SAN FRANCISCO — Good Vibrations, the originator of National Masturbation Month, is celebrating the 26th year of the annual sex-positive, awareness-raising international holiday.
In 1995, a rep explained, “Good Vibrations staffers were reeling after the recent firing of Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the first Black woman to serve in that role, for a simple and truthful statement about masturbation: when asked about whether it should be part of sex education curricula, she stated, in light of the pressing need for safer sex information, that it was something ‘that perhaps should be taught’ about in the context of sexual health information.”
“Her dismissal by then-president Bill Clinton shook sexual health and pleasure activists and led to an historic meeting at Good Vibrations: the declaration of May as the first-ever National Masturbation Month. Other progressive sex shops soon signed on,” the rep said.
According to Good Vibrations, although masturbation has become a less-taboo subject, there is still work to be done “to erase this form of sexual shame for everyone.”
“This foundational element of human sexuality should not be a source of distress or a topic we can’t talk about, because when this is the way a culture thinks about solo pleasure, it sends a message that the important positive elements of masturbation don’t matter,” the rep continued. “Via masturbation we learn more about our sexuality and arousal, we learn how to have orgasms, we experience the stress- and pain-relieving elements of solo sex, we might find it helps us sleep and helps us get through lean times without a partner, and research has shown it is often an expression of our heightened sexuality even when we have a partner.”
Maturbate-a-Thons and Other Events
Good Vibrations has also launched and promoted Masturbate-a-Thons (“Come for a Cause!”) to raise money for sexual health nonprofits, their reps have done press appearances to help people understand the significance of masturbation and the store has introduced "a vast number of people to the pleasures of sex toys."
“Well into the 21st Century, we still realize that many people have yet to hear all the positive messages related to masturbation, and we are glad that others — sex educators and influencers, sex-positive companies and journalists and many more — have joined the cause,” said the rep.
Good Vibrations is kicking off their events to celebrate the milestone tomorrow at 6 p.m. (PDT) with the talk “Masturbation May: Celebrating 26 Years of Self-Love,” where educator Andy and Carol Queen consider the changes Masturbation Month has inspired.
For more information visit GoodVibes.com and follow the store on Twitter.
