A couple weeks ago, I found myself at Cafe du Nord. I was ready for a night of musical exploration. I’d never heard of any of the artists, but it was better that way. I was pleasantly surprised, however, when the performances started tugging at my heartstrings — songs so open and honest that my connection to the sounds quickly blurred into my connection with the sentiment and what was going on behind the music. Amber Rubarth, the evening’s headliner, was the only person behind us in line as we trickled in late — her friendly smile reminding me how artists are not simply...

Talking about sex never gets old. So when faced with the opportunity to do so for two whole days at Sex::Tech, how could I resist? The weekend, while enlightening, also decidedly startled me. I realized what is completely missing from our conversations about sexual health: passion and pleasure. We are lucky enough to be among the few species that can actually enjoy sex because it feels good, and perhaps take for granted that we don’t have to fight for survival when making love with a partner. And yet, we continue to omit from the sex education conversation our innate, normal and healthy drive...