With this podcast, we want to help promote safety, freedom and a strong culture of consent within the LGBTI community. The Talk About It podcast is a platform where we can discuss what we LGBTI people need to have safe and good sex on our own terms.
The podcast is hosted by Suzann Larsdotter, an authorized sexologist and social worker with many years of experience in issues related to sex and consent.
Can we build better relationships by doing exercises together? In this episode of the Talk About It podcast, we test the consent wheel - a model used to strengthen our ability to communicate with those we want to have sex with. Does it really work for everyone? How can we use it in the best way?
Our guest is Martina Hallin, a communication scientist and certified existential coach who uses the consent wheel in her courses.
Our podcast host, Suzann Larsdotter, gets to test an exercise from the consent wheel herself and shares her impressions of the experience with you as a listener.
In the episode, we also talk about how we can challenge norms and build respect for different types of relationships, including polyamory. Martina, who is a board member of RFSU Stockholm, helps run the Free Relations Group.
The Talk About It podcast is a podcast from RFSL Stockholm, which aims to challenge norms and build a strong culture of consent in the LGBTI community.
How do norms and expectations impact our freedom to say “yes”, to say “no” and to navigate the gray areas? How freely can we really communicate consent? And how do racism and whiteness norms shape these dynamics, particularly for BIPOC queers?
In this episode, our panel - Ken Gacamugani, Purity Tumukwasibwe, and Annelie Spets - delves into these questions in a Pride House discussion. Our focus in this episode is on challenges faced by black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in the LGBTQI+ community.
This podcast is part of RFSL Stockholm's Talk About It project, funded by the Swedish Gender Equality Agency. Our aim is to reduce LGBTQI+ individuals’ vulnerability to sexual violence and build a strong culture of consent.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone helping raise awareness about consent in the LGBTQI+ community. Together, let's keep building a safer future.
In the Prata om Det podcast, we raise issues that are often silenced but vital to highlight. In our new episode, we discuss Kalla Fakta's latest investigation into sexual abuse among men who have sex with men. We at RFSL Stockholm have actively supported this review by disseminating the survey that formed the basis of the documentary. The results are frightening - 65 percent of the men surveyed have been subjected to abuse, but as many as 90 percent have chosen not to report it to the police.
The numbers reflect the reality that many of us unfortunately face. These numbers are not just statistics - they represent real lives, people close to us, people who carry a silent pain. At RFSL Stockholm, we see this every day and know how deeply it hurts. In this episode, we talk to experts who have insight into the subject:
🔸 Suzana Imam, counselor at RFSL's support service, who meets those who dare to seek support after abuse, hatred or threats.
🔸 Joakim Westman, project manager at Sexperterna, which works to improve sexual health among men who have sex with men.
🔸 Peter Håman, discussion leader in RFSL Stockholm's violence prevention pilot program *Prata om Det*, where he led a group for gays, bisexuals and queer men.
I was the one who chose to take a taxi to his home. I was the one who went into his apartment. It's not like there's any regrets after that. During the Me Too call, I tried to talk. Then I was told that it's typical for men to want to take the attention away from women. So I was silent for years. Do you want to listen now?
The Talk About It podcast takes a critical look at the sexual violence experienced by gays and bisexuals. Are we still stuck in a blame-yourself culture? Is the culture uncomfortably similar to the “what was she wearing” reasoning of historical trials? Why haven't we moved on?
We who speak are:
Kalle Norwald, sexologist with expertise in consent issues.
Ken Gacamugani, media professional and activist focusing on the LGBTI community.
Maria Niemi, editor of the anthology We Too, on the me too work of the LGBTI movement.
Peter Håman, discussion leader for Prata om Det, RFSL Stockholm's violence prevention initiative.
Suzann Larsdotter, project manager of Talk About It and sexologist with expertise in consent issues.
The conversation was recorded during Pride Week, within the project Talk about It, which is run by RFSL Stockholm on behalf of the Swedish Gender Equality Agency. The project aims to counteract LGBTI people's exposure to sexual violence.
Do all LGBTI people really feel welcome in the community, or do we sometimes build walls against each other? During Pride Month, the Talk About It podcast explores how the LGBTQIA movement can become more inclusive.
The guest in our new episode is Peter Sidlund Ponkala, who is the President of RFSL. Peter has long fought for transgender rights, the right of LGBTI people to good sexual health and a ban on conversion therapy. Peter, who has his roots in Tornedalen, belongs to several minority groups. In this episode, he shares his personal experiences of being the victim of ridicule linked to his ethnic origin.
In the section we also talk about the challenges, risks and the steps we need to take to build a movement like diversity and inclusion for real.
The sexologist answers questions about pleasure in a new episode of the Talk About It podcast! We share masturbation tips, an ejaculation school, and instructions on how to build your own pleasure room!
In this episode, our certified sexologist Suzann Larsdotter takes your questions from our ”Sexologist Answers” campaign. We are happy to have received many interesting and important questions! Suzann provides detailed answers to questions like:
🔹 ”Are there different kinds of orgasms for women? If so, what can be done to experience all kinds of orgasms?”
🔹 ”I don't like to talk during sex, because I like to go into a more animal state where I just ‘am’. Do I have to talk to my partner during sex?”
🔹 ”I'm cis male and dating a woman who is trans. We have not had sex yet. What do I need to know/think about?”
We also dive into the most common search queries about sex, pleasure and lust that users in Sweden have made on Google over the last ten years. Plus, Suzann shares her top masturbation tips!
Can gaming and gaming culture help us build a better world, with a stronger culture of consent? In today's episode, we have the talented composer Vera-Linn Lanängen as our guest. Vera-Linn composed the music for Vaudeville, the world's first AI-powered detective game, where the player uses the microphone to interact with characters and solve mysteries. She also has a degree in human rights and is actively working to combat child abuse.
Together with Suzann Larsdotter, our podcast host and sexologist, Vera-Linn dives into a conversation about how innovative games can become a platform to promote social change.
The Talk About It podcast aims to promote safety, freedom and a strong culture of consent within the LGBTI community. With a focus on consent, we create a platform where we can talk about what LGBTI people need to have safe and good sex on their own terms. The podcast is hosted by Suzann Larsdotter, an authorized sexologist and social worker with many years of experience in issues related to sex and consent.
The music in this section is composed by Vera-Linn Lanängen.
In this section, we look at cultural myths about LGBTI people that can make it harder for us to enjoy safe and healthy relationships and sexual experiences on our own terms.
Myths have the ability to create obstacles to our right to freedom, happiness and self-determination. By questioning them we want to contribute to change.
Participants: Suzann Larsdotter (authorized sociologist and sociologist), Linda Palhamn (social educator), Cato Helleren (podcast producer and TV personality), Lena Berg, (PhD in sociology), Peter (developer), Daniel Enger (curator), Tobias Holmberg (activist and originator of the term ”funkophobia”), Maria Niemi (author and editor of the anthology ”Vi Också”), Olov Lindblad (HIV prevention expert) and Ken Gacamugani (podcast producer and TV personality).
If a 15-year-old boy has a body that looks and sounds grown up, he must be ready for anything the adult world has to offer, including sex, if he says so himself? Or is he? In this episode, we talk about age and consent. Participants: Olov Lindblad, Ken ”Kenxo” Gacamugani, Maria Tillquist, Joakim Westman and Suzann Larsdotter.
The topic of consent and age is complex, especially when it comes to the difficult gray areas. By talking about it, we want to help create better conditions for safe and healthy relationships.
This week's episode of RFSL Stockholm's podcast ”Let's Talk About It” is entirely in English, featuring the incredible human rights activist, Purity Paige Tukwasibwe! Purity tells the story of her extraordinary journey from Uganda to Sweden. She talks about the challenges she faced as a transgender woman in a country and family that refused to accept her true identity.
For the first time, Purity also opens about her experiences of love, relationships, and pleasure. In a world that too often exoticizes, fetishizes and dehumanizes BIPOC LGBTQI+ individuals, how can we find ways to thrive in our relationships on our own terms?
🌈 About Purity Paige: As a board member of Transgender Europe, Refugee Trans Initiative in Kenya, and Rainbow Refugees Sweden, Purity is a powerful force for positive change. Additionally, she's a freelance actress with the National Black Theatre Sweden, a versatile musical poetry dance artist, and often serves as a keynote speaker in forums addressing trans rights and activism.
🌈 About the ”Let's Talk About It” Podcast: With this podcast, we want to promote safety, freedom, and a strong culture of consent within the LGBTQI+ community. This podcast provides a platform to discuss what LGBTQI+ individuals need to experience fulfilling relationships, sex, and pleasure on our terms. The podcast is hosted by the fabulous Suzann Larsdotter, a certified sexologist.as you listen, reflect on how stigma, minority stress, and internalization can impact us in sexual situations and relationships. Share this episode to keep the conversation alive! Let's continue breaking down barriers and creating a world where everyone's voice is heard.
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Can playing with sexual power dynamics help us create a freer, happier and more respectful world? Listen to RFSL Stockholm's podcast Talk about It and discuss with us! On the theme ”BDSM, lust and consent” we delve into issues such as:
What can BDSM culture really teach us about consent?
Does BDSM always have to be either vilified or romanticized? Could there be more ways?
Can I combine my belief in an equal society with my desire to be sexually submissive or dominant?
Do BDSM culture's contracts and safewords really work as a vaccine against sexual boundary violations?
What does Mr. Grey's tie have to do with all this?
BDSM practitioner, jazz singer and sex educator Aurora Brännström takes a seat behind the microphone with our hostess and sexologist, Suzann Larsdotter.
Aurora, who also runs the acclaimed Kinkypod, shares her insights from the world of BDSM. She also tells us how she discovered and started practicing BDSM herself.
Listen now:
We've started talking about it... but are we really listening to each other? In this episode of the Talk About It podcast, we talk about sexual harassment that took place right after a panel discussion on how to combat it.
In a scrutinizing, challenging and critical conversation, we examine our own community. Are the roles that exist within the LGBTI community too narrow? Are we affected by norms that are restrictive, inhibiting and perhaps even conservative? How do these norms affect our opportunities for safe relationships and sexual freedom?
Cihan Arikan from RFSL Rådgivningen Skåne and Suzann Larsdotter, our sexologist and podcast host, look at the LGBTI community with self-critical eyes. Cihan, who has expertise in intercultural perspectives on LGBTI issues, also discusses how norms can vary between cultures.
In this episode, we also travel to the west coast to meet Linda Palhamn from RFSL Göteborg. Linda, who has worked for a long time with HIV prevention and with newly arrived LGBTI people, has delved into the question of what consent really is. She has specifically looked at how consent is (and is not) talked about in gay culture.
The section also includes a testimony from an LGBTI person who was mistreated in the emergency room after being the victim of a sex-related crime. The testimony comes from ”Vi Också”, RFSL's anthology on sexualized violence among LGBTI people.
Listen now:
We talk to TV personality, event organizer and podcaster Cato Helleren, who captured our hearts as the charming waiter in First Date. Cato is a strong voice in the LGBTI community's work for freedom and equality - including through the podcast ”Two Gays and a Podcast” where he crushes prejudices together with Kim Silverbreider.
In this episode, Cato talks about his difficult childhood with domestic violence, where his mother was abused. Cato gives us a harrowing insight into how the scars of violence continued to mark his adult life for a long time. It's a topic that Cato has never shared before in this way. He reflects on the importance of breaking the cycle of violence, and offers advice to people who have experienced - or are experiencing - domestic violence.
Together with Prata om Det podcast host Suzann Larsdotter, Cato also sheds light on harmful norms, delusions and prejudices that affect LGBTI people. We discuss how we can work together in the community to challenge the narrow norms to create better opportunities for safe relationships and good sex with real consent on our own terms.
In the episode, Cato also explains how he overcame violence, homophobia and hatred to become who he is today - a happy man.
Listen now!
”We think we're so progressive, but we're really not”. In this episode, we take a fresh look at how different power structures affect people's ability to experience safety, good sex and freedom.
We are joined by influential guests who have raised their voices in different ways to contribute to a freer world. We talk to Tobias Holmberg, known for coining the term ”funkophobia” and from the podcast Full Rulle.
We're also delighted to have Emilia Mirani, a gender researcher with expertise in minority stress, back on the podcast. Emilia talks about how different grounds of discrimination affect our ability to have good sex on our own terms - and what we can do about it.
Listen now!
Have you ever wondered what separates ”nag sex” from ”gift sex”? Or how you can discover what you really crave? Do you want to improve your ability to read what you really like? Then you've come to the right place!
In this Talk About It episode, Suzann Larsdotter invites Kalle Norwald for an expert conversation about desire, will and good sex on our own terms.
Author, sexologist and TV personality Kalle Norwald is currently appearing in the SVT production Married at First Sight. Kalle has written several books on consent, communication and relationships. He is also one of the brains behind Sweden's first clinic for young gay, bi, trans and queer people.
In this podcast, we've also thrown in a bonus question that you might not have known you wanted an answer to: Do sexologists really have better sex than others? Kalle and Suzann open up about their own experiences and dispel myths about sexology.
Listen now!
In this episode, we are joined by aesthetic poet, train driver and author Nino Mick, who is currently working on his novel Vulcan. We are also joined by researcher Lena Berg from the organization MÄN.
In this episode, we talk about the limits of language when it comes to desire, pleasure and consent. Estrad poet Nino Mick's cultural text about the powerlessness of words hit our host Suzann Larsdotter right in the heart. ”Your text leaves me no peace,” she says. ”You're a poet and therefore a wordsmith, and you say that words are not enough. What do you mean by that?”
Researcher Lena Berg shares her thoughts on wordless communication and consent. Is it really possible to read whether others want to have sex or not - without using words? Lena also shares insights from her research and work on violence prevention that she believes the general public may not be aware of.
Finally, as an early Christmas present to us all, we hear an excerpt from Nino Mick's stage performance with Riksteatern.
Do you need to talk to someone about drugs? As an LGBTI person, you can turn to RFSL Stockholm's Chemsex reception: mottagning@rfslstockholm.se
In this episode, we talk about what drugs and alcohol do to our sexual freedom and safety. How do a few glasses of wine, a party drug or more extensive consumption actually affect desire, willingness and communication?
We have guests with experience from Sweden's first Chemsex reception, run by Sexperterna and RFSL Stockholm.
Some of the questions we dive into are:
Is it really easier to have sex after drinking alcohol or taking drugs?
How do drugs and alcohol affect our horniness and ability to have sex?
How do alcohol and drugs affect our ability to interpret if or how our partner (or partners) want to have sex?
How can LGBTQ people and society create more meeting places where chemsex, consent and alcohol can be discussed without people being exposed to ignorance or blame?
Do you need to talk to someone about drugs? As an LGBTI person, you can turn to RFSL Stockholm's Chemsex reception: mottagning@rfslstockholm.se
Listen here:
In this section, we dive into issues that can hurt. For example, what happens when hate and contempt don't come from outside, but also from within? How free are we then to have great sex on our own terms?
Today we talk about how minority stress affects LGBTI people's ability to have great sex and safe relationships. We're joined by media personality Ken Gacamugani and
Emilia Mirani from Interfem!
Listen here:
LGBTI people are less healthy and more vulnerable to sexualized violence than the general population. In this section, we discuss possible causes - but above all, we talk about solutions and hope for the future.
”In our work, we hear many stories from LGBTI people who describe feelings of powerlessness and invisibility that can arise in contact with authorities and other actors in a society that does not fully welcome people who do not fit into the heteronorm. For example, the preventive work against sexualized violence that is carried out today is based on a heteronormative model where it is taken for granted that the perpetrator is always a heterosexual man and that the victim is always a heterosexual woman,” says Suzann Larsdotter, who hosts the Prata om Det podcast.
Guests in the episode are Joakim Westman, project manager at Sexperterna and Maria Tillquist, counselor at RFSL's head office.
The section also includes revealing stories of sexualized violence within the LGBTI community, by people who share traumatic experiences in the anthology ”We Too” to help break the culture of silence.
Listen to episode 2 here:
In the first episode, ”I didn't think it was rape”, we are joined by Shaun Walls and Maria Niemi.
Shaun Walls is an artist and writer. He writes, among other things, columns in Fagersta-Posten under the signature Bruksbögen.
Maria Niemi is a writer and editor. Among other things, she has been the editor of RFSL's anthology ”Vi Också”, which deals with sexual abuse within the LGBTI community.
In an open and intimate conversation, Shaun and Maria share their own experiences of sexual abuse. They reflect on the importance of fighting against cultures of silence and dangerous norms that contribute to the increased vulnerability of LGBTI people to sexualized violence.
By highlighting these stories and reflections, we hope to raise awareness, create a greater understanding and promote a common fight against the structures that contribute to us as LGBTI people being statistically more vulnerable than others to sexualized violence.
Listen to the first episode of the ”Talk about It Podcast” and reflect on how we can create a safer and freer consent environment together!
Listen to episode 1 here: