If awareness, mental focus, or consciousness makes food taste better, what does it do to your sex life? Ken is the Soux Chef at the 8-Course Gourmet Dinner. He's also a martial artist and practices meditation. One of the kinds of meditation he practices is called "stroking" and is associated with the practives of "Deliberate Orgasm," Orgasmic Meditation," or "Full-Body Expanded Orgasm." We'll discuss how presence in the moment connected to sex and eroticism and how it can make you more responsive, more connected to your emotions, and able to generate more pleasure. Ken will reveal an exciting secret he discovered about vulnerability being quite the opposite of weakness! Plus, how did this new sense of vulnerability strengthen his martial arts practice? We'll discuss other interesting effects of 11-hours of silent meditation and the daily practice of the "stroking" meditation affected more than just his mind - or his sex life. If you are craving an evening where desire is celebrated, request an invitation via e-mail at sexplorationwithmonika(at)gmail.com, and more interviews from the 8-course gourmet dinner still to come with Midori, San Francisco' Sluttiest Blogger Fleur de Lis, Ultra Violet, and more of SF's sex-positive glitterati about everything from teasing a fantasy out of your partner's mind, to "pervertable" household items that can be sex toys, to sexual emowerment, and which aphrodesiac is very nutritious, making an excellent salad? 

You can join the 3 sex-positeers on a cupcake-delivering mission to strip clubs for social justice with Laura Lasky of SolaceSF.org & Fleur De Lis SF's Sluttiest Blogger. You'll learn how something as sweet but insubstantial as a cupcake can help empower women and men in the adult entertainment industries. We're visiting strip clubs in North Beach, and discuss why/how it's important to show up and be there to help people. As a ex-pastor's wife and ex-sex-worker, Laura Lasky says that sex work is different in what it does for you and to you than any other profession. SolaceSF offers medical exams, counseling services, career counseling, and help with adult education, personal development, or recovery programs as needed. How can a person have a relationship with spirituality as a sex-worker, especialy as traditional interpretations of Christianity disparage sex-work? We also discuss other sex-workeroutreach projects like SWOP and how important it is to have a community, especially if you are in a profession as stigmatized, complex, and potentially dangerous (and rewarding) as all the different kinds of sex work can be.

Do you know that doctors used to call the female orgasm "hysterical paroxysm?" Join us at the grand opening of the Antique Vibrator Museum. We'll discuss why learning about the history of vibrators is a women's liberation issue that is getting even more relevant right NOW - with Emiko Omori & Wendy Slick, the fillmakers of Passion and Power: The Technology of Orgasm. We'll also speak with two highly progressive doctors of human sexuality, Dr. Carol Queen of the Center for Sex and Culture and Dr. Charlie Glickman about the importance and history of pleasure and sex. Not only will you be surprised that a few men were also treated for hysteria, but how they "treated" it!

Our docent is Dr. Carol Queen and yes she is wearing red fishnet stockings because THIS is the Grand Opening of the Antique Vibrator Museum! We speak with two fabulous and very different transgender sex-positive stars; transgender comedianne Morgan of "Girl Junk" and queer porn star Jiz Lee. Morgan is embarking on her "Girl Junk" tour and documentary - and she needs your help! Even if you only donate $5 to her documentary, you'll be supporting transgender voices and sending a message that it is important that you are allowed to be yourself! You'll also get to see the finished film for free. There's only a few more days in her campaign to raise money for the "Girl Junk" documentary, don't put it off. Morgan and I talk about being a lesbian trapped in a man's body, being very "manly" externally - an iron worker with secretly shaved legs and toenail polish, a life-threatening galvanizing moment that changed her life, and authenticity as essential - even when it's hard. Queer porn star Jiz Lee and I will talk about the difference between mainstreem porn and queer porn and why it's important, making sexy art for good causes, and the perils of public bathrooms for transgender people. More sex-intellectual interviews still to come from the Antique Vibrator Museum, Dr. Carol Queen, the filmakers of "Passion & Power: the Technology of Orgasm," and Dr. Charlie Glickman.

With Dr. Carol Queen as our darling docent of the vibe, you can join us at the grand opening of the Antique Vibrator Museum at the Good Vibrations Store on Polk street here in San Francisco. In this "tease" episode, we speak with Maxine Doogan founder of the Erotic Services Provider's Union about sex-worker rights, decriminalization, stigma and how under criminalization festers violence against sex-workers, even by police. We also discuss the surprising things that are illegal (even if you're not a prostitute) and the important services that erotic service providers offer that are a benefit to society. The Hooker's Ball is the upcoming benefit for the Erotic Service Provider's Union, Saturday April 14th, at . We'll have more subversive, sex-intellectual, surprising interviews from the Antique Vibrator Museum: Dr. Carol Queen, queer porn star Jizz Lee, the filmakers of "Passion & Power: the Technology of Orgasm," Dr. Charlie Glickman, and transgender comedianne Morgan of "Girl Junk." You can subscribe to Sexploration with Monika on iTunes to have new episodes delivered automatically!

The history of the college movie musical, ancient greece, and the psychedelic drag queen troupe the Cockettes smash together for a grinding rolicking and glittering evening of musical theatre in the Thrillpeddlers production of Hot Greeks at San Francisco's Hypnodrome. There is no shortage of innuendo at Athens U, as Lysistrata and her sorority sisters engage in a singing and dancing battle of the sexes where gender is just another part of the magic. We speak with Thrillpeddlers' Russell Blackwood, original Cockette & composer Scrumbly Koldewyn, and cross-dressing cast member Joshua Devore. The singing, dancing Hot, Hot Greeks and their turgid talent will thrill you in the most sex-positive way - with extra sparkle. The Hot Greeks was originally done in 1972 by the underground gender-bending sensation "The Cockettes" at the Palace Theatre in SF's North Beach, as part of the "Nocturnal Dream Show." Their dancing, set designs, show-tunes and costumes, are said to be "LSD-influenced," and other show titles include Tinsel Tarts In A Hot Coma, Journey to the Center of Uranus, and Pearls Over Shanghai (Pearls over Shanghai was also recently reproduced by the Thrillpeddlers). More photos and you can still see HOT GREEKS - extended thru May 19th! Listen to an original member of the Cockettes talk about what inspired the show and the new production of Hot Greeks.

Spring Break is a time where alcohol and crossed sexual expectations collide, a tragic recipe for date rape. You will be shocked when you hear how many young men don't even realize that they've committed date rape, and just call it "drunk sex." Author and youth advocate Shelley Stoehr has gathered stories from many victims and near-victims of date rape and hopes that her book "Somebody's Daughter" will inspire parents and young people to have frank conversations about dating, parties, sex, drinking, and how to trust your intuition. We discuss the myths about sex and gender that perpetuate the sexual minefield and rape culture. One in five young women in college are raped, and only 1% of men who are raped report it. In fact, do we even know how many men, like rapper Lil' Wayne have lost their virginity in a situation where they maybe they don't call it rape, and try to joke about it, but they didn't really want to and were forced into it? What makes media personalities like Jimmy Kimmel minimize and joke about non-consensual sex with an 11-year old? (watch the video) What horrible lessons about sexuality and trusting the opposite sex or future romantic partners does this leave with victims? How can we prevent rape before it happens? April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, find out more about prevention, activism, and how to heal at RAINN.org. 

You can join Sexploration with Monika at the "Second Base Party," a sexy party where instead of sex, you can go all the way to second base - which, for those of us who missed this in high school, 2nd base is above the waist. The theme is "Purr With Me" so there's plenty of heavy petting, purring, kitty cat ears and swishy tails. We speak with co-founders Jocelyn and Fuzzy Philippe of Club Exotica about how to create a party like this where everyone feels sexy, safe, frisky, and free. How can you create your own community like this? You can learn how to speak the language of the kitty cat to a potential lover, to help them communicate to you what they want and get permission for what you want. The unspoken communication of the kitty cat increases the vocabulary of your language of love by moving it out of the language of words to the language of touch, which is more subtle. Purr with Me is a party where you learn the behavior of sex parties, how to say yes. And how to say yes to what you want! What about the rules for playing? Could they make the game more interesting?