The Peak

In today's episode, Krystal discusses the work she does with the organization URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. She also shares her experiences with masturbation, the difference between relationship sex and hookup sex, and how she came to accept her queerness despite her conservative religious upbringing.

If you wish to support The Peak financially, you can do so in a variety of ways!

Become a sustaining member of our Patreon! You can also make a one-time donation on Ko-fi or Paypal

Remember to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen!

Social Media Links:

Follow The Peak on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Our theme music was produced by Johnny Manchild of Johnny Manchild & The Poor Bastards

We interrupt your current pandemic programming to bring you a new episode of The Peak, which was recorded in the before-times, last December.

In this episode, Ursula talks about her work with the organization Girls with Grit, a non-profit working to prevent sex trafficking through education. She also discusses growing up in a small, gossipy community where the preacher's infidelity was the talk of the town, surviving sexual abuse as a child, and how listening to female hip-hop artists like Missy Elliot and Salt-N-Pepa has helped her find confidence in herself and in her sexuality as a black woman.
If you wish to support The Peak financially, you can do so in a variety of ways!
Become a sustaining member of our Patreon! You can also make a one-time donation on Ko-fi or Paypal
Remember to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen!
Social Media Links:
Follow The Peak on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
Follow #ChangeRapeCulture on Instagram
Our theme music was produced by Johnny Manchild of Johnny Manchild & The Poor Bastards

In this episode, Robyn interviews Kimiya Factory, the founder of #ChangeRapeCulture about her queerness, her activism, and how we can all work to change rape culture in our communities.

If you wish to support The Peak financially, you can do so in a variety of ways!

Become a sustaining member of our Patreon! You can also make a one-time donation on Ko-fi or Paypal

Remember to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen!

Social Media Links:

Follow The Peak on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Follow #ChangeRapeCulture on Instagram

Our theme music was produced by Johnny Manchild of Johnny Manchild & The Poor Bastards

In this episode, Niko Mala Kai discusses discovering their queerness and gender identity, getting married and divorced, and how yoga, massage, and juggling has impacted their relationship to their body.

If you wish to support The Peak financially, you can do so in a variety of ways!

Become a sustaining member of our brand new Patreon! You can also make a one-time donation on Ko-fi or Paypal

Remember to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen!

Social Media Links:

Follow The Peak on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Our theme music was produced by Johnny Manchild of Johnny Manchild & The Poor Bastards

In today's episode, Cay L. Crow, a Licensed Clinical Therapist and AASECT- Certified Sex Therapist discusses sex in the age of COVID-19. She describes her career as a sex therapist, and gives tips on how people can connect to their sexuality during quarantine, whether they are cohabitating with their partner or socially isolating as a single person.

Resources mentioned in episode:

Abhyanga - self massage with warm oil
Esther Perel - The secret to desire in a long-term relationship

If you wish to support The Peak financially, you can do so in a variety of ways!

Become a sustaining member of our brand new Patreon! You can also make a one-time donation on Ko-fi or Paypal

Remember to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen!

Social Media Links:

Follow The Peak on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Our theme music was produced by Johnny Manchild of Johnny Manchild & The Poor Bastards

What's your GEBO? Or is it gebo?

In this week's episode, we are joined with Lauren Zuniga, a queer, femme, Okie poet. In this conversation, Lauren recites poems, discusses being a queer parent in Oklahoma, and shares her tips for making good sex good (and the one thing to avoid). There's laughter, tears, and gasps of amazement.

Despite the upheaval of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, The Peak plans to continue to create and release new content exploring how human beings can find intimacy, practice safe sex, and connect to ourselves sensually in a time where social distancing is a public health necessity.

If you find the abundance in your heart and wallet to support The Peak financially, you can do so in a variety of ways!

Become a sustaining member of our brand new Patreon! You can also make a one-time donation on Ko-fi or Paypal

Our theme music was produced by Johnny Manchild of Johnny Manchild & The Poor Bastards

Remember to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen!

Social Media Links:

Follow The Peak on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Our guest this week is Ayla Grace, a Kundalini yoga teacher and relationship coach. In this episode, Ayla talks about how she incorporates the teachings of kundalini yoga with her coaching practice, her experiences as a retired stripper and sex worker, and her intimate goals and desires for herself and future partners.

Ayla Grace is currently based in Nashville, and her community was devastated by the recent tornadoes. Ayla herself is safe and sound, but many of her neighbors have lost their homes. If you want to help Nashville rebuild, you can donate to Hands on Nashville or coordinate a donation through Ayla. You can also follow @the6one5 to keep up-to-date on the progress and ongoing needs of the Nashville rebuilding efforts.

Our theme music was produced by Johnny Manchild of Johnny Manchild & The Poor Bastards

Remember to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen!

Social Media Links:

Follow The Peak on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and, if you want, donate to our Ko-Fi account!

Follow Ayla Grace @iamaylagrace or at her Linktree

Grace Allison Perkins is a comic book writer and artist whose work explores themes of tenderness, romance, and queer love. In this episode, we discuss her art, her influences, and her personal forays into romance, sex, and feelings, from her underwhelming first time to her experience crying during orgasm.

Show notes:

The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal by E.K. Weaver

Social Media Links:

Follow The Peak on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and, if you want, donate to our Ko-Fi account!

Follow Grace Allison Perkins at What_up_g_perks, gperki.com, and https://linktr.ee/what_up_g_perks

The Peak recently reached 100 followers on Instagram! To celebrate this milestone, we've decided to give you all a BONUS Valentine's Day episode. This episode features a harrowing tale from Robyn's Valentines past and a reading from Eve Enseler's the Vagina Monologues.

Follow The Peak on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and, if you want, donate to our Ko-Fi account!

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own the rights to The Vagina Monologues. The excerpt used in this episode was written and is owned by Eve Ensler. I am sharing it for educational purposes under Fair Use.

Photo by Vincent Delegge on Unsplash

In our debut episode of Season 2, Robyn is joined by Damien, a multimedia freelancer and creative based in San Antonio. In this episode, Damien discusses why for him, love is a necessary ingredient for a positive sexual encounter, how he taught himself the art of cunnilingus, and why he believes straight men often struggle to be open about their sexuality.

Damien is also a host of the podcast I Love You, Bro, a show about how men can work through emotions, pain, and expectations of masculinity.

Our theme music was produced by Johnny Manchild of Johnny Manchild & The Poor Bastards

Remember to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen!

Social Media Links:

Follow The Peak on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and, if you want, donate to our Ko-Fi account!

Follow Damien at @themacadamien, and @iloveyoubropodcast

Nava Mau is a filmmaker, actress, and cultural worker from Mexico City and San Antonio, Texas. Most recently, Nava wrote, produced, directed, and stars in “Waking Hour,” a short film about a young trans woman balancing her safety with her desire for intimacy. She is now serving as a producer on a short film titled “Lovebites,” currently in post-production, and she appears next in the short film “Femenina.” Over the past 8 years, Nava has engaged in culture change work with community-based service providers, student organizations, and survivors of violence. Her long-term vision is to illuminate the stories of marginalized people in order to expand their access to resources.

In this episode, Nava discusses how she navigates safety and intimacy dating as a trans woman (a topic she explores in her film "Waking Hour,) her work serving LGBTQ survivors of intimate partner violence for Community United Against Violence, her creative aspirations, and her intimate experiences at different stages of her life.

Social Media Links:

Follow The Peak on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and, if you want, donate to our Ko-Fi account!

Follow Nava Mau on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

You can watch Waking Hour on Vimeo and follow on Facebook for updates as it makes the festival circuit!

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault throughout and a vivid description of rape from 26:35-29:30 and from 35:35-36:24. Listener discretion is advised.

This episode features special guest Bella Rea and a sweet soundtrack provided by the birds outside the recording studio (Robyn's apartment). Bella discusses her experiences with bravado and vivacity, from fearlessly describing being raped at 17, to her passion for vibrators. Listen now to hear our conversation about Bella's love for "boys who listen and boys with cars," her first time kissing another girl, and her appreciation for porn outtakes.

If you or a loved one have experienced rape or sexual violence, The Peak stands with you. The following links lead to The RAINN list of National Resources for Sexual Assault Survivors and the national rape crisis center locator and may be of service to you.

Katherine Wela Bogen is a Clinical Research Coordinator at Rhode Island Hospital. In this episode, we discuss her work in sexual violence prevention, how to respond supportively to disclosures of sexual victimization, and what sexual healing looks like for trauma survivors. We also discuss her experience working toward a fully-embodied and pleasurable sex life as a survivor of sexual violence, from seeking Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (she recommends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well) to mailing a vibrator to her boyfriend.

Links discussed in this episode!

Last fall, Katherine entered the public spotlight when she wrote a Facebook post about false reporting rates of sexual violence. The post went viral and can be read here!

Activists:

Angela Davis, Malcolm X, Gloria Anzaldua, Bell Hooks, Jackson Katz, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison

Hunter Lamar

Dejahna James

Katherine Wela Bogen's research on positive and negative responses to disclosures of sexual assault.

Books:

Becoming Cliterate

Come as You Are

Healing Sex

Jorge is a teacher, an activist, and a gay man. Three years ago, he discovered that he is HIV positive. Today he is undetectable, meaning that he cannot sexually transmit HIV to another person. In this episode, Jorge discusses how he became involved in activism for the LGBTQ community, how trauma and shame he acquired from the Pentecostal church lead him toward risky behavior, and why he believes mental health care is essential to (and missing from) HIV prevention.

A note from Jorge:

Not all HIV experiences are equal. My story is just one experience, and my path to HIV, though common in stigmatized and persecuted communities, is not the only one. There are victims of sexual violence who have been exposed to HIV. Also, transmission has many paths outside of sexual activity, such as negligence by health professionals or drug use. Some people simply have been victims of chance. However, HIV as a result of trauma and mental health concerns can play a big role in how the virus is spread.

In this episode, Mckenzie discusses her work as an STI/HIV Test Counselor and Risk Reduction Specialist, including what she wishes people knew about getting tested, the 90-90-90 plan, and undetectability. She also tells a personal parable about leaving a sexually disrespectful ex-boyfriend, how masturbation helped her learn to ask for what she wants in bed, and the most iconic sex advice she ever received.

Find a clinic near you and get tested for HIV and STIs today!

Arianna thinks that sex is exciting, healing, and (most of all) funny! Robyn and Arianna open today's episode with a discussion of theatre as an inclusive space for people to explore their sexuality and their gender presentation. Then Arianna discusses how she confronted her own anxiety before having sex for the first time, that time a couple in Kansas City flew her out for a threesome, and the process of leaving an unhealthy relationship for a good one. Through it all, Arianna finds the joy, the humor, and sometimes the gross-factor, in relationships, bodies, and sex.

In this bonus-length episode, our guest, Sarin recounts their experiences with sex in their personal and professional life. As a SHAC (School Health Advisory Council) Certified sex educator and political activist, Sarin works to teach people of all ages about sexual liberation, female masturbation, and sexual health, and as a former sex worker, they describe their experience with sex work as a means of sustenance, a source of confidence, and an important step on their path to personal self-discovery. They recall their relationship with their own sexuality, and how they have transformed since being emancipated as a teenager, to leaving their partner of 5 years and discovering their queer identity.

Segment from Maya Angelou's live reading of "Still I Rise" sourced from Literature Today UK's video on Youtube.

This will be the last full-length episode of 2018. Thank you for listening to The Peak, and have a very happy New Year!

EDIT: This episode and post were updated and edited on 4/30/19.

Growing up in the Mormon Church of the Latter-Day Saints, Lainey was raised to believe that pre-marital sex was a sin second only to murder, that same-sex attraction was not to be considered, and that her sexual partners were to be limited to her one-day husband. Lainey got married immediately after graduating High School, but has since left her marriage as well as the Mormon church. In today's episode, Lainey describes the joy and intimacy that she finds in sex, an experience which may sometimes include discussing Ayn Rand during a one-night-stand.

As a musician, Adam Tutor strives to be open, creative, and loving in all aspects of his life. In this episode, Adam recounts his intimate experiences and the joys and trials (and music) that have accompanied them, and discusses his exploration of polyamory and monogamy, his spirituality, and his journey to express love while respecting his partner's boundaries as well as his own.

Adam Tutor's music is available on Bandcamp.

Lisa Ashby is unafraid to speak honestly about her life, from discussing her sexual debut (with a Janis Joplin documentary playing in the background), to describing the trials of unlearning a rape culture that harms people of all genders. Lisa is an actress, singer and songwriter based in Houston, TX. Her song, Broken Record, is available on Amazon.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

Asking For It: The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture-- and What We Can Do About It by Kate Harding

Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters-- And How to Get It by Dr. Laurie Mintz

After three kids, three marriages, and nearly three decades of cultivating a satisfying intimate life, Rose has a lot to say on the topic of sex and relationships. In this episode, Rose shares what she loves about sex and marriage, teaching her sons to get consent in writing, and why she packed up her horses and left her husband of 20 years.

We are so excited to release this interview with nonbinary actor Ashley Mandanas (with a special appearance from Ashley's cat). In this episode, Ashley discusses BDSM, self-worth, and their journey toward building a healthy and fulfilling sex life after sexual trauma.

Be advised, this episode includes a description of sexual assault.

In this episode, Robyn's lifelong friend (and first significant other) Jonny, talks about hookups, serious relationships, and his first time having sex with a man.

In this episode, Robyn interviews Beth, a hairdresser and horseback rider who speaks about the loves of her life with humor and frankness.

In the first episode of The Peak, Robyn interviews Dezrea D'Alessandro, a queer, kinky, polyamorous two-spirit.

Music by Johnny Manchild of Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards.

Want to be a guest on the show? Have a question or comment? Contact thepeakpod@gmail.com