Here’s what we’ve been reading this week:

The Vatican rocked by a gay sex scandal? I’m… surprised? No, that’s not the word…

The amazing photographer Dave Naz is doing a new project shooting a new series about queer folks on the masculine spectrum. He’ll be in San Francisco on the 18th if you’ll be in town and are interested. More info from Jiz Lee here.

Speaking of Jiz Lee, they have a new fundraising project involving hot online photos! It’s called KarmaPervs and it’s awesome. Check it out and donate!

The nominations for the Feminist Porn Awards are out – yay!!!

Lada Gaga is wearing a strap-on for this Q magazine cover. That is all.

Apparently “marital aids” are the most common thing left behind by tenants when they move out of an apartment. Who leaves their sex toys behind? Clearly these people aren’t shopping at Babeland.

Think the anti-choice movement can’t shock you anymore? Read this article from the New York Times about how they’re courting African-Americans by using race-baiting tactics. Scary.

Join Queer The Census! Because we should be counted.

Johnny Weir may not have won gold at the Olympics, but he wins the gold in my heart for the following statement:

“There’s a whole generation of people that aren’t defined by their sex or their race or by who they like to sleep with. I think as a person you know what your values are and what you believe in, and I think that’s the most important thing.”

Kelly Cutrone, the star of the Bravo TV reality show “Kell on Earth” shopped at Babeland for an upcoming episode (see clip below). Upon learning that the episode was slated to appear only on Bravo’s web site, Kelly went to the mat with the powers that be to get the episode aired on TV (next week beginning Monday at 10 PM, check Bravo schedule for other airings). When she called to let us know, first we had the equivalent of a virtual orgasm, and then we pressed her for more details. Here’s what Kelly had to say about the episode:

Why was it important to you that Bravo air this on TV and not just the web?
This is a really beautiful women’s story, with a subject (sex) that is hard to talk about, and where women have a lot fewer role models. I visited Babeland because my doctor’s receptionist talked to me about her sex life–one woman reaching out to another woman to get this information. And vibrators have been one of women’s best kept secrets. Our show is about women and power, and now housewives are going to watch me shopping for sex toys, and see it as a fun and celebratory thing. (editor’s note:  Kelly picked up the Bunny Love Kit, the SaSi vibrator, and some  lube.)

What did you have to do to convince Bravo to air it on TV? Were they afraid of making viewers uncomfortable?
Oh no, it wasn’t that, it just didn’t fit as well into the existing storyline, so I had to convince them to crop a few minutes of interoffice arguing in order to bring vibrators to women in America. Really, do we have to see my printer break one more time? But the president and VP of Bravo are both women and they liked the clip because it was funny, cool, and geared toward women.

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It probably seems amazing but we here at Babeland did not know about America’s Sexuality Day. It’s today, March 3rd and this is the first year!

What is America’s Sexuality Day all about, you ask? Well, here is their mission statement:

Sex is unquestionably a primary, essential impulse for humanity’s  survival and individual pleasure.  Whether we each choose to be  sexual or celibate, guided solely by  impulse or social/religious  structures, we all navigate a diverse landscape of sexuality in  America.   Yet, there is no date specifically designated in our nation to honor and understand our sex.
America’s Sexuality Day– The March 3, 2010 Proclamation
We proclaim March 3, the historic anniversary of  The Comstock Act of 1873–  America’s Congressionally authorized national censorship laws against  sexual free speech– to be the annual America’s Sexuality Day.  The legacy of the Comstock Act and the laws it sired, makes it the most advantageous, encompassing date for celebrating  the complex symbiotic relationship of sex, individuality, culture and our democracy.

Check out more about the day here and become a fan on Facebook!