Two years of the corrupt and incompetent shitshower of a “Government” run by the ineffable Boris Johnson and there are still millions who would vote for them, notwithstanding tens of thousands of avoidable Covid deaths, draft and corruption, culture wars, lies, flagrant breaches of public health regulations we are all expected to follow, the attempt to criminalise protest, and……I could go on but as we emerge from the pandemic (Omicron permitting) this country is in a dark a place as it has been in my lifetime. But, friends, we have to keep fighting. The UK is not alone in its descent into nationalist authoritarian populism.
But the many amazing blogs on sex, sexuality and kink continue to bring a measure of solace. Let’s start with the first Sinful Sunday of the month and a couple of colourful posts. I loved post of these for the way colours was mixed with black and white for effect and for the way neither gave up its secrets immediately. Enjoy Gold Leaf by Exposing 40 and Christmas Decoration Time by Focused and Filthy
Girl on the Net reflects further on her break-up here
This Girl reflects on darkness and kink here and this I can totally relate to. I am a sadist and this was not a comfortable thing to find out. But learning to channel and control my sadistic impulses and use them for my pleasure, and that of those I choose to play with, has been life enhancing.
From the last pre Christmas Sinful Sunday I liked this take on giving and receiving from Modesty Ablaze
I enjoyed this guest post on Girl on the Net about impulsive sex and the single woman.
April Ashley, one of the first transwomen to undergo surgery and a Vogue model before being outed by a tabloid, died just after Christmas. She was a strong and resourceful woman who has been an inspiration for trans people for 60 years. Roz Kaveney met her for Gay News several years ago and the archived cutting can be read here (as can a number of other articles). Rest in power April and thank you for everything!
For the 500th Wicked Wednesday, This Girl reposted some reflections on BDSM from 2006. This was actually before I discovered kink but a lot of what she says resonated with me.
As for music for December……….well I was going to post something Christmassy until the sad death of Mensi of the South Shields punk band The Angelic Upstarts. To the uninitiated Mensi must have looked, at first glance, like a right wing meathead. In fact he was a lifelong committed anti-Fascist and a positive role model for the kind of disaffected young white men who might have been drawn into far right circles. Sadly Mensi (Thomas Mensforth) died of Covid on 10th December. Few bands did anger like the Upsarts. This song is about the shocking death of Liddle Towers in Co. Durham in 1976 after he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and given a kicking at the police station. He died a week later from massive internal injuries. No one was ever prosecuted.
Eve's Temptations 