February is for lovin’

BY DR. LAURIE BENNETT-COOK

This year is markedly different than years past and many are certainly not feeling the anticipation of sexy love. I’ve heard many expressions lately of people feeling bored. Here we are closing in on February, and it’s hard to imagine doing anything other than surfing Netflix or Hulu or Prime, or any other number of online hosts to find the “next best thing to binge.”

With nearly a full year of COVID among us, it feels a bit challenging to think of any holiday as sexy. So how does one enjoy some sexy fun despite living through a civil uprising in the middle of a global pandemic?

Well, thankfully, some very arousing options are enjoyable right from the comfort of home.

A Most Unique Movie Night

HUMP will be streaming for the entire month of February! If you like porn, this may be just the fun escape you need.

HUMP is a yearly film festival put on by Dan Savage. Since COVID, you no longer need to find it playing at a theater near you. For those of us who live in Utah, that’s fantastic because HUMP has never visited our city. HUMP features a host of short films (3–5 minutes each) made by everyday folx who want to show off their kinks and fantasies to others. Per its site: “It’s a carefully curated program with a cornucopia of body types, shapes, ages, colors, sexualities, genders, kinks, and fetishes. HUMP celebrates creative sexual expression.”

Personally, I’ve attended HUMP screenings in LA for the past several years. But I gotta say, there’s something nice about having it stream from the comfort of my own home. If you’re seeking a good movie night — this might be just the thing.

For tickets and more information about HUMP check out bit.ly/humpfest

Online Sexy Play Party:

Feeling kinky and looking for an online sexy play community? Check out KINKY SA- LON. From their site: “Virtual Kinky Salons are wild and sexy adventures into the digital realm. Hosted by creative teams from multiple cities, these events push the boundaries of what’s possible in a virtual event. With costumes, interactive weirdness, silly ice-breakers, dancing, deep conversations, flirty fun, and saucy sexy times, all creatively packaged in silly themes, this multi-roomed extravaganza will satisfy your yearning for fun, connection, and community in a way that only Kinky Salon can.”

Personally, I’ve attended a few different Kinky Salon events over the years. I’ve found them to be incredibly entertaining, diverse, and sex-positive. With the pausing of in-person events, they have become quite masterful at putting together online, very sexy, events. If you’re interested in Kink, or even just a bit curious, I suggest checking them out.

For information about party times go to bit.ly/kinkysalon

Something Still Sexy, But More Tame

Bawdy Story Telling is a fantastic way to watch or hear people tell their personal stories of their sexual escapades. Pre-quarantine days Bawdy would travel the country and people from cities across would bravely come up to the stage and share stories of their most interesting, vulnerable, fun, sexy encounters. Now all online, performances are watched live or heard via their podcast. Storytellers are not merely educators, professional sex workers, and adult film stars, but everyday people who share good stories. If that’s not intriguing enough, you too could be a Bawdy Story Teller. On the site, there is a link to apply to tell your story and have it aired for the Bawdy Nation. Personally, I believe everyone has a story worth telling

For tickets and information about Bawdy go to: bawdystorytelling.com

While these ideas may be a bit unconventional from years past, they are each worth checking out on their own merit. And of course, if none of these ideas interest you, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a bit of solo lovin’.

Dr. Laurie Bennett-Cook is a Clinical Sexologist and is currently seeing all therapy clients virtually. She can be reached at DrLaurieBennettCook@gmail.com