I really think I need to hear this from somebody, and it'd be extra-final coming from you... I was just dumped, right?

About To Go Drink Myself Into Oblivion

My response after the jump...

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Friday, January 20, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Coming Out in Conversation

Posted by on Fri, Jan 20, 2012 at 3:47 PM

I work at a small company in a small, conservative Midwestern town. Like you would expect from a small town, we have a fair number of VERY conservative religious types in positions of power in our company.

Here's the deal: We just hired a new employee. He has a rare skill set and he's moved across the country to work here. He's gay. He's not closeted or shy about it, but his sexual orientation doesn't come up in conversation. Mine doesn't either (I'm straight). He's a good guy, good at what he does, and I want him to succeed here.

My conservative coworkers are so conservative that their is to assume that everyone is straight and evangelical, and any deviation from that narrow worldview isn't even on their radar. (They were shocked to learn I was Catholic!) When they discover Coworker is gay, it'll be a real shock—one they probably need, but a shock nonetheless. I'm not suggesting that Coworker closet himself just so a few narrow-minded fucks can feel comfortable, but I do want to warn him that there are some narrow-minded fucks in management so that he doesn't walk into a situation that can be avoided.

How do I help Coworker out? Do I keep my nose out of it, or is there something I should say? Is this any of my business? I've had gay coworkers before, but those were at far more open-minded workplaces. This is a first for me. I'm hoping for a "Mind your own damn business" here, Dan, but I'm open to whatever advice the Great Dan Savage is willing to bestow upon me.

Meddling Midwestern Coworker

P.S. I owe you some thanks, Dan. In school, I was a closed-minded anti-gay asshole. I'd say through ignorance, more than anything. I've been reading your column for years, and you convinced me to go out and educate myself about people who are different than me. It worked. My friends are a more diverse group than they would have been, and as a result, I lead a richer, fuller life. I have a daughter now and I can promise you she is being raised with an advantage I never had as a kid: an open mind. Thanks.

My response after the jump...

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Frustrated Sex Columnist

Posted by on Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 4:56 PM

My boyfriend and I have been together for 5 years and we are perfect for each other and we have plans to get married. Our relationship is perfect except for the fact that we don't have sex as much as I would like to. I am a sexual person and have always been, but my boyfriend is the opposite. He has a very low sex drive so he is perfectly happy with having sex once a week if that. I could live with two but would prefer more. When we do have sex it's amazing! I love him so much and he is everything I want in a guy but this one problem is a big one. My self esteem is greatly affected by this and I am way too nervous to initiate sex because I always get rejected, which always ends up with us getting into a huge fight. When he does want to have sex it is always planned and never spontaneous. Since we don't have sex that much it's always over quickly so I try to prolong foreplay which gets too routine. We have talked about this so many times and he says that when he says no to sex I get upset and that makes sex a huge deal which makes it feel like a chore for him. I understand what he means but I would be happy if once in awhile he would go with it when I am coming on to him. One of the problems that could be holding us back is the fact that I live with my parents, so we always have to be quite, which is never fun. We try to have sex as often as we can when my parents are not home but that rarely happens. Do you have any advise for me? Thank you!

Very Frustrated Girlfriend

My response after the jump...

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Unbroken

Posted by on Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 1:06 PM

I was diagnosed with MS one year ago. I am a happily married straight woman. We have been married for 15 years and together for 16. The MS effects my left side, which sucks cause I'm a lefty. Basically I feel broken. I can't hold my left leg up unless I use my hand to do it. I don't think this bothers my hubby, but it bothers me. I think it effects my sex drive. I don't want it as much. It is just another way I'm broken. I can't chase my toddler around, I have no balance, I must walk with a cane. I can't do things I used to without getting tired.

But my question for you: how do I stop feeling broken in bed?

Broken Seeking Help

My response after the jump...

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: DTMFAsshole

Posted by on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 3:41 PM

I live with my boyfriend of 10 months. It's awesome: we both have extremely high libidos, we're both into D/s stuff, we're both sensitive romantics, we're both intellectual, we share the same level of religious commitment, etc. However... two months after we started dating, Boyfriend told me that he wanted me to lose weight. It destroyed my self-confidence. He brings it up every time we have some kind of disagreement—but always very sweetly and concernedly. I'm between grad school and gainful employment at the moment, and I've been really depressed. Boyfriend says he'll have to break up with me for his own mental health if I don't get psychological help... and go to the gym every day. Everyone who hears this thinks I should break up with him, but I'm so in love with him that I've convinced myself that this is harder for him than it is for me. What do I do?

Foolish And Tearful

My response after the jump...

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Friday, January 13, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Those Kinky Katholics!

Posted by on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 4:39 PM

Long time reader, first time writer, etc. What the hell is this? I was (I swear!) reading an innocuous NYT article, about an Opus Dei school in Washington D.C. where Santorum (the person) sent two of sons. They mentioned the word cilice. A few clicks on Google brought to that site. Questions for a sex columnist:

1. Made by Italian Nuns?

2. Is Rick Santorum wearing some (or all) of this stuff DURING the debates?

3. Is the point of a 3-link full-waist cilice over a 1-link cilice that it gets you "closer to God" (read: off) quicker, or is it just a size-queen thing?

4. Could the proprietors and nuns really think all of their sales are due to abstinent Numenarys?

5. Is this a brave new world of abstinent sex toys?

These Opus Dei guys party a little too hard for my tastes. I am more pleased at my lapsed Catholicism today after discovering it.

Maybe All Sales Owed2 Catholic Higher-ups

My response after the jump...

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Thursday, January 12, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: This One Made My Week

Posted by on Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 4:52 PM

In the late '90s I was 15 and the only out gay kid in my high-school in Silverdale, WA. I was lucky enough to be apart of a program run by the Kitsap County Health Department to create the first GLBTQ Youth Program in the area. In attendance was usually me, my boyfriend, and a rotating assortment of random lesbian girls. We decided to host a town hall meeting discussing harassment of GLBTQ youth in local schools. To help promote the event I called into your radio show that you had at the time on Sunday nights. The event was to be held at the Silverdale Community Center, on Silvedale Way, in Silverdale, WA. I remember you thinking that was funny. When I called in, you and the others on your show were talking about gay bathhouses and your dislike of them. Without realizing how old I was, you brought me on the air and asked me if i had been to a bathhouse. I told you no, I had never been to one, and you made me promise on the air that I would never go to a bathhouse.

To this day have never been to one.

It's a great story to tell at parties—that at 15 I promised Dan Savage that I would never step foot in a bath house—and everyone gets a kick out of it. I don't know if you remember me or not, Dan, but I just wanted to thank you for being a positive role model and for giving me and others permission to express our true selves. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Older Wiser Grateful

Thank you, OWG, and... gosh.

I don't usually run letters about how awesome I am—and modesty prompted me to cut an additional paragraph that detailed just how awesomely awesome I am—but I'm making an exception for OWG's letter on account of the bathhouse detail. My detractors accuse me of promoting the worst excesses of gay sex culture. That is has never been the case. So, like, suck on that, detractors.

As for you, OWG, thank you for writing, thank you for staying the hell out of bathhouses, and thank you for coming out in high school back in the '90s and working so hard to make things better for the LGBT kids in your school at the time and the ones who came up after you. You were and remain a role model and an inspiration.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Question of the Day

Posted by on Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 12:49 PM

Via Twatter:

questionofthedaysant.jpg

Mediaite On Santorum's Google Problem: The Most Important Poop Joke of Our Time

Posted by on Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 10:48 AM

Reacting to my column this week, Jon Bershad at Mediaite writes...

Many people who just see Rick Santorum as another GOP candidate with a chance to oust Barack Obama forget about the values and ideas that he has been espousing for years and the very real ways they affect people in this country. They see the whole Google thing as juvenile and, y’know, it is. After all, it’s basically just an incredibly complicated poop joke. However, it’s the most important poop joke of our time (again, who wouldn’t want that title?). Until Santorum takes back his hateful comments, that definition will haunt him. In a perfect world, his comments themselves would follow him but we live in a 24-hour news cycle so that’s impossible. His “Google problem” will have to suffice, working as a perfect, frothy reminder of the things he stands for.

Bershad gets it. As I wrote yesterday and as the originator of the idea to redefine Santorum's name predicted: the whole point of the "frothy mix" campaign was to make sure Santorum would forever be forced to eat, own, and answer for his hateful comments about gays and lesbians. Mission accomplished.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Over To You, Gang

Posted by on Tue, Jan 10, 2012 at 4:16 PM

I hope I get an answer from you, either on your column or just via e-mail. I don't have anyone I can talk to about this.

I have been married for ten years, I love my husband, he is a good man and I don't want to leave him. We almost never have sex, maybe twice a month if I'm lucky. I would prefer everyday. I have only been with two people in my life, both men, and I always wished I had met a nice girl, but that never happened when I was single.

Here is my question, is this sex deprived bi-curious woman a cheating piece of shit if she discretely dates another woman? My hope is to meet a nice woman, maybe another sex-deprived bi-curious wife like me, and have a "friend's with benefits" relationship.

So, am I a cheating piece of shit? Nothing has happened yet. I don't feel like its cheating. I have no desire to cheat on my husband with a man. I just want to explore myself and explore these feelings for women. I want something he can't give me, Dan, but I don't want to leave him or feel endlessly resentful about how little sex I'm able to have any longer.

Bi-Curious And Sex-Starved

My response after the jump...

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The Gay Guy Who Smeared Santorum

Posted by on Tue, Jan 10, 2012 at 11:33 AM

It wasn't me.

I get sole credit for the campaign to redefine Rick Santorum's last name. ("It's one guy," Rick Santorum told Roll Call when they asked about his "Google problem" back in February. "You know who it is.") But the lion's share of the credit should go to SARS ("Sex And Rick Santorum"), the then-23-year-old gay guy who sent me this crazily prescient letter back in May of 2003:

I'm a 23-year-old gay male who's been following the Rick Santorum scandal, and I have a proposal. Washington and the press seem content to let Santorum's comments fade into political oblivion, so I say the gay community should welcome this "inclusive" man with open arms. That's right; if Rick Santorum wants to invite himself into the bedrooms of gays and lesbians (and their dogs), I say we "include" him in our sex lives—by naming a gay sex act after him. Here's where you come in, Dan. Ask your readers to write in and vote on which gay sex act is worthy of the Rick Santorum moniker. It could be all forms of gay sex ("I pulled a Rick Santorum with my straight roommate in college"), or orgasm in a gay context ("We fooled around, and then I Rick Santorumed all over his face"), or maybe something weirder ("We've bought some broom handles, and we'll be Rick Santoruming all night"). You pick the best suggestions, and we all get to vote! And then, voilà! This episode will never be forgotten!

Thanks to you, SARS, this episode has not been forgotten. In nearly every story written in the wake of the Iowa caucuses, reporters have had to explain Santorum's "Google problem," and doing that has forced honest reporters to unpack the 2003 AP interview that inspired its creation. (Dishonest reporters like to claim that we redefined Santorum's last name because of his opposition to gay marriage.) Even the New Yorker is picking apart that 2003 AP interview:

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Monday, January 9, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Threeway of Love

Posted by on Mon, Jan 9, 2012 at 3:33 PM

Thanks for the column this week about monogamish couples! It came at a great time in my sex life, since just this weekend this 24-year-old straight girl got picked up at a bar by a VERY hot couple for my first-ever threeway! It was my first-ever experience with a woman. It was fun, but it confirmed for me that I'm not really into the ladies. But I should mention that after the three of us did our thing, he and I jumped in the shower, she fell asleep, and then he drove me home and spent the rest of the night with me. I'm getting the feeling that he has a bit of a crush on me, but his GF was only mildly miffed that he slept in my bed. (For me, that would have been a huge breach of intimacy, but hey, not complaining!) He and I are in contact, calling and texting, she and I not so much. I would really, really enjoy it if he would get her permission to spend more time with me one-on-one. I'm not really interested in more lady time. But he's very concerned about his relationship. It's pretty new and he's crazy about her. What's the best way to broach the subject? To give you a little idea of what I'm talking about and to help you understand why I want this to work out so badly, I'm attaching the picture he left on my phone while I was in the bathroom. Enjoy!

Don't Want To Be A Third

My response, the attached pic, and a bonus threeway question... all after the jump.

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Friday, January 6, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Monogamish Week, Day 4

Posted by on Fri, Jan 6, 2012 at 1:39 PM

So, thus far all we've heard about is couples branching out into monogamish arrangements and have to yet to hear from the one of the branches.

I am, more or less, the "piece on the side" to a married man in such a relationship. He and his wife met in college, he was only her second sexual partner, and after college and a few years into marriage he realized that eventually she would probably get curious as to what's out there and they opened up the relationship. They are in their mid-30s now.

I met him at work a year ago and we became pretty good friends. I'm 23 and I'm terrible at the whole dating thing. Not such a bad thing, I figure, because I'm young and I've got time to improve. And in the meantime, Dan, I wanna get laid like everybody else. I've met his wife, she's lovely and hilarious and knows exactly what's going on between us and personally gave me her blessing to sleep with her husband. I see him other every day but we probably only sleep together once or twice a month.

No one at work knows about "us." He's very discreet and worries for my reputation if people were to find out. I've told a couple close friends but they've never met him. All and all I'm quite happy with our arrangement and to the best of my knowledge, he and his wife are pleased with it too.

Pleased To Be One Of The Branches

Thursday, January 5, 2012

SL Letter of the Day: Monogamish Week, Day 3

Posted by on Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 3:50 PM

Monogamish week continues...

Here's my husband's and my success story with being "monogamish." We've been together 12 years and married nine. He's 44 and I'm 36. Basically our sex drives are very different, but that's the only thing in our marriage that isn't a great fit, so it's hard for me to imagine choosing not to marry him because I'm not the porn star he wishes I was. Essentially, we're monogamish because I want my husband to be happy and I'm not threatened by him having sex with other women because 1. it's just sex (I mean, who cares?) and 2. I'm pretty positive that there isn't another girl on this earth who he would leave me for. He has helped build this confidence in myself and our marriage by being super-attracted to me all these years. If it were up to him, he'd rather not fuck anyone but me. And as much as I'm GGG, I just don't desire sex enough to want to do it all the time like he does.

Early on I was pretty horny but that fell by the wayside in my late twenties, moreso after we had two children (now 6 and 3). I'm pretty happy with sex a few times a month. We have sex more than that because I want my husband to be happy and he's madly in love with me and my body and having sex with me makes him happy. My husband is highly sexual, loves women, loves porn, loves sex. He would have a three-way with a guy or girl if I wanted to (I'm interested eventually, but not there yet), would probably hook up with a guy in that scenario just to see what it was like, and is desperate for me to see all my desires fulfilled by finding some other guy outside our marriage to get me all hot and horny again (not there yet either—though I've looked). I'm stoked at the possibility of these things, but I'm just not feeling them because I'm totally satisfied by my husband and my work and my children. Yet, I feel pretty sad that I can't be what my husband would really love me to be. And he deserves it. He's a great husband and a great father. I, on the other hand, am perfectly fulfilled by intellectual pursuits and would rather read a great book than have sex for the most part (but I'll never tell him that).

So anyway, we established a few rules...

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Not-So-Confidential to Noam Cohen at the New York Times

Posted by on Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 11:16 AM

Kinda wish you'd given me a call before you weighed in on Santorum's Google Problem. I'm not a hard guy to reach—there are tons of folks at the NYT who have my home, work, and cell numbers, email addresses, Twitter handle, etc. Because this shit is bullshit, Noam:

In what has been a long-running burden for Mr. Santorum, his online identity has been pranked—given a meaning involving bodily fluids, meant to ridicule him for his strong criticism of same-sex marriage. The prank was conceived by the editor and commentator Dan Savage in 2003, and in that time the links have become quite ensconced in the Internet. Even today, a Google search for “Santorum” has a first result of Mr. Savage’s definition.

You know who once criticized gay marriage in strong terms? Barack Obama. When he was running for president in 2008, Obama said that marriage should be reserved for opposite-sex couples because "God is in the mix" when people with crazy, mix-up genitals get opposite-married. (Makes you wonder who exactly is in the mix when a gay couple marries—Perez Hilton? Chi Chi LaRue? Satan?) Not only did I refrain from redefining "Obama" to mean something awful like "Kenyan anti-colonialist Nazi fascist foreigner dictator," despite his clearly bigoted remarks, I sent the dude a check, I voted for him, I encouraged my readers to vote for him.

My readers and I did not redefine Santorum because he disagrees with us strongly about gay marriage. We redefined his name after he compared gay relationships to dog fucking and child rape—"man on dog, man on child"—in an sprawling interview with a freaked-out AP reporter. In that interview Santorum insisted that Americans do not have a constitutional right to privacy. Santorum defended sodomy laws that criminalized private, consensual, adult sexual activity—between gay or straight couples. It wasn't Santorum's opposition to same-sex marriage, it was his support for bringing felony charges against gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and heterosexuals for private, consensual, adult sexual conduct that inspired the campaign. Here's an excerpt from the interview that lead to Santorum's Google Problem:

AP: I mean, should we outlaw homosexuality?

SANTORUM: I have no problem with homosexuality. I have a problem with homosexual acts. As I would with acts of other, what I would consider to be, acts outside of traditional heterosexual relationships. And that includes a variety of different acts, not just homosexual. I have nothing, absolutely nothing against anyone who's homosexual. If that's their orientation, then I accept that. And I have no problem with someone who has other orientations. The question is, do you act upon those orientations? So it's not the person, it's the person's actions. And you have to separate the person from their actions.

AP: OK, without being too gory or graphic, so if somebody is homosexual, you would argue that they should not have sex?

SANTORUM: We have laws in states, like the one at the Supreme Court right now, that has sodomy laws and they were there for a purpose. Because, again, I would argue, they undermine the basic tenets of our society and the family. And if the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything. Does that undermine the fabric of our society? I would argue yes, it does. It all comes from, I would argue, this right to privacy that doesn't exist in my opinion in the United States Constitution, this right that was created, it was created in Griswold—Griswold was the contraceptive case—and abortion. And now we're just extending it out. And the further you extend it out, the more you—this freedom actually intervenes and affects the family. You say, well, it's my individual freedom. Yes, but it destroys the basic unit of our society because it condones behavior that's antithetical to strong healthy families. Whether it's polygamy, whether it's adultery, where it's sodomy, all of those things, are antithetical to a healthy, stable, traditional family.

Every society in the history of man has upheld the institution of marriage as a bond between a man and a woman. Why? Because society is based on one thing: that society is based on the future of the society. And that's what? Children. Monogamous relationships. In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be. It is one thing. And when you destroy that you have a dramatic impact on the quality—

AP: I'm sorry, I didn't think I was going to talk about "man on dog" with a United States senator, it's sort of freaking me out.

Santorum's Google Problem wasn't created because my readers and I strongly disagreed with Santorum about gay marriage, Noam. I strongly disagree with—still—Barack Obama about gay marriage. Santorum's last name was redefined to mean "the frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometime the byproduct of anal sex" after the sitting US Senator told a reporter that Americans do not enjoy a constitutional right to privacy and agued that the states should be able to arrest, prosecute, and imprison people—Lawrence v. Texas was a case about two men who were arrested after police burst into their bedroom, found them having sex, and arrested them—for private, consensual, adult sexual acts; for performing or obtaining abortions; for supplying women with birth control; for using birth control. And to top it all off Santorum ended the interview by equating loving, same-sex relationships with child rape and dog fucking.

So, Noam, the next time you're going to write about something I've done—the next time you're going to characterize my actions and intentions—give me a call first, okay?

UPDATE: Noam has corrected his piece:

Correction: January 5, 2012 An earlier version of this post misstated the motivation for the prank against Rick Santorum. As Dan Savage, and commenters, have noted, the effort was prompted by Mr. Santorum's comments in an interview comparing homosexuality to "man on dog" sex, not his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Noam also added a link back to Santorum's infamous and insulting 2003 "man on dog" interview.

Mitt Romney Ad Appears on Spreading Santorum

Posted by on Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 8:41 AM

Akward! Almost as awkward Romney himself. And then there's this...

paulonspreading.jpg

And when you visit www.spreadingsantorum.com, please be sure to click through the landing/splatting page and read the blog. Jocelyn is doing an amazing job covering Santorum in all his gory.

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