Sexplorations with AJ: Celibacy is so Julia

Hello everyone! I hope everything is good and nice and you’re enjoying those darling buds of May this month. And with buds come flowers and with flowers come bees.. . who Bumble.

Last month, dating and social app, Bumble, released a series of ads and promotions that definitely ruffled feathers. The ads contained phrases such as ‘Thou shalt not give up on dating and become a Nun’ and ‘You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer.’

The backlash was pretty instantaneous with the public commenting on the ‘shaming’ nature of the ads as well as disempowering women by using femininely centred, religious language when refering to the celibacy.

Internet ‘IT’ girl and Uncut Gems star, Julia Fox made her feelings towards the ads very clear in an Instagram story stating;

“…imagine pretending to be a dating app FOR WOMEN and launching a million dollar ad campaign BLAMING WOMEN for a very normal reaction to men’s violence.”

The ads were quickly pulled by Bumble and an apology statement was issued quickly after. But, as we sit here in the fallout of it all, Julia Fox has unintentionally become the internets favourite celibacy advocate.

Has celibacy has made its way into the public eye in a somewhat trendy way? I mean, think about the term itself, what comes to mind? I’m willing to bet it’s that stereotypical image of nuns and monks at convents and monasteries.

Traditionally, the idea of celibacy and abstinence is based heavily in religion and purity culture, but more recently the meaning and reasoning has shifted to something even more personal; self empowerment and protection.

Julia Fox stated in a TikTok comment that she has “never been happier” since being celibate for the last two and a half years.

She then expanded her reasoning for abstaining, pointing to the overturning of Roe v Wade and the US’s abortion control laws on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens: Live:

“Our rights (are) being stripped away from us, this is a way I can take back control. .. I just don’t feel comfortable until things change.”

With the state of sex education and abortion access in the world, Fox seems to display a cool-girl way to protect and command control over a persons reproductive and sexual health. Simply summed up, if we don’t want it and it doesn’t make us happy, you’re not going to get it.

Thank you for reading June’s Sexplorations, check back for our July edition, and catch up on May’s conversation about the porn industry here.

Edited by Emily Duff

Fashion For a Cause: Brands That Stand with Palestine and the history of fashion as a form of Activism

by Oana-Maria Moldovan For over two months, there has been an ongoing genocide war in Gaza. To simplify a long and horrific issue, the situation that started, on a larger scale, around one hundred years ago, and has only become amplified since October 7th 2023. Taking place around the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Israel–Lebanon border, the armed conflict is between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups. The problem is about “stolen” land. Said land is seen as an important holy part of both religions involved. But really, how holy can we consider a land to be, if people kill other people for it? It’s important to remember that this genocide is about three things: forced occupation, zionism, and religion. It’s also important to remember what ethnic erasure is. This terrible expresion, also known as cultural or ethnic assimilation, refers to the process by which the distinct cultural or ethnic identity of a particular group is gradually diminished or erased, often due to ext

Now What? The Aftermath of the 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl'

by Susan Moore Here is a bit about me: I am an open, excitable, creative AFAB who is also moderately attractive. I have a unique sense of personal style and a personality that on the surface can only be described as “bubbly” and “quirky”. For this reason, dating is a nightmare. To be sure, I do not have a hard time finding dates or potential suitors. The problems arise when said dates spend some time with me and decide that I am a rare specimen, and the connection they feel with me is “unlike anything they have felt before”. Then, things go one of two ways. Either a) they decide I am too high maintenance and no longer palatable, or b) they choose to never look further than the surface and are content to date the idea of me rather than the real me. There is something rather interesting, perhaps funny, about my situation. It is in no way unique. I have met so many people who constantly dealt with the same problem. Even funnier still, is the fact that there is a trope that simultaneousl

‘Make Tattooing Safe Again’: Sheffield Based Tattoo Artist Exposed for Indecent Behaviour

by Emily Fletcher TW: SA, Animal Abuse, Transphobia Photo Credit: @ meiko_akiz uki Recently, an Instagram account has been created to provide a ‘space to safely give a voice to those who want to speak out about the behaviour of one, Sheffield based tattoo artist’. A total of 40+ posts have been made by the above social media account regarding one of Sheffield's most popular tattoo artists . Thankfully, all posts are prefaced with a Content Warning prior to sharing screenshots of the messages that have been sent anonymously to the page. The majority of Content Warnings refer to sexual behaviour, abuse, and sexual assault. It is clear that there is a reoccurring theme within each submission, as many clients appear to have had the same experiences with the tattoo artist. Women, mostly, are being made to feel uncomfortable while being tattooed. One of the most vulnerable positions anyone can be in, tattoo artists should make their clients feel comfortable and safe during the pro

Darling Magazine

Search This Blog