Culture Clash

CULTURE

CULTURE CLASH (Be a Better Human)

CLASH a venue for Galveston’s free thinkers

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LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX A LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER: One of the main ideas behind having a publication that explores taboo or less open topics is to encourage conversation. “Let’s Talk About Sex” has been such an exciting and diverse issue for the crew at Culture Clash.

We have discussed STDs, transgender norms, and the sexual revolution!

Our contributors have submitted articles on human trafficking and the “gay lifestyle.” The vibrant encounters paint an ultraviolet image of a grey area. And on top of the education we are all receiving, the best part is purely the open dialogue!

I encourage you to talk about sex. Start where your are comfortable; a partner, a friend, a parent or a guardian. Sex is one of the most basic animal instincts and necessary for the survival of our race. (Calm down science peeps.) So why wouldn’t we want to be as open as humanly possible?

When my Dad calls and I don’t answer, his message is always the same, “Well you didn’t pick-up, so I guess you’re Doing “IT”! Love you, bye.”

Although strange as it may be to have this kind of banter with my Pops, at least we all know I have a healthy, sexually active marriage. Thanks for caring Dad! READ, ENJOY and PLEASE SHARE!

Write us an email or shoot us a comment any time online: CultureClashGalveston.com facebook.com/CultureClashMag CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com Janese Maricelli Publisher

ONE THE COVER: Nellie Cornett painted this issue’s cover art titled “embrace” with ink and paintbrush. Nellie is a figure and portrait artist in Galveston as well as a musician and teacher. See more of her work at www.instagram.com/nelliecornett *This magazine is NOT printed on recycled paper or with soy-based inks YET! But we are working on it. Help us get there, advertise or sponsor us!

Email for more details CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com.

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table of contents Vol. 2 Issue 2 (March / April 2019)

CL AS H magazine

FEATURES

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17 Let’s Talk About Sex 19 Sex Therapy

PUBLISHER Janese Maricelli-Thomasson LAYOUT & DESIGN JanMar Agency

28 People of Galveston

DEPARTMENTS

EDITORS Bob Hackett • Leslie Whaylen

Be A Better Human

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7 Not So Gay Lifestyle 8

CULTURE

Doorway to the Divine

Express Yourself 11 Everything You Know About Gender is Wrong

CONTRIBUTORS Jessica Antonelli • Nellie Cornett Bee Cregar • ERASMUS • Bob Hackett C.C.K. • Robert Kuhn • Sharon Olsen Julia Salinas • Christie Shumate Fallon Smith • Romell Thomas

MAKE A CONNECTION

For ad rates or personalized marketing strategies, call us at 409.502.8221

12 Human Trafficking 14 The New Celibacy

CHECK US OUT

#TBMG 22 A Sex Story

27

Coolture 25 Body Language 27 La Izquerdia mi Quierdia 29 Pulse Calendar of Events

CultureClashGalveston.com facebook.com/CultureClashMag cultureclashgalveston@gmail.com ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS Please mail check payable to JanMar Agency 1625 23rd St., • Galveston TX 77550 In the amount of $24 Note “Culture Clash” in memo line

GET READY FOR THE NEXT ISSUE!

C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 9

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Make love and make magic.

Heal yourself in the most natural way. FIND OUT HOW ON PAGE 8

Photo from the Marvin Gaye Foundation

be a better human

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Lifestyle CULTURE CLASH (Be a Better Human)

The Not so GAY

By Romell Thomas

WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO GALVESTON WITH MY HUSBAND, WE WERE IMMEDIATELY SURPRISED WITH HOW ACCEPTING PEOPLE WERE OF US AS A COUPLE. We are not one of those couples who regularly kiss or hold hands in public. Yet when we frequent Home Depot, grocery stores, and restaurants together, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out we are in a relationship.

While the world has definitely become more accepting of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) persons as a whole, there still seems to be a lack of understanding about our “lifestyle”. I intentionally use the term lifestyle in quotes because I challenge the thought that we live a different lifestyle than our straight friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc.

Photo from Shutterstock.com

Do not get me wrong. I recognize we as LGBTQ people do have aspects of our lives that are different. I have to watch where I display affection to the person I love in public. Getting married we had to deal with chapels and churches that only marry men to women. I, along with my LGBTQ colleagues, have to overcome those who discriminate against us at work or socially. Despite all of these challenges straight people often do not face, the daily “lifestyle” of a LGBTQ person and straight person is not always that different.

sexual orientations who just want to have a good drink, fun, and watch a show. The restaurants have crowds of all types with friendly waitstaff who don’t give tables of LGBTQ customers inferior service. Local shops are willing to help any shoppers who come in.

While no place is perfect, Galveston is definitely on the right path with removing barriers and the stereotype that those of us who are LGBTQ have to live a certain lifestyle that is defined by our sexuality.

Straight and LGBTQ people work, pay bills, hang out with friends, and are trying to live our best lives possible. Some stereotypical “straight” activities are now more common among the LGBT, such as getting married and having kids. I even know an openly gay minister. There are also straight people who are engaging in stereotypically “gay” activities such as visiting gay bars and males getting manicures. Even some of the seedier LGBTQ stereotypes are being more recognized as present in the straight community, such as open relationships, casual sex, and recreational drug use. These are just a few examples of how there is not a set lifestyle path based on one’s sexual orientation.

Rather, one’s lifestyle path and options should be shaped by one’s interests and goals.

Galveston residents and tourists have definitely embraced the integration of the LGBTQ and straight “lifestyles”. Being a small city with no true gay neighborhood, there has been a cultural integration of LGBTQ and straight people that has allowed for us all to experience that we are more alike than not in our day-to-day lives. The gay bars draw a diverse crowd of all C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 9

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CULTURE CLASH (Be a Better Human)

Open Your

DOORWAY

To The Divine

“ 8

By C.C.K.

We need to be aware of our sexual energy & accepting of others

UNDERSTANDING SEXUAL ENERGY IS THE KEY FOR IMPROVED HEALTH. IT IS THE DOORWAY TO THE DIVINE AND CAN EXPAND CONSCIOUSNESS, WITH PROPER UNDERSTANDING AND PASSION. It shouldn’t be feared, nor abused. We need to be aware of our sexual energy and accepting of others, but also be prepared to look past all the sexual energy that is surrounding us. All of us hold and release a different sexual energy. It is when we can understand and accept this, then we will feel and see the purest and most beautiful form of this spiritual ability.

UNLOCK YOUR SEXUAL ENERGY Sex can be like meditation, or even a psychedelic experience.

Pushing our minds and bodies to understand more than the physical aspect allows us to create the energy we want to release. Subsequently, enabling us to be aware of the energy, we radiate and receive, as well as balance our chakras.

Overlooking the physical aspect leads our mind and bodies to become aware of the power within the balance of our chakras.

However, society places a standard on the beauty that is deeper than what we can see. The beauty that is released leads one to the divine.

TWO KEYS TO BETTER SEX Chakras help us understand our lifestyles and they allow us to recognize where our energy might be falling short. There are two chakras that I believe are the most important when creating a healthy sex life: Muladhara, the root chakra, and svadhishthana, the sacral chakra.

Muladhara is the root chakra of your body, located at the base of your spine, seen in variations of red. The brighter you envision your chakra the stronger that energy is. The root chakra focuses on your connection with Earth and helps you feel grounded.

It promotes your instincts and helps you find you truest desires. Understanding this will help you find your foundation

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CULTURE CLASH (Be a Better Human)

for understanding your sexual energy and more importantly how you want to release and receive it.

The sacral chakra is located in the lower abdomen and seen as a variation of oranges. It helps with a multitude of things: the well-being of your sexuality, sensuality, self-expression, your desire for love, emotional interactions and connections, and your relationships. Recognizing when this chakra is out of balance can completely change your sex life, overall health and balance. The sacral chakra is associated with your ovaries and testicles. If you are having issues with reproduction, there are meditations for this chakra to help promote positive and healing energy to your endocrine glands.

Photo from Shutterstock.com

Chakras bring us closer to ourselves.

Although these two specific chakras have helped strengthen my sex life, there may be other chakras that will better help you balance your sexual energy.

ENTER INTO A NEW SEXUALITY I encourage everyone to study the chakras and focus on the overall balance. We want to strive to create bright visions of energy. This will help us give healing energy to others as well as ourselves.

Surround yourself with the ones who shine the same light as you. Find a partner who keeps your chakras in balance. Doing this can open doors to a beautiful place of euphoria.

To truly reach the doorway to the divine, we must understand our own truth, learn to respect all forms of positive sexual energy, and strive to stay in balance with our own energy.

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Self expression is essential.

Be it your hair, make-up or clothes, the way you present yourself to the world is important for self esteem and growth.

Express yourself! Send us your pics!

express

Photo from Shutterstock.com

Yourself 10

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CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself)

By Fallon Smith FORGET ABOUT CHROMOSOMES, MIDDLE SCHOOL SEX EDUCATION, EVEN THE JUNK IN YOUR OWN JEANS BECAUSE THESE DAYS THERE’S MORE TO GENDER THAN JUST WHAT MEETS THE EYE.

So let’s rip the band-aid off: Sex and gender are different things.

No matter what biology tells us, there will always be people who don’t feel like they fit into the mold of “Boy” vs “Girl,” also known as the Gender Binary. This concept goes hand-in-hand with the idea that gender can be a spectrum on which a person can fall anywhere, or even outside of it.

This is the difference between the transgender people who transition from being perceived as one thing to the other, vs. the transgender people going from one thing to something… entirely other.

Now don’t get scared off yet. You’ve seen this idea in action plenty of times before. Think of Jaden Smith wearing skirts or Miley Cyrus wearing a “GENDER IS OVER” tank top. Think C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 9

It’s not common knowledge, but non-binary identities have always existed, from the Two-Spirit Native Americans to the Buginese people of Indonesia who recognize five distinct genders. The inclination to live outside the Western ideas of gender and sex will always exist, we just need to start embracing it.

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Photos from Shutterstock.com

EVERYTHING You Think YOU KNOW About Gender IS WRONG

about male singers wearing eyeliner, or girls cutting off their hair and wearing pants. Of course when women started wearing trousers it caused a social uproar, so it makes sense that gender variant people (ie: boys wearing dresses and girls with cool hair) still tend to garner funny looks in public, concurrent with the bathroom debates and the country’s continued neo-protestant ideas about sex and gender.

It should be said that teenagers with colored hair and avant-garde fashion choices are not the only pioneers of the non-binary revolution.

Anyone with any body-type, background, or color can be found across the nonbinary gender communities.

It’s quite likely that people all around you are having “gender doubts” whether consciously or not.

CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself)

HUMAN

TRAFFICKING

ON THE DIRTY THIRD COAST

By Christie Shumate

DO WE HAVE A SEX TRAFFICKING PROBLEM IN GALVESTON? YEAH, PROBABLY. UM, WAIT, DO WE? THAT’S LIKE MAIL-ORDER BRIDES, RIGHT? Ask any Galvestonian that same question and these are the types of answers you’ll get. We think we might have sex trafficking here. We hear about it sometimes in the media.

But that’s just a life choice, right? Most people can get out of those situations if they really try. I mean, she has a cell phone, so she can call for help whenever she wants to.

Those are all opinions I have heard over the last several months when talking to people about the sex trafficking landscape in Galveston.

Trafficking is one of those things that usually looks like something else: prostitution, dancing, sugar daddies, happy endings.

Sex trafficking is defined as using force, fraud, or coercion to exploit an individual to perform a commercial sex act. Try this. Ask someone whether we have prostitution in Galveston. Different answers, right? The first step in acknowledging the prevalence of trafficking in our area is realizing that most prostitution is, in fact, trafficking.

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But here’s where it gets interesting: that means, as a society, we must begin humanizing prostitutes. It means we have to start having conversations that acknowledge that life isn’t as black and white as some of us want to believe— that a prostitute can both choose to stay with a pimp and want to escape “the life” at the same time. We have to open ourselves up to the possibility that a pimp can be a lifeline for a prostitute who doesn’t have any better options, and that leaving isn’t as simple as walking out the door and never coming back. At the same time, we must admit that he is exploiting her, preying on her vulnerabilities, and we must start holding him accountable for the crime he’s committing instead of victim shaming her.

It also means that we have to start naming it instead of avoiding it. As medical providers and law enforcement, for instance, we must be willing to do the extra work it takes to process it and treat it as a trafficking situation instead of something less complicated. It means as educators and service providers we must remember a victim’s face and treat her with compassion every time she finds herself in trouble or in need, so that when she’s ready to ask for help, we can say, “I remember you, and I care about you.”

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CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself) What fuels sex trafficking? Demand. A prostitute doesn’t pay her pimp. A John does. A buyer does. A person does who thinks that another human being is nothing but a commodity to be purchased for his or her own satisfaction, regardless of the toll it takes on her mind, body, and soul. Your neighbor does who lives in a nice house and drives a luxury car. The good guys can arrest all the bad guys, but if there’s demand for a product, there will always be another bad guy to supply that product. The only real, longterm solution is ending the demand.

I challenge you: ask your circles whether we have sex trafficking in Galveston. Let that question lead to conversations about prostitution, about human dignity, about the need to reduce demand for people, about challenging someone who might think it’s ok to gawk at or purchase another human being.

Ask the hard questions. Have the uncomfortable conversations that will ultimately lead to a better community.

Someday, I hope that when I ask whether we have a sex trafficking problem in Galveston, the answer I’ll hear is, “We used to.”

IF YOU NEED HELP, PEOPLE CARE. Call the

Resource Crisis Center at 409-765-7233 (SAFE) (toll free 888-919-7233 (SAFE)), or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 (or text 233733) to talk to someone, report suspected trafficking, or get referrals to local victim services. For more information, training, or to volunteer for local anti-trafficking efforts, call the Texas Gulf Coast Coalition Against Human Trafficking at 409-770-3107.

C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 9

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CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself)

The New

Celibacy

By ERASMUS

I WILL START BY SAYING THAT IT IS NOT EASY TO FORGO SEX; indeed, it is a difficult thing, as sex is itself the height of ecstasy (assuming some modicum of related competency and modest endowment). One may then wonder what purpose or rationale lies behind the decision to abstain from sex? The old celibacy operated primarily within social structures, working as a signaling mechanism to members of the community. This is, however, unjust. The decision to be celibate should not be one which affords social status or wards against wary eyes; rather, it should be borne out of mutual respect and pragmatism. Thus, the new celibacy is formed.

The new celibacy recognizes that many view sex as more than hedonic fulfillment, that sex carries with it emotional commitments and, if those commitments are taken lightly, the potential to cause undue harm. The strongest argument I can present for this would be the case of a single mother or father of a young child. From “The Negative Effects of Instability on Child Development”: “Among children born to married parents, those with more family transitions are rated by their teachers as having more externalizing behaviors than their peers with fewer transitions.

Similarly, among children born to single parents, those who experience more instability, display more negative behaviors than their peers. Together these findings reveal that even one change in family structure has the potential to be disruptive to child well-being, but each additional change that contributes to family instability predicts worse outcomes. “ Read the full paper here: https://urbn.is/2MjWu4A For full disclosure, the research article is speaking specifically about cohabiting relationships, but I am of the opinion that the results can be extrapolated to non-cohabiting lovers as well.

The new celibacy requires us to be cognizant of these potential harmful effects, and look beyond ourselves to the potential 14

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CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself)

ramifications of our interactions and possibly abstain; not just in the interest of children’s psychological well-being, but that of potential partners as well. In this way, the new celibacy is empathetic.

The new celibacy is a rejection of venery. More clearly, one should not arbitrarily pursue sex for its own sake. This aspect is an expression of wei wu wei, the Taoist principle of action without action.

From the Tao Te Ching, 37: Tao abides in non-action 48: The world is ruled by letting things take their course.

It cannot be ruled by interfering.

When you free yourself from a habitual pursuit of sex, you afford yourself time for self-improvement, but more importantly, your decisions and actions are no longer influenced by ulterior motivations.

Readers, I ask you: How many times have you been led on by a potential partner only to later find that their persona was one specifically crafted to enthrall? Would you not prefer that they simply be honest? Be themselves? We all have odd habits and quirks. The only reason to hide them is to seek affection and acceptance.

When you stop seeking, you stop hiding. Action without action. Our interactions should not be contrived, but rather come naturally. Please do not, however, mistake me for some sort of evangelical Taoist; the teachings/philosophy of the faith merely coincide with what I find to be a harmonious way of living, and have adopted particular tenets as pedagogically useful.

Ultimately, the moniker “celibate” is a bit misleading. It is not celibacy in the traditional sense, rather, it is the rejection of unchecked carnality.

Nothing presented here suggests you cannot have sex, merely that one should not compromise lucidity, honesty, and empathy in its pursuit.

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CULTURE CLASH (FEATURE)

SEX

LET’S TALK ABOUT

By Bee Crager

Photos from Shutterstock.com

FRIENDS, I HAVE HAD A REALLY DIVERSE LIFE. NOW ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDDLE AGE, I REFLECT ON WHAT THE PHRASE “LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX” MEANS.

In the ’90s, I worked in a difficult, but rewarding, position as a SANE, a sexual assault nurse examiner.

My job was to examine someone on the worst day of their lives in the most intimate way. I showed up at the ER after the police to isolate a victim for the next four or so hours. It became my job to not only do exams, but also to provide interagency and public education through classes I taught.

AN OPENING LESSON MANY DIDN’T FORGET Imagine a room full of police, sheriffs, lawyers, social workers, doctors, and interns. For whatever reason, it frequently seemed to have a disproportionate amount of men attending the class.

I always started the class by passing out blank papers to each person.

My directions were: “On this sheet of paper, I want you to write down

your most explicit sexual fantasy. Don’t leave any of the details out. When you are finished writing, fold the paper and hand it to the person seated to your right. Then I will have the person to your right stand up and share it by reading it aloud to the class.”

I let that sink in for about a minute, while I busied myself in the front of the class arranging my anatomically correct female pelvis mannequin.

After the awkward silence and the increasingly panicked looks on everyone’s faces in my captive audience, I laughed and said, “No, I don’t want to know any of that stuff about y’all!”

Everyone nervously laughed, and they instantly destroyed anything they had started to write on the paper. I followed with, “That’s what you ask a victim of rape to do; tell you explicitly every detail about a sexual occurrence.”

NOW, IT’S SCRUNCHY TIME I then ask the attendees to pick up the neon hair scrunchy on their tables and put them around their fingers and begin opening and closing it.

Everyone started to relax … and then I dropped the BOOM with: “That’s your hymen.” Palpable shock.

(A BRIEF BREAK) Before I address that jewel, let me give you the lay of the land. The primary reason for that class was to drag out 17

CULTURE CLASH (FEATURE) my vagina mannequin, Virginia, to provide education of the female anatomy. Unfortunately, Virginia stayed housed in my car most of the time, where I feared of getting in a wreck and having to explain or search for her. My job was to teach all these folks the normal and abnormal appearance of the “vagene” related to trauma.

I talked about the physiology, the psychology, and, gosh darn it, the sociology pertaining to sexual behavior. As a nurse, you’re forced to learn the pieces and parts, but nobody really delves into what all those Latin words relate to.

Most people and I walk a jagged edge by saying we have at least a general idea of the workings down under. At least that is what I thought, until I started taking information from some of the clients and realized some of those around us lack this knowledge.

For example, a grown woman told me she got pregnant from sitting on the radiator; and couples have said taking Geritol was what made them pregnant. I once asked a sex crimes detective, “Do you know what I’m talking about when I say there was a tear in the posterior fourchette?” She looked blankly at me and responded, “Is that one of those pop-up things sorta like a canopy?” I went into great detail, explaining to her of which I spoke. I’m sure she will remember it forever. It’s that area right above your taint. Google that term if you’re not sure. I think Siri will shut you down on it!

be the bearer of bad news, but that’s just not true. It is not some magical portal to the promise land. It’s merely a band of stretchy tissue that can be torn, ruptured, or otherwise made no longer. It actually has nothing to do with being virginal. With all the misinformation, how can we possibly communicate what has happened, what is happening, and if we need more information?

I recall a part of a study that encouraged nurses to take a mirror and take a peek under their own hood. You would have thought you were asking them to string Christmas lights on their hooch and light it up on national TV. Yet, this exercise was a simple yet effective way to learn normal anatomy. In a circumstance of assault, knowing the difference between what’s what and what’s not could be the difference in pushing a case forward, or it being dropped for lack of evidence.

WELCOME TO THE CLASS Learning more about your body and how it functions will lead to improved sexuality, sex, and overall well-being.

Sadly, many people are so ashamed to gander below the beltline that they sacrifice themselves by not getting proper evaluations, causing “things” to be left untreated. Pop-quiz: Guess what Al Capone, Ab Lincoln, and Napoleon all had in common? Three letters class: STD. The overall message is this: Keep your junk clean and healthy! That way, you can be the riveting sexual being you were destined to be. Follow Marvin Gaye’s advice and get some sexual healing and get it on!

BACK TO SCRUNCHY As a culture, we are taught the hymen is the gatekeeper to virginity. I hate to 18

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CULTURE CLASH (FEATURE)

Sex Therapy

with Christine Wamble

Known for her contagious smile and stone-cold killer humor, Christine broke our hearts by leaving the island to mend hearts in Philadelphia and pursue a career in relationship and sex therapy.

Christine is currently attending Jefferson University there, working on her master’s degree in family therapy with an emphasis on sex therapy. She also works as an intern therapist at Council for Relationships in Philadelphia, where she offers free therapy to immigrant, refugee and homeless populations.

I recently contacted Christine to get her incites on relationships and sex:

C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 9

An Interview by Jessica Antonelli Q: WHAT’S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FAMILY AND SEX THERAPY IN YOUR WORK? A: I work with individuals, couples, and families around all their concerns.

Some may have direct sex-related concerns, while others struggle with trust, vulnerability, depression, not feeling understood or heard by their partner/parent/anyone.

I think there is a propensity to separate sexual/romantic relationships as being very different from our other relationships, such as those with our parents and siblings. In my opinion, and a firmly held belief in this field, we view therapy as being systemic: The concept that we all are individual beings operating in our own systems that include our race, culture, gender, socioeconomic status, family of origin, schoolmates, co-workers, hobbies and passions, etc.

In this way, if I grew up in a family where my parents argued loudly and then made amends through sex, I will have a different understanding of relationships, conflict management, and sex than someone who grew up with parents who had a more companion-style dynamic that neither argued nor had sex. And so on and so on.

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Photo from Facebook.com

YOU MAY REMEMBER CHRISTINE WAMBLE FROM HER DAYS MANAGING THE MOD COFFEEHOUSE BY DAY, WHILE SHE STUDYING BY NIGHT.

CULTURE CLASH (FEATURE)

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON ISSUES THAT COUPLES COME TO A SEXUAL THERAPIST FOR? A: Communication issues are the most commonly stated, presenting problems for couples in therapy in general. Communication issues around sexual activity and intercourse are generally issues found in other places in the relationship.

Q: WHAT WOULD BE A SIGN FOR A COUPLE OR INDIVIDUAL THAT THEY SHOULD CONSIDER SEX THERAPY WITH A COUNSELOR SUCH AS YOURSELF?

A: Hmm, that’s a tough question. I would say I’ve observed more polyamorous relationships in Philadelphia, as well as couples who have more gender and sexual orientation variance.

People who have been sexually assaulted or raped can have a place to process their trauma and work through the ways their experience impacted their relationship with sex, their body, trust/mistrust of others, feelings of safety/danger, or shame/guilt.

integration and processing, intimacy concerns, marital or relationship breakups/divorce, dating patterns, deciding to have children or not, change in sex after children, open relationships, gender and sexual orientation and concerns … I could go on and on.

People who have questions or concerns about body image, aging, orgasm absence/increase/decrease, sexual fantasies, kink

I would say that seeing a therapist is a personal choice and can be as long or short of a term of an investment as desired. Some clients may stay in therapy for years, but many will go to therapy for a few months to learn more about or explore a specific topic.

A: Obviously, I think therapy of any kind is helpful. But in the specific case for sex therapy, I again think anyone can benefit.

Photo from Shutterstock.com

Q: DO YOU NOTICE A DIFFERENCE IN THE TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS PEOPLE HAVE IN GALVESTON VERSUS PHILADELPHIA?

Q: WHAT IS THE NO. 1 LESSON THAT YOUR WORK TAUGHT YOU ABOUT SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS? A: We all just want to be understood, accepted, and have our feelings and experiences validated.

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#TBMG

THROW BACK MY GALVESTON Life on this barrier island is always changing.

It may be a glorius place now, but a lot has happened to get us here.

Photography provided by Madonna LLC Photo Library.

#MadonnaLovesSex. Madonna is a sexual pioneer.

Galvestonians have been following her lead for 40 years.

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CULTURE CLASH (#TBMG)

SEX

STORY

By Robert Hacket LORA BERNARD RECOUNTED WHAT IT TOOK FOR HER TO GET A COPY OF MADONNA’S BOOK, “SEX,” in her article, “Madonna’s ‘Sex’ isn’t pretty, but pretty honest,” which was published in The Galveston Daily News on Nov. 8, 1992.

While what may seem as taking extreme measures, Bernard wanted to be sure she could get a copy of “Sex,” since only 1 million copies were available worldwide and she doubted that the book would be available in one of the bookstores on the island.

Bernard’s concern proved to be correct, as it was reported in The Galveston Daily News that the book, retailing at $49.95, had been in short supply at the B. Dalton Bookseller in the Galvez Mall. Michael Gonzalez, the store’s manager, commented that the book had moved much more quickly than any book they ever had, especially for a book at that price.

The newspaper had promoted the full Page 3 coverage of world and local sales of the book on the front page as Madonna’s fans becoming the “first owners of their undressed idol’s fantasies about S&M, bondage and nude pizza eating.”

FOR THE RECORD Madonna had teamed up with art director Fabien Baron and fashion photographer Steven Meisel to produce a coffee table book that contained a series of photo essays, each depicting a different sexual theme. The book included cameos by actress Isabella Rossellini, rappers Big Daddy Kane and Vanilla Ice, model Naomi Campbell, gay porn star Joey Stefano, actor Udo Kier, and socialite Princess Tatiana von Furstenberg.

“Sex” sold more than 150,000 on the first day, topping the New York Times Best Seller list, and became the fastest-selling coffee table book.

It remains as one of the most sought-after out-of-print books. Madonna claimed she published the book “to liberate America — free us all of our hang-ups.”

MOM BUYS “SEX” In response to her daughter’s request, Bernard’s mother set out to purchase “Sex.” Public furor had been raised across the country in anticipation of the book’s release. The Vatican had called the book “morally intolerable” and asked its followers to boycott the book, while Southern Baptists threatened to stop doing business with printer RR Donnelly, whose presses printed their Bibles. Waldenbooks and Barnes & Noble sent out corporate

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Photography provided by Madonna LLC Photo Library.

A

On Oct. 21, 1992, Lora Bernard made a phone call to her 64-year-old mother in Fort Worth, Texas, to buy her a copy of Madonna’s book, “Sex.”

CULTURE CLASH (#TBMG) statements to store managers that could be shared with customers who were offended by “Sex.” Arriving at the store, Bernard’s mother was met with having to cross protest lines to enter the store.

With book in hand, her mother then had to pay cash, show identification to prove her age, and sign a waiver stating that she “would not be using the book to contribute to the delinquency of a juvenile.”

“When our society puts that much effort into controlling an artist’s work, I think that’s revealing.

Someone’s afraid of it,” Bernard wrote.

ART OR PORNOGRAPHY? At 3 a.m. on Oct. 24, Bernard got her first chance to see the book, following a five-hour drive to her mother’s house. Bernard respected Madonna’s ability as an artist to have others “reassess themselves as sexual beings, prejudiced Americans and as religious church-goers.”

“The entire book, from its Mylar-wrapped aluminum cover, to its thousands of tiny pictures crammed together to its rough, thick paper, explores sex in a raw, honest way, without romantic overtones or lacy teddies to make women look more like dolls than human beings,” Bernard wrote.

“No, it’s not a pretty book. I’ve seen better photography and read better press.

“But, in truth, honesty is not pretty. If it was, we’d probably get a lot more of it because lying would not be necessary. So, it would follow that a ‘pretty’ sex book that selectively portrays monogamous, same-race, male and female relationships probably wouldn’t be entirely honest either.”

Bernard was overjoyed and bragged about having her copy. But she was met with her friends being disgusted and smug; and was warned by her co-workers not to bring the book to work.

“I understand their reaction, but I must respectfully disagree with their opinions,” Bernard wrote. “I think that to consider the book pornographic is an unsophisticated generalization.”

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FEATURED ARTIST: JESSICA ANOTNELLI

WAITING FOR HER JOHN OIL ON CANVAS

WWW.JESSICAANTONELLI.COM

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BODY

LANGUAGE

By Sharon Olson

I’m not perfect, nor was I meant to be.

When it started was when you first saw me.

My body talked.

She told you things you wanted to understand more deeply, readily.

She talked, laughed, looked at you like she was made for you, perhaps, just you.

Your eyes figured her into oblivion.

The form of creation was right there in front of you.

She overtook your thoughts like a cannon plowing your hull.

You could’ve sunk, but for her.

She saved you, her buoyant hips became your lifesaver.

Her lips your lifeboat, her eyes, your lifeline.

You ate her.

You touched her all over.

She touched you.

You dug hole after hole, looking for that perfect spot to put that “X”.

You laid down on top of her at night, looking from beneath the palm leaves she grew.

You both looked at the stars You then would look at her and she would look at you.

One day, you found the perfect spot.

Excited, you dug hard and fast.

You left all that gold inside her.

And walked away.

Ashore, you became a pirate looking to bury your treasure.

She became a body.

She became the island, the whole damn thing.

And she’s got all that booty now inside her.

That body belongs to me.

And someone else has the map.

C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 9

Learn More at GalvestonSurfrider.com Monthly Meetings Every 2nd Thur. @ The Mod

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La Izquierda mi Querida, Who are you? The longer time passes between what we think and what we feel, the more opportunity there is for silence.

Almost one year ago, our community of like-minded(ish) weirdos all got together at the 91st Street fishing pier to celebrate La Izquierda, a cosmically aligned festival of surf and music. The vibes were through the roof. Anyone there that day will tell you something special went down on May 12, 2018. Whether it was the music, the surf, the yoga, or the beer, people all say it was magic. There were even waves.

Photography provided by Richard Wooten with Texas Rock and Surf Library

We raised over $6,000 for Surfrider Foundation, Galveston Chapter, whose mission is the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves, and beaches through a powerful activist network. They run plastic bag cleanups and campaigns, send people to Washington to be real, and meet up on a regular basis for solidarity. I think we can all get on board with that.

We brought loud and clear original music of all kinds to the hearts of the thousands of hand clapping attendees. We sent the grand prize long boarder to Costa Rica with his chica for an all-inclusive surf getaway. Jimmy’s on the Pier was slammed from morning to night with their best day ever, and dozens of up and coming craft breweries introduced themselves to the palettes of the drinkers who judged the friendly and democratic beer completion. Go GIB! It was a huge success by everyone’s standards, so we are doing it again on the same second weekend of May.

Mark your calendars for May 11, 2019. La Izquierda Dos. It’s right before Mother’s Day, so la Izquierda su madre.

We’re bringing some new all-star bands to the lineup like Los Skarnales, as well as several original crew from last year who rocked the seas and heavens.

All of the trophies last year were pieces created by Galveston area artists, and this year we’ve been given more space to allow the donors to show and sell their work. In fact, Jimmy gave us the whole pier so we’re open to just about anything. What do you want La Izquierda to be for you? What do you create?

What do you share? It’s gathering momentum and we’d like more of you to be a part of it. We’ve even got a legit website, LaIzquierdafest.com. Communicate your ideas with us. Please let us know what you think, and come to Jimmie’s On the Pier on May 11th. I will be there.

-Robert Kuhn C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

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Thursday April 11, 2019 4 pm - 7 pm Galveston Children’s Museum 2618 Broadway Admission: FREE 17th Annual FeatherFest Thursday April 11 - Sunday April 14, 2019 All around the island www.GalvestonFeatherFest.com Art Car Parade Saturday April 13, 2019 2 pm - 4 pm Allen Parkway, Houston TX Admission: FREE

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