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A few months ago, August McLaughlin invited me on her show, Girl Boner, to talk about body acceptance and trauma. I’d been following her for over a year and admired her own story in working with women’s sexuality and empowerment.
This week, August shares a little about her battle with anorexia and body dysmorphia, plus how that led her to creating Girl Boner.
We also field some wonderful questions from listeners on the way our bodies and genitals look, plus struggling with orgasms.
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In this episode, August and I:
- Laugh and cringe over the sad state of sex education in the United States. Rarely is pleasure ever mentioned to young people, but if it is, it’s usually reserved for folks with a penis, while the only info we get about vulvas is that they have cramps and periods.
- Explore August’s eating disorder and body dysmorphia and how that led her to heal her relationship with her sexuality.
- Dig into the importance of letting go of shame around our shame. How can we confront our own stories and beliefs to lead a more empowered and authentic life rather than the one put on us by others?
- Contemplate a listener question about anal bleaching – is she doing it to please her husband and make herself feel more worthy or because she wants to do it as an act of power to celebrate her body?
- Stress the importance of consuming porn that has body diversity, including a wide range of pubic hair, labia, penises, and body size.
- Answer a question from a virgin who is worried that his uncircumcised penis is what’s driving away potential lovers. (Our answer is a resounding NO.)
- Discuss a listener question about orgasms – she can orgasm on her own but can’t from intercourse and is worried her partner feels frustrated by it all. Has she tried toys? Various positions? Talking to him about it and making it a fun exploration?
- Gush over why we should replace “achieving orgasm” with “experiencing orgasm”.
About August McLaughlin
August McLaughlin is an award-winning, nationally recognized health and sexuality writer and host and creator of Girl Boner®. Her work appears in Cosmopolitan, DAME Magazine, the Huffington Post, LIVESTRONG.com and more. Kirkus Reviews called her first novel, In Her Shadow, “an engaging story with an inventive structure and an intriguing focus on body-image issues.”
Her latest book, Embraceable: Empowering Facts and True Stories About Women’s Sexuality, is a celebration of women’s sexual empowerment. Each week on Girl Boner® Radio, she interviews relationship experts, celebrity entertainers and more, exploring women’s lives and sexuality “like no one else.” Known for melding personal passion, artistry and activism, August uses her skills as a public speaker and journalist to inspire women to embrace their bodies and selves, making way for fuller, more authentic lives.
Want to stay in touch with August? Find her at AugustMcLaughlin.com where you can also listen to Girl Boner radio. Be sure to like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter, too.
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Episode Transcript
Coming soon