Episode 465: What Sex-Positivity Is, And What It’s Not
January 9, 2026 by Justin Lehmiller
“Sex-positive” is a term that gets used a lot these days, but it doesn’t always mean the same thing to everyone. Sometimes it’s about sexual openness or enthusiasm, other times it’s about respect for sexual diversity, and sometimes it’s even used in coercive ways. In this episode, we explore what sex-positivity actually is, and what it isn’t.
I am joined once again by Dr. Carol Queen, the staff sexologist, Company Historian, and Curator of the Antique Vibrator Museum at Good Vibrations. A noted cultural sexologist whose work has been widely published, she’s written and edited several books, including The Sex & Pleasure Book: Good Vibrations Guide to Great Sex for Everyone.
Some of the specific topics we explore in this episode include:
- What are the core features of sex-positivity?
- What are some common usages of the term that miss the mark?
- Why is it important to separate sex-positivity from things like sexual behavior, frequency, and identity?
- How can you recognize when sex-positivity is being used coercively rather than ethically?
- How can you apply sex-positive values in everyday life?
You can click here to learn more about Dr. Carol Queen.
Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.
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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.
Dr. Justin Lehmiller
Founder & Owner of Sex and PsychologyDr. Justin Lehmiller is a social psychologist and Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute. He runs the Sex and Psychology blog and podcast and is author of the popular book Tell Me What You Want. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, and a prolific researcher who has published more than 50 academic works.
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