In late October a few years ago I was teaching an undergraduate seminar on gender and sexuality. One of my female students stormed into class clutching a copy of the student newspaper, in which there was an article written by two male students that basically mocked women for dressing as sluts on Halloween. "Gone are the days when girls would dress as ghosts, ponies and princesses," they wrote. "In college, you have to be a slutty ghost...

For a little more than a year now, I have dated a wonderful woman. I love her, and think we would make a great husband and wife. A big problem for me, however, is that it is very clear she dislikes giving oral sex. She will from time to time, but it is the worst I have experienced, and you can just tell the whole time she does not like what she is doing. It is very hard for me to enjoy something...

National Coming Out Day occurred Oct. 11. This day, recognized by schools and community organizations across the country, encourages gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer people to share and celebrate their identities. National Coming Out Day was first observed in 1988. A lot has happened in 20 years.

My girlfriend of three months asked me how many women I had had sex with. I told her three, including her. When I asked her the same question, she said, “Eight, nine…no, 10.” At other times, she has told me that she had been with six, including me. I know of five major boyfriends before me. The different answers...

This week, I turn the tables by asking my readers some questions. Students have been back at school for a month now, and I talked with a few from local colleges and universities about what they wished their parents had told them about sex before they were all grown up.   This topic is on my mind for a couple of reasons. The pregnancy of Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol, has once again put the spotlight on the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education and of parental messages about sexuality. In addition, I just kicked off a series of workshops for parents at the Tool Shed, the first of which focused...

I am a 26-year-old bisexual female.I just got into a relationship with a woman for the first time. My partner and I have used a vibrator once, and I really enjoyed it. My question to you is: How do I ask her to use it again? When we used it, we used mine, and I asked her if she owned one. She said she did, and now I would like to use hers.

This week’s question deals with a familiar scenario: what to do when you haven’t been completely honest with a long-term partner and want to come clean. You’re right that there are many other bisexual men (and women) in your circumstance, but this dilemma can happen with other sexual situations too—I’ve heard from women who have faked orgasms for years and can’t figure out how to bring this up with their partners . . .

Last week, I received a call from a free-lance writer working on an article for a national magazine. Her editor had instructed her to contact owners of sex toy stores across the country to gather tales of the newest, juiciest and most titillating trends that we were seeing among our customers.

Welcome to SEXpress, the Shepherd Express’ new sex advice column. As your lovely hostess, I’ll be answering your questions, interviewing nationally known sexperts as they travel through our city, and sharing my thoughts about all things sex related. How did I get this plum job, you ask? Well, I’ve worked as a sexuality educator for more than a decade—on college campuses, in community organizations, in state agencies and in congregations.

This week the Shepherd Express will begin a weekly column featuring expert advice on sex and sexuality.