My mother snapped, "Why would anyone buy the cow when they can have the milk for free?" To be compared to livestock made me feel like a useless possession. I had intelligence, right? I had wit and a depth of emotion and experiences to share. Surely my modesty wasn't the only bargaining chip?

Having been brought up in the very religious Deep South, I long thought that even dry humping could get you pregnant. And certainly no one taught me about masturbation. But is this really the way we want to handle human sexuality? Why is sex so taboo?

I love sex, but I've found that talking openly about my active sex life bothers many readers. Acknowledging an active sex life is tantamount to saying "I am a slut" in our puritanical culture. Frankly, I am over this repressed point of view.

Right-wing and evangelical pundits are ignoring one little thing: If we consider that, at the very least, straight Americans outnumber queer Americans 10 to 1, then there are many, many more straight people in this country having "gay sex" than there are gay people having it.

Thanks to Mother O, I have been reexamining my burning ambition and tireless drive to push, push, push in the direction of success. Is it wrong to want to change the world and make people more open to sex?