Ask Veronica: Extramarital Relations

Dear Veronica,

I'm bi. Married to straight. I just came out a year ago to him. He encouraged my getting a girlfriend, and helped me in several ways (eg, setting up an online dating account for me and in meeting with a friend to explore her sexual interest in me). I suspect his zeal was due in part to a fantasy to participate in a threesome with me and my girlfriend, though he denies that motivation (mostly).

We have been together for 15 years. Married young. Still love each other very much. I had a secret fling with a woman several years ago, which I confessed to hubby when I came out to him. We also lived apart for a year about 10 years ago (me in Toronto, he in Halifax), and had been having marital troubles. I had a relationship with a man for 6 months of that year, which I also confessed. He has not confessed any extramarital relationships, though I truly believe he has had 1 or 2.

He has been generous, as he reminds me, in allowing me to explore outside the marriage with several women during the past year (since I came out to him). He would like to have a girlfriend now too, but I am having a very hard time with the concept. He says it will happen, b/c he would be a fool otherwise, so I should give my consent. I guess I'm scared shitless, and I can't rid myself of the images of him having sex with another woman (it makes my stomach hurt). Would it mean that my relationship with him is not as special? Would the other woman be 'better' than me? Would he do more fun things w/ her (our sex life is special, passionate, and super FANTASTIC - which leads to another question: why does he need someone else if his needs are met by me?) Would I reject him after he has sex with another, b/c of the images in my head? Would he compare our sex with their sex? Am I being an asshole by not being 'generous'? Is it different, my having a girlfriend vs him having a girlfriend?

SO CONFUSED AND UPSET. Need advice. Thank you!
TM

p.s. -- I have said 'yes' to some exploration: a threesome with my girlfriend, his exploration with a man (which he found he didn't enjoy), a play date with another couple, and a few visits to a 'swingers club'.


TM,

You seem to have a very touchy situation on your hands.

The impression that I'm getting is that he is resentful towards your extramarital relationships and has reached a point where he feels that he's being played a fool. I'm not sure if his motivation is that of revenge, curiosity or perhaps something else, but him telling you that "it's going to happen, you may as well give your consent." is not conducive to a healthy relationship. It sounds like he's been harbouring a lot of hurt and resentment towards you and this is how he wants to let it out, by settling the score. This is not fair to you, but it is something you will have to work through.

Generally, in my opinion, if you're going to be opening up your relationship, it's only fair for both partners to be allowed to experiment with others. However, from what you've said, you're only looking to have outside relationships with women. Obviously women are offering you something that your husband cannot. In that respect, it would only be fair for you to allow your husband to experiment with other partners who can offer him something that you can not (ie, a male partner, fetishes that are outside your boundaries, etc.). Where you draw the line of what activities he can pursue outside of your marriage is something you need to discuss together.

I think it's only fair that you concede to him experimenting with other partners, so long as you want to continue to do the same, but boundaries for each of you must be carefully discussed and implemented.

If you're truly uncomfortable with him having other partners, then it's not fair for you to have them. It would seem that this is something that has been bothering him for a long time and this is his way of dealing with it.

Tell him all the things you've told me, try to come to a decision together. Whatever you decide, what's important is that you are both happy and fulfilled, even if it means making sacrifices or going separate ways. I sincerely hope that you can reverse the damage that's been done to each other and figure out whatever arrangement you need to to continue on in your happy, fulfilling marriage.


Have a question or need advice on relationships, sex or sexual health? Email Veronica: ask.raw.knee@gmail.com

The best sex toy cleaner

I'm often asked what is the best way to clean your sex toys.

The answer isn't as simple as you might think. It really depends on what kind of toy you are talking about and what the surface is made of.

For the point of this post, I will be covering how to clean insertibles (butt plugs, dildos, vibrators, etc)

The best sanitizing method for pyrex or silicone toys that DO NOT have a motor or any electronic parts in them is to boil them. Make dildo soup once a month by throwing your toys in a pot of water, bringing it to a boil and letting them boil for about 5-10 minutes. Some sources will tell you to clean these toys in the dishwasher. I'd advise against it - the harsh soaps that you use to clean your dishes will leave residue on your toys that could cause you to have a bad reaction. I suppose you could run the dishwasher with nothing but your toys in it and refrain from using soap, but that would be a shameful waste of water!

Remember that only pyrex and silicone toys can be boiled. Latex/jelly and acrylic toys are not built to withstand those temperatures!

So, what to do with your cheaper toys and toys with motors? The thorough way of cleaning them is to use a warm, wet washcloth and unscented, anti-bacterial hand soap. Take the batteries out first and be very careful not to get water in the battery compartment. Most battery-operated toys are waterproof when used correctly, but that's no reason to be careless or submerge your toy under water.

What I usually recommend to everybody is to get some hand sanitizer and keep it with your toys for a quick cleanup after each use. Hand sanitizer is almost pure alcohol, it will kill 99.9% of the germs and bacteria on your toys (at least that's what the label says...); it dries quickly and is very handy for when you just want to roll over and go to sleep.

The only problem with hand sanitizer is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to find the straight-up alcohol kind. Make sure you use one that is not coloured, scented or containing vitamin E or aloe.

You may need to clean your toys, but you don't need to moisturize them.

Zombie Sex (long lost q+a)

Dear Veronica,
I am a heterosexual 32 year old female who has been happily married to my 38 year old husband for over 3 years. We've always had a satisfying sex life together but lately I've been bothered by a certain unfulfilled fantasy I've had for a long time. You see, Verotika, ever since I became sexually active as a teenager, I've had this overwhelming urge to re-enact a zombie scene in bed with my lover- make up and all, ripping chunks of flesh from each others hot bodies and then making love to him as he lies limp, pretending to be dead. The only problem, Verotika, is that I'm worried my husband, being a devout christian, may not be as turned on by this fantasy as I am. How do I go about bringing this up to him?
Thank You,
-Anonymous

You know what's coming up? My favorite holiday, Hallowe'en!! Usually Hallowe'en is an excuse to dress super slutty in public with little to no repricussions . This year, why not use it as a clever way to indulge your fantasy? Suggest to your husband that you both dress as zombies. Use liquid latex as fake skin, shredded clothes, fake blood, the whole 9. Once you get home from whatever your Hallowe'en celebrations might be, instigate sex. Be dominant, get on top.
The liquid latex "skin" should be fun to peel off at this point. At a later date, tell him how amazing the zombie sex was. (assuming it was) Perhaps now, as he's already pretty much gone through with it, he'll be willing to do it again for you. Good luck, you kinky freak.

The Blowjob Manifesto: part 4

Gentlemen,

You're not being coy when you slowly and slyly put your penis close to a woman's face.

We know what you want and if we really wanted to do it we would go for it, no matter where your penis is.

Just sayin'. This tactic does work a lot of the time, I know - but would it work for women, too?

I think I'm going to see how nonchalantly I can put my vagina near someone's face the next time I want someone to go down on me.

I'll let you know how it works.

Electric Six's new NSFW video

Electric Six "Body Shot" (2009) - NSFW 18+ from Another Reybee Productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

A Question of Gender

Posted by request, as the current issue of UpFront Magazine, containing Veronica's Closet, is unavailable online. The following is an excerpt from the July edition of Veronica's Closet:


I recently watched a documentary called "Trantasia". It's the story of the world's first "most beautiful transsexual" pageant, complete with the bios and life stories of the contestants. I was very happy to see that a documentary on transwomen existed that portrayed them in a positive, non-pornographic light. Fighting transphobia and raising awareness about trans rights is one of my pet issues, but it hasn't always been. Years ago I used to attend a LGBT youth support and discussion group with one of my best friends, who is a lesbian. This is where both of us had our first encounter with a transwoman. My friend, who is still one of my best friends to this day, reminded me of this while we were watching Trantasia. The first transperson whom I had ever met left a bad taste in my mouth. She seemed to have the attitude that if she wasn't a bitch to everyone she wasn't going to get through life. It truly makes me sad that she felt this way, but I can't blame her. Because of her negativity, most of the rest of the group of queer youths would call her names behind her back. This negative first impression left me with a bad attitude towards transpeople. It took a few years for me to pull my head out of my ass and get over it, but now I'm very happy to be able to call myself a trans ally and count a few transpeople as my friends. I was pleased to see a question in my inbox this month that fit right into the issue of transphobia, I hope I've been able to help with my response.

What's the right way to refer to someone who has had a sex change or even someone who is pre-op. He, She, He-she?

This question makes me both happy and sad - happy that you've thought to ask, but sad, as it's a reminder of how many people are ignorant of transpeople and treat them as lesser beings. Etiquette within and between various alternative communities is very important and often overlooked by the average and vanilla. "Trans" is a very broad term, used to define people who are transitioning from one gender to another, have transitioned, living in the androgynous middle and everything in between. Although the polite thing to do when you're unsure of someone's gender status is to ask what pronoun they prefer, please take into consideration whether it's any of your business. Do you have a professional relationship? Are they a stranger? Is this person's gender status going to have any effect on your relationship with them? Then no, it's none of your business - don't ask! If you must refer to them in third person use "they", "them" or their name. Is it a close friend who's making a major lifestyle change? Are they a friend or family member's new lover? Is it someone who you are interested in becoming friends with? Then by all means, ask them if the information is not readily offered. Asking will not only show that you care, but that you are accepting of a lifestyle that is heavily misunderstood and disrespected. You will likely be asked to use "he" or "she" but some people prefer gender neutral pronouns like "ze". Another situation where the issue of pronouns may arise is with drag queens and cross dressers. Men, gay or straight, who live as men but moonlight as women (either as performers, fetishists or simply out of curiosity) are not transpeople. Same as women who live as females but dress up like men; However, when a crossdresser is in character - more often than not, they would prefer to be referred to as however they are portraying themselves. ie: a man wearing lipstick and a dress would probably prefer to be called she, and a woman wearing a pants suit and moustache would probably like to be called he. One last thing - You may need to know someone's gender status so you know how to address them, but their sexual orientation is none of your business - and that goes for everyone.

Female Sex Survey

Does anyone else get offended when they read statistics about what women want in bed or how they view sex?

The Ottawa Sun is running a week-long special series looking into the sex lives of women and if Monday's article was any indication the entire series is going to be biased, vanilla and heavily edited to exclude anything actually worth reading.

The aggregate data in their statistic charts shows that the largest percentage of women interviewed stated "I don't know" or refused to answer the questions asked. Not all women are comfortable discussing their sex lives with a market research agency. In fact, most aren't. I make my living talking about sex and I still don't think I'd feel comfortable discussing the intricacies of my sex life with a stranger.

Nowhere does it state the age demographic targeted. It's really easy to skew data polls by making the informed decision to exclude or focus more strongly on certain age groups.

We're supposed to trust this data as an accurate and innovative new view on the sex lives of hetero females? I don't think so.

Why can't we have proper representation in the media when it comes to sex? Women seem to be portrayed as either promiscuous and liberal (ie. Sex and the City) or prudish and indecisive (ie. The Ottawa Sun's current week-long series on women and sex).

Sure, there are extremes, but what about those of us in the middle? I truly believe that in a more comfortable setting many of the women who said they "with their partner would be better skilled" would admit things more along the lines of "I wish he'd let me peg him" or "My favorite position? facefucking." Enjoying a little deviancy does not make you slut or a heathen. By refusing to even acknowledge any sexually deviant or homosexual activity in their articles on the sex lives of women the Ottawa Sun is perpetuating the shame and negativity that so many women feel about their sexual preferences.

Just because you read it in the newspaper, or magazine, or my blog, DOES NOT MAKE IT CONCRETE.

Everyone is different and everyone deserves to be embraced for who they are, not overlooked or shamed for straying from "the norm".

Sorry to be so editorial, but I get very angry when a journalist decides that it's a good idea for them to write about sex. They almost always say something offensive or misogynistic and they often come across as uninformed. Do your research. I've spend years studying sex, sexuality, health, BDSM lifestyles and the psychology of sexuality and I wouldn't dare try to write an article on the definitive sexual desires of women. I wonder what the writer of this article's credentials are? J-school?

Got beef with the portrayal of women's sexuality in the media? Leave a rant in the comments or send your own editorial to the Ottawa Sun via ottsun.feedback@sunmedia.com .

Dave sent me this.