I had to write about this one because in all my years working in the illustrious world of sex toys, I’ve rarely seen anything so gorgeously, winkingly special.  Check out the Earl plug, from the geniuses at LELO — it’s part of our new Ultra-Luxe Collection.  Not only is this plug a wildly effective prostate stimulator (or G-spot stimulator, for those of us built that way), but it’s enrobed in 24K gold.  And not only is it gold, but Earl comes with a set of the loveliest, simplest, perfect-est little gold cufflinks you’ve ever seen.  If you’re looking to buy a high-end gift for someone with a prostate and a penchant for fancy buttondown shirts, you’ll hit the jackpot with Earl.

In Ask Babeland, real Babeland Sex Educators provide real answers to real questions that they received from customers during their shifts. If one customer has this question, chances are others do too so we’re bringing them to you!

Q: I’ve been using the Silk 2 for anal penetration and I want to get something bigger, what should I get?

A: Ultimately, that decision is up to you, however, I would recommend picking something that is wider, but not too much wider. As you’ve probably discovered, the ass needs time and loving attention to help it relax and take in bigger and bigger objects. If you go too big too fast, you’ll wind up in pain and that’s not what we want. The Woody, Mustang, or the Leo would all be great picks – they’re about a centimeter wider than the Silk 2 and they’re both still nice and smooth. The head might feel a bit more intense going in so be prepared for that. And remember, you’ll want to keep using lube!

There’s more news on the “what girls should wear” front. Apparently someone uncovered Rachel Maddow’s yearbook photo and *gasp* she looks very feminine. This has prompted comments from the news media that, well… just read them for yourself:

“Three words I never thought I could say about Rachel Maddow: I’d tap that!”

“What would possess her to give that up to look like a man?”

Wow.

Autostraddle has a terrific article starting with these incidents, then branching off into the Angelina-Shiloh incident, Rosie O’Donnell, Lindsey Lohan and more. It’s worth a read. I particularly related to it as someone who definitely presents on a more masculine spectrum and deals with what is appropriate to wear to what (weddings? interviews?) more often than I’d care to admit. Gender policing happens in lots of little ways, from staring on the street to comments by family members and from years of experience, I’ve come to realize that I pre-police myself, so as not to have to deal with it. Is that better?  I don’t know.

I do know that Babeland is one of the only environments I’ve ever worked in where I can show up to work dressed however I want and know that I’ll be accepted and supported by my coworkers. It’s hard to find environments like this but I think the support that we get from places like Babeland helps us be a bit braver in the world at large.

What have your struggles been with being a more masculine-presenting woman? Where do you find comfort?