Ep 27: Trauma-informed Intimacy, Oral Sex & Inclusive Pleasure ft. Lorals Founder Melanie Cristol

Melanie Cristol is the founder and CEO of Lorals, which makes ultra-thin, silky latex underwear that helps more people say yes to oral sex & pleasure! She studied Sociology at Columbia University and received her JD from Columbia Law School. Prior to creating and patenting Lorals, Melanie was a healthcare and consumer products attorney, and she was part of the legal team that secured gay marriage rights for the western United States. Melanie also fought for LGBTQ rights in California and Ohio as a field organizer with the National LGBTQ Task Force. As inventor and CEO of Lorals, Melanie holds 4 patents, and has been featured in the NYTimes, Fast Company, and Cosmopolitan, and has been a speaker at SXSW, Lesbians Who Tech, and the Sex Expo.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Melanie’s work with Lorals revolutionizing and enhancing access to oral sex
• What holds folks back from oral sex beyond STI prevention
• Breaking down stigma, myths and misconceptions around oral sex
• The ways that cis-heteronormative reproductive values of sex are still woven into the modern world of advertising
• Oral sex as an avenue for embodied presence, trauma-informed intimacy and shifting out of dissociation
• Diversity in pleasure and reasons barriers during oral sex can feel important and empowering (navigating trauma, genital shame, menstruation and boundaries, and gender dysphoria)
• The balance between transforming sexual shame and being patient/gentle with ourselves & our limits
• Queering sex, letting go of sexual scripts and how unlearning compulsory heterosexuality can shift everyones sex life
• Navigating censorship around sexual wellness on social media

Links/Resources:

-Check out Lorals here: https://mylorals.com/

-Follow Lorals on IG @mylorals and @marleeliss

-Get the details or join the F*ck Comphet Support Club here: https://www.patreon.com/fckcomphetsupportclub

-Get the details for the Sensual Wholeness Academy and/or book your free 1-1 consult call with Marlee here: https://www.marleeliss.com/SWA

-Book/inquire about Marlee's speaking for Sexual Assault Awareness Month: https://www.marleeliss.com/speaking