'American Swing': The King Of Sex, By Kurt Loder
The rise and fall of Plato's Retreat.
By the mid-1970s, the hippie "free love" notions of the '60s had seeped out into the suburbs. Suddenly there were "swingers": men in the most alarming period finery — disco chains, gull-wing collars, crotch-strangling bell-bottom trousers and the women who loved them (who loved many of them, in fact, sometimes all at once). These people would gather on weekends to form flesh piles at one another's homes. They had their own rites and recognition signals, their own publications. Finally, one of these plebian hedonists, a burly New York meat wholesaler named Larry Levenson, decided the time had come to take swinging public. Well, heterosexual swinging, that is — the gay bathhouse scene was already in full rut. So in 1977 Levenson rented a hotel basement on the Upper West Side of Manhattan that had once housed a famous gay pleasure dome called the Continental Baths (where Bette Midler launched her career, backed by Barry Manilow in a bath towel), and turned it into Plato's Retreat, America's first straight public sex club. For better and then, later, for worse, things would never be the same again.
"American Swing," a lively new documentary by filmmaker Mathew Kaufman and journalist Jon Hart, captures the Plato's period in all its raw glory. Over the course of three and a half years, the directors managed to assemble an archive of pungent footage shot inside the club. We see the fabled orgy room (wall-to-wall mattresses), the proletarian buffet ("disgusting," one regular recalls) and the appalling pool, a chlorine soup thickened with the byproducts of aquatic coupling. ("It was like chemical warfare," says porn-tabloid publisher Al Goldstein, another habitué.) There's a lot of skin on view, of course, and some actual sex, too (the picture isn't rated). But the editing, by Keith Reamer (his real name, I'd like to think), is remarkably artful — we see enough to realize what's going on, but not enough to shift us into ogling mode. The picture doesn't feel like a porn film — not one the porn moguls of today would want to distribute, anyway.
Levenson seems sincerely to have believed that swinging was a grassroots "movement" that promoted "social and sexual intercourse," as he says here in an old TV interview. Unlike the fabulously exclusive Studio 54, Plato's had no velvet-rope ritual at the door. No one was turned away for being too fat, too plain or (Lord knows) too hairy. Couples (and single women) of all kinds were welcome, and from the exurbs of Long Island and New Jersey and even farther out of town, they flocked. Celebrities of the day put in appearances, too, and visiting stars like Richard Dreyfuss and Sammy Davis Jr., are duly name-checked by a talkative array of Plato's veterans, ranging from showbiz hyphenates Buck Henry and Melvin Van Peebles to Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley Brown, former New York mayor Ed Koch, a smattering of actual porn stars and an erotic specialist called Danny the Wonder Pony. Their recollections are refreshingly unvarnished. Feminist sex-book author Betty Dodson remembers "the smell and the sweat" of the club. Another woman relates contracting a major infestation of crab lice there. Another says, "It completely killed your idea of romance."
It was, in any case, a party that had to end. There was the AIDS virus, for one thing, first identified in 1981, the year after Levenson moved Plato's to a new Midtown location. But there was also a substantial flaw in the concept of swinging. Levenson and other enthusiasts saw multi-partner social sex as a way to accommodate men's longing for sexual variety within the context of marriage or romantic commitment. As long as a man and a woman had sex with other people while in each other's presence (or at least with each other's knowledge), then it was "just sex," with no emotional complications. This would seem to be a fundamental misreading of the human heart. Levenson's own relationship with a longtime girlfriend and fellow swinger — a woman identified only as Mary in the film — was ruptured when she became romantically involved with another man, who may have been responsible for a beating that put Levenson in the hospital. (Mary suffered a mental breakdown and was later institutionalized.) Next, the "King of Swing," as Levenson didn't mind being called, was busted for tax evasion and sent to prison for nearly three years. In his absence, the club went downhill, and by the time he returned, business was so meager that prostitutes had to be hired to fill in the dwindling crowds. In 1985, with AIDS a full-fledged plague, Plato's Retreat was closed down by the City of New York. Levenson was reduced to driving a taxi to sustain a newly acquired crack habit. He died in 1999, following heart surgery. Today, the site where Plato's Retreat once did business is a parking garage.
"American Swing" is boldly funny, and it has an unexpected poignance. It's oddly touching to hear surviving Plato's swingers, now irreversibly middle-aged, looking back on their wild, lubricious youth. Would they do it again? Betty Dodson, who did it all, says, "I'm an old lady with no regrets."
Mar 29, 2009
Portuguese bishop contradicts Pope
March 29, 2009, 9:48 am
A Portuguese bishop has openly contradicted Pope Benedict XVI's controversial stance on condoms, saying people with AIDS are "morally obliged" to use them if they have sex.
A person with AIDS "who cannot avoid having sexual relations is morally obliged to avoid passing on the disease by using a condom", Monsignor Ilidio Leandro wrote in a message published on the website of the Viseu diocese in central Portugal on Saturday.
Benedict drew criticism last week for saying that condom use could be aggravating the AIDS crisis, in comments he made to reporters while on his way to Africa.
Thousands of people are infected with the HIV virus in Africa every day, according to the United Nations agency UNAIDS.
Mar 29, 2009
New HIV Diagnoses Show Burden Continuing In Gay Men
Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 29 Mar 2009
A high rate of transmission remains among gay men in the UK with 38% (2,830) of all new diagnoses probably acquired through sex between men.
Although diagnoses among gay men are slightly down on 2007 (3,050), they are at their second highest level since recording began. Between 1999 and 2007 there was a 110% increase in diagnoses among gay men (1,450 cases to 3,050). It remains too early to say whether the annual number of new diagnoses among gay men has peaked or whether the 2008 decline is an artefact due to failure to fully adjust for reporting delay.
Recent years have seen considerable emphasis put on the importance of HIV testing, especially in higher risk groups like gay men and there is evidence that gay men are being tested and diagnosed earlier than previously. Blood tests at the time of diagnosis give an indication of how well individuals' immune systems are working (CD4 cell count). The average CD4 cell count at diagnosis among gay men has increased year on year from 334 in 1999 to 416 in 2008. However, around one in five gay men are still being diagnosed late, after the point at which treatment should have begun.
Late diagnosis (a CD4 cell count of <200) significantly increases chances of death within the first year of diagnosis compared with those diagnosed earlier.
Dr Barry Evans, a sexual health expert at the Health Protection Agency, said:
"The number of gay men diagnosed as HIV positive each year is still high and shows that a large number of individuals are still being infected.
"Gay men continue to be the group in the UK most at risk of acquiring HIV and latest national guidelines recommend that gay men should test annually.
"Safe sex is the best way to protect against HIV infection. Using a condom with all new or casual partners is the surest way to ensure you do not become infected with a serious sexually transmitted infection such as HIV."
The overall estimate for new diagnoses in 2008 is slightly less than 2007 (7,660), due largely to the continued fall in diagnoses of heterosexually acquired HIV infections in people from sub-Saharan Africa.
Overall, HIV diagnoses through heterosexual contact continue to decline from a peak of 5,000 cases in 2004 to 4,200 cases in 2008. Most of this fall is among cases infected abroad (3,110). Conversely, the numbers of heterosexuals being infected with HIV in the UK continues to increase. Between 2002, when surveillance was enhanced, and 2008 the estimated number of new HIV diagnoses among those infected heterosexually in the UK increased from 500 to an estimated 1,090.
Heterosexuals acquiring HIV in the UK now account for 15% of all new diagnoses.
Professor Maria Zambon, Director of the Health Protection Agency's Centre for Infections, said:
"People need to know that testing for HIV and all sexually transmitted infections is both free and confidential at sexual health clinics across the UK. If you have had unprotected sex with a new or casual partner you should go and get tested.
"Key to improving diagnosis of HIV and reducing risk of transmission is in enabling easier access to testing through different healthcare settings including general practice, and looking at innovative ways to target those communities most at risk including gay men and black African heterosexuals.
"Early diagnosis of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections has obvious advantages like access to treatment, improved survival and reduced transmission risk to partners."
Notes
HIV new diagnoses surveillance tables for the UK are available on the Agency's website
2008 data at a glance:
Diagnoses
- 7,370 individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in the UK
- 4,670 were men and 2,700 women
- 16 new diagnoses per 100,000 men and nine per 100,000 women
Gay men
- 2,830 (38%) diagnoses in gay men
Heterosexuals
- 4,200 (57%) diagnoses in heterosexuals
- 16% reduction since the peak of 5,000 in 2004
- 66% (2,790) of black-African ethnicity
- 20% (830) of white ethnicity
- 74% (3,110) acquired infection abroad, 26% (1,090) acquired in the UK
HIV Testing
To view the UK National Guidelines for HIV Testing 2008 produced by the British HIV Association (BHIVA), the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) and the British Infection Society (BIS) visit here.
Guidelines recommend wider HIV testing in those areas of the country where the prevalence of HIV infection is greatest and state that health professionals should offer HIV testing to all men and women aged 15 to 59 who are:
- registering in general practice or
- admitted for medical care
To view data electronically that shows Primary Care Trusts in England where the prevalence of diagnosed HIV infection exceeded two adults per 1,000 population (aged 15-59 years) in 2007 visit here.
Source
Health Protection Agency
Original article posted on Medical News Today.
Articles not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
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Mar 29, 2009
Sex education for tots
Published: Sunday | March 29, 2009
Nadisha Hunter, Sunday Gleaner Writer
EXPERTS SAY sex education should be given to children as young as five years old in an attempt to combat teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, as well as to protect against paedophiles and sexual predators.
Counsellor Lorna Eaton believes that parents are leaving the "sex message" so late that many youngsters are being exposed to unnecessary risks.
"As early as the primary level, children should be told about sex, because that is the time they meet persons of different backgrounds. Some are highly exposed and can very well influence others," Eaton tells The Sunday Gleaner. "Parents need to lay the groundwork to empower children to make the right decisions so that they can turn things down."
Eaton cautions parents to desist from being deceptive with children when they become curious about sexually related matters.
"Children will ask sexual questions, but don't lie to them, because if they are initiating that type of discussion, then it's the right time to let them know. But put it in words that they will understand," Eaton advises.
She says teaching infants about sex demands a gentle, continuous flow of information. As children grow, persons can continue the education by adding more information gradually until they understand the subject well.
Teaching sexuality
Expressing similar views, Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughan, chairman of the Early Childhood Commission, advises parents that sex education is not about sexual intercourse - it is really teaching children about sexuality.
She says the moment children start to know the difference in genders, they are beginning sex education.
"At that stage, they begin to identify their body parts
and they learn that rubbing their genitalia gives them some pleasurable feelings, so we should teach them what is socially acceptable behaviour," Samms-Vaughan says.
She adds that children should be educated from early so that they would not allow persons to touch them inappropriately.
nadisha.hunter@ gleanerjm.com.
Mar 29, 2009
Women at 30 'more likely to put relationships above career than a decade ago'
By Julie Moult
Last updated at 7:03 PM on 29th March 2009
Women approaching the age of thirty now put their relationships before their careers, new research has found.
They are no-longer as professionally ambitious as 30-year-olds were a decade ago, a study found.
The survey of 1,800 women showed those approaching the milestone birthday found that they felt more confident than at any point in their lives so far and regarded it as a 'coming of age'.
Couple
Love first: 70% of women at 30 now put their relationships ahead of their careers
But one third of the women born in 1979 said the thought of approaching their fourth decade ‘filled them with dread’, the Turning 30 report discovered
Yet the main finding of the research by Elle magazine was the about turn in attitudes towards careers, with the focus on settling down and finding a life partner.
Seventy percent of those questioned considered thirty to be the age at which they put their relationships and personal lives ahead of their careers.
And more than 80 percent said they thought it was the perfect age to get married.
Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, the author of Women Mean Business, said women were right to redefine their goals.
‘Like a lot of women I'm 'horizontally ambitious,’ she said.
‘Women don't necessarily want to get to the top. They want to be excellent at everything they do, as mother, daughter, wife, girlfriend, professional and volunteer.’
One in five women questioned said they expected to feel more attractive to the opposite sex than they had in their twenties.
The rest were less optimistic, with 35 per cent expecting to feel less attractive, and just over 40 per cent expecting no change.
But 65 per cent said they were using the birthday as a deadline to achieve a list of things in their lives.
Last year when Jennifer Love Hewitt was 29 she was quoted as saying: ‘I'm so excited!
‘It's my dream age. I don't know why but, literally, since my 12th birthday I've wanted to turn 30.
‘There's nothing more graceful or elegant than the beauty of a female when she has figured out who she is.’
Ten years ago it was a different story with women making a conscious decision to put off settling down to concentrate on their professions.
‘I remember turning 30 and making a conscious decision to put off having children and settling down,’ said 40-year-old Jayne Laurier, an IT consultant director from Leeds.
‘I almost felt it was disloyal to even consider relationships and having a family. They were way down on my to-do list.
Mar 29, 2009
The irony of intercourse
By Trina Read, For The Calgary Herald
For a lot of women in long-term relationships, intercourse is known as the "waiting it out and hoping it's over soon" portion of lovemaking.
Not much has changed since our grandmothers told our mothers on their wedding night to "Stare at the ceiling and think of England dear. It will be over soon enough."
Today's woman, though, can't admit that the intercourse part of the sexual experience probably isn't doing it for her.
She's supposed to be sexually emancipated, free to express her needs, wants and desires. And yet, for a lot of women in long-term relationships, intercourse is known as the "waiting it out and hoping it's over soon" portion of lovemaking.
What makes this even more ironic is that a man is socialized to last as long as possible, to give his partner the maximum amount of satisfaction. While she's thinking, "Please let this be over soon. My TV show starts in five minutes and I don't want to miss it."Of course, neither discuss their intercourse differences.
It's funny if you think about it. Or maybe not.
Intercourse is meant to produce a vaginal orgasm. But not all women can have a vaginal orgasm --only approximately one-third of women do so consistently. Onethird of women will sometimes if they are sufficiently aroused; the rest will not. The last group cannot due to their "x" chromosome --not due to a lack of technique or being too uptight.
Generally, when the average long-term couple walks into the bedroom, their lovemaking will last 12 to 13 minutes--yes, researchers have done studies on duration. It takes most women 10 to 15 minutes to become properly aroused. This means the average gal isn't aroused enough--or at all--when she starts to have intercourse. Hence the reason for her lack of enthusiasm during the experience.
For you men who are thinking, "Well, I always do my best to give my lady an orgasm before it's my turn," guess what?A woman can have an orgasm and not be at all aroused.
I appreciate that must put men's panties in a twist. Here you thought you were fulfilling your end of the sex bargain, when in fact most women need a lot more to make their sexual experience fulfilling.
When a woman is suitably aroused, intercourse is a welcome and delicious part of the event. It's not whether or not she can have a vaginal orgasm; for her, it's all about the overall experience.
So the trick is to make sure that she is adequately aroused. To do this, she needs at least five to 10 minutes of foreplay. No, not rocket science, but apparently couples need to be told this over and over again.
What can a couple do to start turning their dynamic around? Having the, "Actually, I haven't gotten much out of intercourse for many years" conversation is like saying, "Yes, I have been faking orgasm for a while."
Awkward and guaranteed to produce hard feelings.
Instead, you two need to focus on adding extra time to the front end of sex. And the time you spend isn't focused on giving her an orgasm. This goal-driven approach is most likely what got you into the mess in the first place.
Think of your approach instead as an exercise in sensuality: caressing, kissing and massaging, for example--things that are going to help both of you relax and be that much more into the sex. Sensual foreplay, no matter how you look at it, is a win-win proposition for all participants.
A lot of women at this juncture roll their eyes and think, gosh I'm just too tired and don't want to spend any extra time on sensuality. These women intentionally skip foreplay so they can get the sex over with. They are shooting themselves in the foot.
Ladies, it's an extra five minutes that is going to create a better experience for you and overall better couple intimacy. You both are making concessions, which is fair.
With a little bit of effort, thinking of England will be but a distant memory. Thank goodness. It's about time.
Sexologist Dr. Trina read is an author, sex coach and international speaker. Go to trinaread.com to sign up for free tip podcasts and read excerpts from her latest book.
Spotlight - Sexologist Dr. Trinaread re-joins the herald this week to help us make this critical part of our relationships fun, fresh and meaningful.
Intrigued? Read's latest book, till sex do us part: make your married sex irresistible (key porter, $21.95, 2008) will tell you more. - want to find out how one couple committed themselves to turning off the TV and turning on their sex lives for 101 days? Check out just do it, by Douglas brown (random house, $16.95, 2008).
To read one teenager's frank and illuminating plea to parents and educators about sex education, go online to calgaryherald.com/health.
Apr 13, 2009
High-speed sex costly in Norway
A man faces a hefty fine and a driving ban after being caught having sex with his girlfriend while speeding on a motorway in Norway, police have said.
Officers initially trailed the couple's car after noticing it was swerving from side to side and travelling at 33km/h (20mph) over the road's speed limit.
But they soon realised the erratic driving was due to the woman "sitting on the man's lap", a spokesman said.
After filming the exploit for evidence, they pulled them over at a rest area.
The 28-year-old man's punishment will be decided within the next week, but police said he was likely to face a fine of several thousand Norwegian kroner and a lengthy driving ban.
"Why they did it on a highway with such a high risk we don't know," Tor Stein Hagen, a superintendent with Soendre Buskerud Police District, told the AFP news agency.
"[The vehicle] was veering from one side to the other because the woman was sitting on the man's lap while he was driving and doing the act, shall we say," he added.
"He couldn't see much because her back was in the way."
Despite her prominent role in the incident, the 21-year-old woman was permitted by police to drive her lover home.
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