Too often, the sex and pleasure industry is dominated by one (very white) perspective, often excluding people of color from the conversations, which they are leading in their own communities. These are voices that deserve and need to be heard. At Lovers, we are committed to representing, amplifying, and including all voices. 

Below is a list of educators that have inspired us and are making a shape-shifting impact in their communities and beyond. We asked them to put into their own words the very mission that drives them. We encourage you to follow the trailblazing work of these incredible educators! 

Dr. Donna Oriowo (@annodright)
DonnaOriowo.com
Sex Therapist with an emphasis on Black Sexuality

Mission: “My work as a sex and relationship therapist (with a focus on how colorism and texturism impacts mental and sexual health) hinges on my desire to integrate my passion for sex(uality) and racial justice with my verve for working in the mental health field. My goal is to help individuals, couples, businesses, and teams dig deeper and tap into the well of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that can lead to a truer sense of self, authenticity, and freedom. I am an advocate for sexual freedom, self-love, acceptance, and accomplishment for WoC, especially Black women, because a pleasure filled life has been denied to us for far too long.” 

Mission: "My name is Ev'Yan Whitney. I'm a sexuality doula and sex educator and my mission is to help women, femmes, and nonbinary folks liberate, decolonize, and heal their relationships to sex, pleasure, and their bodies. I do this work both as a service to others because I derive a lot of joy and pleasure helping folks get free, but also as a service to myself—particularly to the younger version of me who was shamed out of her sexuality and sensual nature. As I help heal and liberate others, I am always holding the intention of helping my own self heal and liberate outside of the systems of oppression that make the work I do so necessary."

Mission: “Inner Hoe Uprising (IHU) is a sex, love, and dating podcast helmed by four queer Black NYC based feminists. The show features themes related to queer identities, trans identities, self-care, mental health, sex positivity, and social justice. Though it covers heavy topics, Inner Hoe Uprising is a light-hearted show with a strong comedic element. It is our aim to continue to create sex positive media and safe spaces for everyone, particularly Black folks and POC in the QUILTBANG* community. We aim to continue to provide representation and education for those of marginalized identities in media, especially the burgeoning industry of podcasting. It is our purpose to contribute to and advance accurate and  inclusive comprehensive sex education as well as queer, feminist narratives regarding sex, love and dating. Our success is measured by continuing to build a community of listeners who feel educated, safe, nurtured, and entertained.” 

*Queer/Unidentified/Intersex/Lesbian/Transgender/Bisexual/Ace/Non-Binary/Gay 

Mission: “I am here to educate and empower people of all ages to take control of their sex lives and fulfill their sexual wants, needs and desires.   I want folks to feel entrusted with their own sense of power by communicating thoroughly, enhancing their sex skills, and practicing their seduction techniques to provide their best sexual self and be sexually authentic with their heightened sexual confidence.  I aim to make sure that people have amazing and euphoric orgasms and sexual experiences.

Mission: “The Minority Sex Report™ is a space for people of color to have conversations about sexuality. As Black and Native American women, we understand the lack of comprehensive sexuality education in communities of color. provide representation in sexuality education. We address barriers to achieving optimal sexual health for communities of color as well as intersectional inequalities faced by our communities. We hope to increase sexual knowledge and awareness through education, community collaborations, national presentations, and advocacy.”

Mission: "I live in a metropolitan area that has a pretty significant population of Black folks. But when I found my way to the local polyamory community, the opposite was true. So, in doing the kind of work that I do, I just wanted to help people that looked like me find fellowship and resources. I didn't want others to deal with the same level of isolation that I felt. That was the motivation behind Love's Not Color Blind, Poly Role Models, and even the For Hire series."

Mission: “I started my page because I knew I wasn’t the only person who saw the beauty in combing cannabis and sex for a better and more explosive experience and I wanted people to have a safe place to discuss and learn about both. So here we are 2 years later, I think I had the right idea!"

Mission: "Everyone wants to know how to f*ck, let me remind you how to feel.

Shadeen’s work is always inspired by her commitment to helping people live lives full of peace and pleasure."

Mission: "In my work, I realize that women and femmes, especially black women and femmes, don’t always have a platform to discuss these issues. These conversations are either held in private with one other person and/or shushed from larger society. I want to elevate the message that women and femmes are amazing, wonderful, complicated and multi-faceted beings who deserve to be heard and deserve to feel good. I honestly believe that when we feel good about ourselves- we take care of ourselves, our bodies, our health and put our pleasure and joy first. I want to be a catalyst for that."

We hope that you discovered one, or several educators to help inspire you on your sexual wellness journey. If you loved this content, be sure to attend this Wednesday's workshop with Sexologist Goody Howard, where they will be discussing Connection and Sensuality!

WITH PLEASURE,

LOVERS