There are foundational communication skills you can work on–on your own and with people you’re in close relationships with–to strengthen your ability to communicate effectively with each other, making space for vulnerability with intention and safety, so that honesty and intimate connections can flourish.

Sex and consent are complicated. There’s a lot more that goes into it than we’re taught in school, and because sex is such a vulnerable experience between people, having a secure feeling of safety is necessary for everyone involved to have a pleasurable time. But consent is more than just hearing a yes from your partner, and safety is about more than just physical barriers to present STIs. We’ve gathered rounded up all of our blogs to date focused on sexual safety and consent as a quick reference guide you can turn to.

It’s not an easy time to be trans in America. 2024 is on track to be one of the worst years in American history for anti-trans legislation–which means compassionate and effective allies are more important than ever for queer folks.

We’ve written a lot about what it means to be a trans ally here on our blog–view this guide as your allyship starting point. Dive into the areas of allyship you might not have realized need attention, and use the questions they bring up for you to help motivate you into learning and acting more.

In our busy world, it can feel impossible to step away and rest, even though we all need to. Discover ways to transform your relationship with rest.

Maybe you’re unsure what being attracted to someone trans means for you and your identity. Maybe you’ve already done the work to unpack that and just want to make sure you do your due diligence to avoid unnecessary harm to your trans partner. View this guide as your starting point for educating yourself about what it means to be trans–and to be a supportive partner to someone trans.

G&STC’s therapists are at the core of our organization, and without them we would not be able to provide LGBTQ+, Kink, and ENM affirming and knowledgeable services to the people of New York. We are proud to voluntarily recognize the union and are looking forward to working together to strengthen the foundation of G&STC.

The idea of having a contract for a sexual relationship can be confusing, and the misinformation out there about what these agreements entail has made this concept even harder for some people to grasp, especially for those outside of the BDSM community. Let’s unpack how D/s agreements work and how you can establish one in your relationship.

Check out G&STC’s Director Jesse Kahn talking with Kelsey Borresen at HuffPost about sex expert’s opinions on the best sex positions for people over 60.

The idea of virginity as we know it is an outdated concept that does a disservice to everyone — including straight allies. This antiquated messaging around having sex for the first time often relies on fear and shame but having sex for the first time should be something you’re allowed to be excited about! To help ensure that your first experience with sex is one you feel empowered by, we want to dive into common myths about having sex for the first time.

Check out G&STC Director Jesse Kahn talking with Jay Deitcher at Wondermind about ways to deal with grief.

Stemming from a larger cultural intolerance, internalized homophobia becomes a means of survival that by nature causes one to turn to extreme self intolerance in order to guarantee safety, love, and value. Here are five tips to start working through it.

Check out Director Jesse Kahn talking with Sarah Regan at MindBodyGreen Relationships about signs you might be bisexual.

In addition to community, therapy, particularly (or rather, crucially) when it is sex-positive and queer-affirmative, offers a vital resource where educational systems fall short. Therapists in these fields provide safe spaces for individuals to explore and understand their sexual identities and lived experiences.

Here are eight common myths about queer sex your therapist can help you debunk.

Having strong communication skills is one of the most important elements to a healthy relationship–but many of us don’t grow up observing or practicing intentional, compassionate and direct communication. To help you dig into your own communication skills, we’ve pulled together seven blogs to get you started.

Practicing emotional regulation can help you communicate better, manage stress, and allow you time to think through what you want to do. Emotional regulation is an essential skill for maintaining mental health and well-being. Here are 10 tips to help you manage your feelings effectively.

How can you tell if you’re having sex from a place of obligation? To what extent do differing libidos contribute to this dynamic? And is it always a bad thing to have sex because it will make your partner feel good?

High functioning and low functioning are terms that are commonly used within the mental health care industry. We think it's helpful to have a general knowledge of what "high functioning" or "low functioning" are used in case you encounter them, which is why we've included the following section. However, at G&STC, we find the negative connotations that go along with the terms to do more harm than help in conversations with clients, so we opt not to use them in our care.

Check out Director Jesse Kahn talking with Jay Deitcher at Shondaland about what makes a good apology.