Erotica and Sexuality

Editorial: Erotica and Sexuality
erotica and sexuality: picture of a white rose

Continuing with our theme of Erotica and Sexuality, in this mid-month issue we bring you more articles that reveal the power of erotica to stimulate as well as challenge.

By TARSHI
July 15, 2019
Editorial: Erotica and Sexuality
Male-on-Male Erotica is Hugely Popular Among Women – An Expert on Sex Work Explains Why
illustration of two men in an intimate pose

An analysis of billions of hits to PornHub (one of the largest online porn sites in the world) shows that m/m is consistently the second most popular category for women visitors, and that women make up 37% of m/m porn viewers – suggesting that women represent viable secondary consumers of this type of porn.

By Curated Content
July 15, 2019
Male-on-Male Erotica is Hugely Popular Among Women – An Expert on Sex Work Explains Why
Meanings, Naughty and Potent!
Black and white image of ice cubes on exposed skin

Lots of things, people, and moments have possibilities for stirring the erotic within us. The bible, the dictionary or the stories on nifty.org may become pre-texts to something new within ourselves and others.

By Andy Stephen Silveira
July 15, 2019
Meanings, Naughty and Potent!
Of ‘Kinkfests’ And Forbidden Fantasies: The Subversive Potential of Erotic Fanfiction
Still from the popular show Supernatural

In a society where queer sexuality had been demonised in not just mainstream fiction but also mainstream culture, the erotic fanfiction that emerged out of kinkfests became an important source of queer sex-positivity.

By Rohini Banerjee
July 15, 2019
Of ‘Kinkfests’ And Forbidden Fantasies: The Subversive Potential of Erotic Fanfiction
Fingers To Scroll And Fingers To Touch: What Erotica Taught Me
illustration showing a woman lying down and reading on her tablet

Erotica moved from objectifying bodies to seeing people as more than vaginas and penises, there were actual stories and descriptions about why the characters liked what they were doing and what they enjoyed.

By Feminism in India
July 15, 2019
Fingers To Scroll And Fingers To Touch: What Erotica Taught Me
लिहाफ़
Book cover for Ismat Chughtai's 'Lihaaf'

लिहाफ़  कहानी न केवल उस समय की अनकही सच्चाई का वर्णन है बल्कि इस कहानी ने महिला यौनिकता के निषेध समझे जाने वाले विषय और विषमलैंगिक विवाह सम्बन्धों के सन्दर्भ में भी महिलाओं की यौनिक इच्छा के विषय को लोगों के सामने उजागर कर दिया।

By Grishma Trivedi
July 15, 2019
लिहाफ़
Coded/Un-Coded: Unpacking Erotic Tales from Ancient Lanka
Ilustration of two sculptures from ancient sri lanka in an erotic pose

As much as the dominant narrative sometimes wishes to tell us otherwise, erotica has been with us for a long time.

By Subha and Thilini
July 15, 2019
Coded/Un-Coded: Unpacking Erotic Tales from Ancient Lanka
From Judy Blume To The Sexy Internet: What Counts As Erotica?
Illustrations of multiple lips wearing various shades of red lipstick

I think the best thing we can do as we take this conversation forward is to consider this multifaceted breadth of desire as erotica; to include and not exclude in our definitions, and to accept desire wherever it lives, and in whatever form.

By Richa Kaul Padte
July 1, 2019
From Judy Blume To The Sexy Internet: What Counts As Erotica?
Interview: Namita Aavriti
Picture of Namita Aavriti

Namita Aavriti, writer, lawyer, feminist, and coordinator and editor for GenderIT.org, focuses on issues related to gender, ICT and internet rights. Namita is also the co-curator and organiser of the Bangalore Queer Film Festival (BQFF).

By TARSHI
July 1, 2019
Interview: Namita Aavriti
Porn, Not Erotica
A black-and-white image of a pair of hands in handcuffs

Porn is able to express the ‘yummy yucky’ nature of many of our fantasies.  I use the term ‘yummy yucky’ because I feel it captures a mix of that which is both “hot and disturbing”

By Jaya Sharma
July 1, 2019
Porn, Not Erotica
Legacy
An illustration showing a naked body wearing only white and pink lace panties

Looking at my tiny/ Equally dusty, torn, ravished collection/I wonder/Why I kept coming back to you.

By Kajol
July 1, 2019
Legacy
Why Do We Find Erotica Shameful?
A scene from Sita Sings The Blues. Scott, A. O. “Legendary Breakups: Good (Animated) Women Done Wrong in India.” An illustration of sita lying in bed with hanuman behind her.

Erotica, which according to statistics is largely a women dominated genre, often creates a platform where women across space and time can connect and don’t feel alienated in their sexual needs when they find a heroine with the same desire, or when they read about a plot situation which resonates with their own.

By Tulika Parikh
July 1, 2019
Why Do We Find Erotica Shameful?
Video Page: Why Is India Obsessed With Savita Bhabhi?
Against a green backdrop, the picture of a woman beside the picture of the eponymous character 'savita bhabhi'

“Savita Bhabhi” – a seemingly innocuous name, but also one that is the subject of countless budding fantasies: she of the eponymous erotic comic strip.

By Curated Content
July 1, 2019
Video Page: Why Is India Obsessed With Savita Bhabhi?
Review: A Writer on Literotica.com
pop art illustration of a woman tied by various ropes to a high-heeled shoe

Ellie’s writings are mostly BDSM-centric. Some set in an imaginary world, others in our world with fictitious characters, and some even in a supernatural world. However, almost as a rule, all these stories include elements of BDSM, fantasies, fetishes and even some mildly taboo subjects.

By Asmi
July 1, 2019
Review: A Writer on Literotica.com