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weekly dispatches by maude® on modern intimacy through the arts, culture, science, and relationships.

MODERN INTIMACY™
sex beyond the binary.
sex education
sex beyond the binary.

Gender identity is not necessarily directly correlated with what a person likes in bed.

the hidden language of queer cinema.
Film
the hidden language of queer cinema.

Queer cinema has always had a second script.

before apps, desire was local.
dating
before apps, desire was local.

What the rise of analog culture tells us about modern intimacy. Long before dating became something you downloaded, desire had a geography. It lived in neighborhoods, bars, bookstores, offices, gym...

shoot your shot.
Culture
shoot your shot.

Connection comes easier when everyone is paying attention to the same thing.

the history of the gaycation.
History
the history of the gaycation.

How queer travel moved from necessity to celebration.

queer cinema, vol. 2
Film
queer cinema, vol. 2

From real LQBTQ love stories to historically set fiction, add these to your queue. 

what we can all learn from queer relationships.
Relationships
what we can all learn from queer relationships.

The best relationship advice may come from the people who rewrote the rules.

brief history of drag.
history
brief history of drag.

From early AD to prohibition and Pride.

the hanky code.
In Partnership with
History
the hanky code.

The origins of queer culture's not-so-secret language.

trans pioneers who didn’t wait for permission.
History
trans pioneers who didn’t wait for permission.

Honoring the trans trailblazers who refused to wait for approval.

A case for the summer fling (even if you're in a long-term relationship).
Relationships
A case for the summer fling (even if you're in a long-term relationship).

But you don’t need a new situationship to feel that rush. You can bring that same energy into a relationship you’ve been in for years.

Sex Ed is Lifelong.
sex education
Sex Ed is Lifelong.

Because sexuality, intimacy, and identity aren’t static—and neither is learning.

Why Abstinence-Only Sex Ed is not the answer.
sex education
Why Abstinence-Only Sex Ed is not the answer.

The United States leads in pushing abstinence but has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and STDs.

a case for going solo.
sex education
a case for going solo.

And, more importantly, how to do it well.

new operating manual required.
In Partnership with
Relationships
new operating manual required.

How intimacy in midlife shifts from fantasy to the everyday conditions that actually sustain connection.

The Class We Never Got.
In Partnership with
sex education
The Class We Never Got.

It’s time to start getting to know the new you. 

Why Travel Makes Us More Aroused.
Culture
Why Travel Makes Us More Aroused.

Your carry-on isn’t the only thing getting lighter.

Sex on the Road. 
Culture
Sex on the Road. 

Summer is nearing, which is to say, road trip season is upon us.

how to master car sex.
Culture
how to master car sex.

A few keys to mastering the art of the four-wheeled romp.

The Inherent Allure Of Hotel Room Sex.
Culture
The Inherent Allure Of Hotel Room Sex.

It’s not just the mini shampoo bottles.

The lost romance of air travel.
History
The lost romance of air travel.

When travel held its own atmosphere.

The Sex Ed You Deserved, According to SIECUS.
sex education
The Sex Ed You Deserved, According to SIECUS.

Not the sex ed that left out half the people and all the real questions.

intimacy across language barriers.
Relationships
intimacy across language barriers.

Recommendations for foreign tongues.

The psychology of May-December Romances.
Relationships
The psychology of May-December Romances.

Is a sizable age-gap a recipe for disaster?

The Soaring History of the Mile High Club.
History
The Soaring History of the Mile High Club.

Over 100 years of shenanigans at 35,000 feet.

The Quest For The Mile Deep Club.
Culture
The Quest For The Mile Deep Club.

Are people making the earth move from within?

vacation chemistry.
Relationships
vacation chemistry.

There is something about travel that changes the way we connect. Away from the structure of everyday life, from work schedules to household routines and familiar surroundings, travel creates space ...

carry-on intimacy.
In Partnership with
Suri
carry-on intimacy.

Proof that the best things you pack aren’t on your checklist.

a guide to setting the mood, daily.
Relationships
a guide to setting the mood, daily.

On creating intimacy every day.

foreplay in the everyday.
Culture
foreplay in the everyday.

Where intimacy starts before anyone calls it that.