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Join me and XOXOSMS for Virtual V-Day!
In an LDR? Totally bummed you can’t snuggle up to your sweet this Valentine’s Day? We’ve got something just for you! On Februrary 14th at 6pm EST, join us for the premiere of xoxosms followed by a panel about love, intimacy, sex, and the Internet (all of our favorite things!).
This is a date night for the 21st Century: fire up Skype (or gchat or oovoo!), connect with your beloved, and tune into the film together. Then stick around to have a conversation about how technology is changing the way we live and love. Panelists include director Nancy Schwartzman, Lena Chen of “Sex and The Ivy”, Twanna Hines aka “Funky Brown Chick”, writer for Ebony and Glamour, Melissa Gira Grant of The Guardian and The New York Observer, Samhita Mukhopodyay, Editor of Feministing.com, and Melanie Wallner from student focused online dating platform DateMySchool.com.
(I’ll be in NYC this Friday through Valentine’s Day. Join me online for the livestream!)
Upcoming Speaking/Travel Dates
Holy crap, traveling for the past month has totally done a number on my skin, immune system, and sleep schedule. Three more days in China and then I’m off to LA for a week - yet another climate and time change. Never thought I’d be looking forward to returning to the frigid New England winter, but I’m longing for some normality (and a wardrobe change) after weeks on the road.
After I get back to Boston on the 30th, I’m going to be in proposal writing mode for the indefinite future so there will be fewer new articles and blog posts coming up. Though most of my literary output will remain private for a while, I’ll have a web series coming out soon and I’ll be doing sporadic speaking gigs. That said, I’m trying to cut down on travel and extraneous obligations, so I can spend as much time as possible in Boston and not get sick like I did last year when I was running about doing Feminist Coming Out Day. I only have half a year before my Berlin move, and I have to seriously reorganize my life to make writing and my codependent relationship with my best friend my two top priorities :)
Here’s an incomplete list of where I’ll be in upcoming months …
JANUARY 22-30
Visiting Family in Los Angeles, CA
FEBRUARY 5
Panel for Sex Week At Yale in New Haven, CT
FEBRUARY 14
Panel for XOXOSMS Internet Premiere in New York City, NY
MARCH 9-13
SXSW Interactive/Film (for Sex in the Digital Age panel) in Austin, TX
APRIL 1-3
Sex::Tech 2012 (for XOXOSMS screening and panel) in San Francisco, CA
I also have to visit LA one more time before I move to Germany (or my mother will actually kill me) and I may make it over to DC at some point, but that’s all to be determined. I was also originally supposed to do a reunion with friends in New Orleans in early March, right before SXSW, but sadly, I don’t think I can afford that at the moment. (Unless someone wants to fly me over to speak, pretty please?)
Due to lack of time/money/energy, I don’t think I’ll be adding much more to my plate this spring, but as always, shoot me an email if you’re interested in hosting me as a speaker. I’ll update the above list as details get solidified (there’s a few Harvard events and some local stuff I’m still getting confirmation on). Also, for everyone who’s been inundating my inbox, I’ll be back in civilization this weekend and hope to have a handle on late emails by next week.
Now … it’s time to end this Asia trip on a high note! It’s right before Chinese New Year, and I can think of no better place to start the Year of the Dragon than in Shanghai :)
Here are some snippets from Ain’t I A Woman: Race In The Feminist Movement, an event organized by Morgane Richardson, Jamia Wilson, Shelby Knox, and Ileana Jimenez:
On April 11th, 2011 in Brooklyn’s Galapagos Art Space, a group of women came together to ignite a discourse about the experiences of women of color in the feminist movement and beyond. On this night, six outstanding feminists and activists went head-to-head to discuss race in the feminist movement today.
I’m in a teeny segment (where I’m moderating the last panel) — check out the whole thing if you weren’t able to come out! There were some rad moments that made it in film. (I also wrote about some of the conversation topics in a previous recap post.)
Video Production Credit: Ashley Tyner
Ask Lena: How to get your dream date to Homecoming | gURL.com
One of the most exciting parts of high school is the anticipation of dances — The dress! The committee (if you’re into that)! The preparation! The hair! The makeup (if you’re into that, too)! Practicing your dance moves in front of the mirror (admit it!)! But nothing causes more anxiety than the DATE.
AnimalActivist0115 wrote in to askanexpert@gurl.com to ask how she can get the date she wants to Homecoming! She’s not sure if he likes her, and she’s not sure if he’s going to ask her yet. I can totally feel for her! The anxiety of not knowing is positively excruciating. Is there a sure fire way to find out? I have a very good answer for that. So click on and press play! Then share your date success stories and comments below!
And do you have a question for me? Send it in! I love getting your emails. Email me anything at askanexpert@gurl.com!
lena talks about making (and keeping) a purity pledge. | gURL.com
It almost seems as if Disney stars are contractually taking purity pledges. We’re not the only ones taking note that many of them have opted to publicly speak out about abstinence and even wear “purity rings.” At 18, Selena Gomez is pretty serious about keeping her purity pledge to wait until marriage to engage in intercourse. But others are going back on their word. Most recently? Joe Jonas, who made the pledge to keep his virginity but has recently lost the ring.
Obviously, it’s not our business to discuss whether or not he’s actually getting it done with Ashley Greene, but what we do want to note is that he’s obviously reconsidered his purity pledge. And you know what? That’s not a bad thing. A lot of gURLs and guys do.
In the vid above, I answer a question from Kelly who took a pledge years ago but is now rethinking it. Here’s my advice for her, and Joe!
I tried to not sound like a valley girl. Not entirely successful. Also, I hate myself on camera and took a bajillion takes to get this right.
Shelving the self criticism for a second, if you know teen girls sick of the generic advice in newsstand glossies, send them over to gURL.com’s new Health, Sex, & Relationships blog and tell them to write me at askanexpert@gURL.com.
(Source: lenachen)
