Oct 28, 2013 2:15 PM PDT    Text size: 

PHOENIX — Sex educator, author and adult director Tristan Taormino announced that she will be interviewing Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former U.S. Surgeon General, on her radio show Sex Out Loud this Friday.

Taormino interviewed Dr. Elders in person at CatalystCon West in Woodland Hills, Calif., where Elders gave the closing keynote talk last month

During the interview, Dr. Elders recalled growing up in segregated and poverty-stricken Schaal, Arkansas and how it ultimately impacted her lifelong dedication to public health. She also detailed her appointment as U.S. Surgeon General by President Bill Clinton in 1993 and how she was forced to resign over a controversy about her public statements about safer sex, masturbation and sex education.

Elders and Taormino then discussed abstinence-only sex education, the current state of HIV/AIDS and what measures can be taken to help empower young people with regard to their sexuality.

“It was an honor and a privilege to speak to Dr. Elders,” Taormino said. “She is such an inspiration to sex educators everywhere. She’s bold, unapologetic and fearless about her commitment to comprehensive sex education in our country. Plus, she’s very feisty — I can’t believe some of the things she said!”

The second half of the show will feature Jackie Strano, executive vice president of Good Vibrations.

Strano, who heard Dr. Elder’s keynote first-hand at CatalystCon, said, “Dr. Elders is one of my personal sex-positive icons for her bravery, and for telling a simple and necessary truth during a climate of intense fear around sexuality in this country’s history. For the last 19 years, Good Vibrations has dedicated the month of May as ‘Masturbation Month’ in homage to Elders’ bravery and commitment to pleasure, sex positivity and sex education.”

In their interview, Taormino and Strano talk about the state of sex education in America, why sex-positive retail stores are so important and how Good Vibrations has paired with various non-profit sex-positive organizations to raise money and awareness.

Sex Out Loud airs live every Fridays at 5 p.m on The VoiceAmerica Variety Channel. It is sponsored by Good Vibrations, Astroglide, We-Vibe and Sportsheets