TONIGHT we’re so happy to offer a brand-new workshop, all about body image–specifically, genital body image. Jean Franzblau helps us take a new and positive look at our parts in her class Gorgeous Junk: Releasing Negative Thoughts About Our Genitals for Hotter Sex. (“Junk” is a gender-neutral, playful term for the bots Mom used to call “private parts.”) And tomorrow night Good Vibrations sponsors her solo show Coming Out Kinky – A Grown Up Comedy! I caught up with her on the fly as she prepared to travel to San Francisco for these events. Don’t miss her! –Carol Queen, PhD

CQ: Why do you think people, in this supposedly enlightened time, grow up with shame around their genitals?

Jean: I think it begins when a kid discovers their gorgeous junk and a parent or teacher screams, “Don’t touch that!” The energy of alarm and the message “don’t touch that!” sends a clear message: this part of me is somehow bad or off limits.

CQ: How do you distinguish feelings of shame from privacy or modesty?

Jean: Lowered self esteem accompanies shame. A sense of “this part of me is bad” or “I am bad” accompanies shame.

CQ: Do you see different common manifestations of shame depending on a person’s gender? Are there different answers (by gender) to getting a person to feel good about their gorgeous junk?

Jean: Vulva shame especially tends to center around perceived smell and how the vulva looks. Penis shame can focus on size, shape and perceived sexual performance.

Words of appreciation have a healing effect across all kinds of junk, thank goodness!