Gay sex, but make it fashion

In this edition of Quick & Dirty, Camille breaks down the latest in desire—from Heated Rivalry mania to porn bans and risqué runway shows

Hi guys! I’m writing to you with another Quick & Dirty, my news roundup on desire and culture. I’m not going to paywall it, but if you choose to upgrade your subscription on this post, I’ll donate the proceeds toward Minneapolis-based mutual aid networks helping communities targeted by ICE. I’m still figuring out where my money will go the farthest, but also linked some options for direct donation at the bottom of the post.

Stay safe out there, and I’ll be back to you tomorrow with more Pleasure-Seeking.

My power didn’t surge during NYC’s snow storm, but thanks to the Mayor’s endorsement, downloads of Heated Rivalry did. “I can think of no better excuse for New Yorkers to stay home, take a long nap, or take advantage of our public library’s offer of free access to Heated Rivalry on e-book or audiobook,” Mamdani said during a winter storm briefing; afterwards, downloads of the gay hockey show soared 1057 percent, and applications for NYC library cards doubled compared to this time last year.

In Minneapolis, a sex shop called the Smitten Kitten is stepping up to provide mutual aid for neighbors targeted by ICE. As Tess Garcia reports for Playboy, the small business has provided goods like food and diapers to countless immigrant neighbors who can’t risk leaving their homes after two Minneapolis residents, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot and killed by ICE. (You can read my friend Molly Crabapple’s call to action, and check out her anti-ICE posters and drawings here.)

Photo taken at an underground queer wrestling match

At first blush, a sex shop seems an unlikely place to seek refuge, but marginalized groups are often experts in mutual aid and community building. As content creator Jess Olivia Fox put it in the piece, “The witches and the atheists and the sluts and the strippers and the sex workers are the ones that are stepping up, and making sure everyone’s involved, not just people who look like them.”

Pornhub is taking a stand against age verification law, and restricting access to new UK users starting today. This act of protest comes in response to new laws that took effect last July, requiring users to submit personal data to verify they’re not minors—including age-estimating face scans, ID document uploads, and credit card checks.

“This is a totally egregious government overreach, and with this type of data collection, a breach isn’t a matter of if but when,” says porn historian Noelle Perdue—noting that these online ID checks “not only fail to prevent porn consumption, but actively make it harder for people to consume porn responsibly, pushing people away from good-faith, legal porn sites (like Pornhub) and towards platforms that have no intention to follow rules and regulations of any kind.”

It’s not that Pornhub doesn’t care about child safety. Recently, its parent company Aylo partnered with sex writer Karley Sciortino to produce “a crash course in talking to kids about the internet” and prevent kids from accessing age-inappropriate materials. And before pulling access, they proposed a device-based solution where personal data wouldn’t be stored and submitted to a third-party site. But as Noelle argues here, the rhetoric of “child safety” is often used by legislators to mask more sinister motivations for unconstitutional surveillance.

If you didn’t get enough gay sex from Heated Rivalry, have no fear—Grindr’s got you covered. To their surprise and delight, attendees of designer Willy Chavarria’s recent runway show were treated to an unexpected opener: a screen displaying the play-by-play of a Grindr chat conversation, setting the tone for a collection that centers queer desire. One model even hit the runway in mesh boxer from Willy’s upcoming BIG WILLY line, carrying his phone with Grindr open.

If you’re shocked, don’t be: Grindr’s had a foot in fashion for a while, including collaborations with CHRISHABANA and Rainbow Wool, whose collaborative collection “I Wool Survive” featured 37 items knit from the wool of gay sheep. This show was not only a blast—I was there, and it culminated in a raucous dance party—but also an animal rights win: As I learned, about eight percent of rams exhibit same-sex attraction, which is viewed unfavorably by farmers who use them for breeding; as a result, these gay sheep are often sent to the slaughterhouse. Rainbow Wool’s solution has been to buy gay rams from farmers directly, outbidding the price they might receive from a slaughterhouse, harvest their wool, and use it to create some truly creative knitwear.

Photos from the Rainbow Wool x Grindr fashion show, with items knit from the wool of gay rams

You might be wondering: But how do you know the sheep are gay? Well apparently (and I am just now learning this) aroused sheep exhibit what’s called a Flehmen response: curling their lips back, tipping their heads, and taking a deep breath to flood the sensory organ on the roof of their mouth with sex pheromones.

“They do this all the time,” said farmer Michael Stücke of his 35 male sheep, in an article for The Guardian. “It’s undeniable that they’re attracted to each other.”

You learn something new every day. Like for instance, did you know that Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams once starred in a freaky short film called Dogging, where he played a human man who pretends to be a dog for cash? It was the first thing I watched when I woke up this morning, and I just know I’m going to have a good day.

On a separate note: I’ve been sick for the better part of this month (boo!) but have a lot of content planned for the coming weeks, so now is as good a time as ever to upgrade. You get the full Pleasure-Seeking experience—including exclusive stories and first access to event tickets—while also donating to a good cause.

If you’d prefer to donate directly, here’s a Minneapolis-based community kitchen, and some GoFundMes raising money to support families and construction workers targeted by ICE.

XOXO

Camille