WEBVTT

1
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:07.360
I'm Casey Tanner and I'm Camille Lewis. And this is safe word. Safe

2
00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:11.320
word is sex therapy unhinged because instead
of being a blank slate that's just here

3
00:00:11.320 --> 00:00:14.320
to support you, we're telling you
the details on our own sex lives,

4
00:00:14.359 --> 00:00:18.079
relationships, identities, and more.
This isn't sex and it's not therapy,

5
00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:21.600
but we are sex therapists and what
you hear today may excite you. Each

6
00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:25.559
week we tackle the theme related to
sex, relationships, gender, and more.

7
00:00:25.760 --> 00:01:08.519
This week we're diving into the theme
initiation M M an initiation station.

8
00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:11.640
I don't know why I always I
don't know. You gotta rhyme, you

9
00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:17.599
can't help it. I always gotta
rhyn I gotta throw in a little jingle,

10
00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:22.599
A little jingle Jingle's just the sad
theme song with I don't know whatever

11
00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:26.959
comes to mind with my freestyling.
This is the last episode of the season.

12
00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:30.200
Can we do like an emotions check
in? I feel like this season

13
00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:34.760
was kind of long. Do you
feel like it was? I feel like

14
00:01:34.760 --> 00:01:40.319
it went by you know that saying
like the days are long, but the

15
00:01:40.519 --> 00:01:47.200
years are short. No. I
feel like each episode I feel like we

16
00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:49.319
are here for six hours, but
then when I look back this season,

17
00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:52.640
I'm like, oh, that went
by kind of fast. I can't believe

18
00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:56.439
we've done two seasons. I can't
believe that we've done two seasons. Yeah,

19
00:01:56.480 --> 00:01:59.439
yeah, we're tired. Yeah,
we're tired. I'm happy to be

20
00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:01.799
here, and I'm happy that I
get to see you on these weeks.

21
00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:07.040
I get to have multiple face to
face as well. I know. Just

22
00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:09.240
reminded me. Sometimes my clients will
be like, how are you, and

23
00:02:09.319 --> 00:02:14.000
I won't think very hard and I'll
just be like, I'm exhausted, and

24
00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:16.240
then I'll have to be like,
but I really love being here. I'm

25
00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:19.560
so happy to be here. I
feel like that's what we just did.

26
00:02:19.719 --> 00:02:22.240
But yeah, I think we get
too. I was like, tired,

27
00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:24.080
No, no, not, I'm
tired before in my life. Yeah,

28
00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:29.560
it feels wrong to admit that we're
tired, but I mean we we're busy.

29
00:02:29.960 --> 00:02:31.639
We got a lot going on,
and you're sick right now and you

30
00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:37.319
should probably not even be here sicken
and denial though, Yeah, I'm gonna

31
00:02:37.319 --> 00:02:40.120
work on because I have told myself
that it doesn't that doesn't happen to me

32
00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:44.159
anymore, like you grew out of
it. Yeah, yeah, because I

33
00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:47.639
got my tonsils out in my like
mid to late twenties, and ever it

34
00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:52.000
was literally life changing, and so
I just I'm like, this doesn't affect

35
00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:55.639
me anymore. I've never had COVID, you know of I am a super

36
00:02:55.680 --> 00:03:00.080
I'm a superhuman. So yeah,
it's really it's really that simple, kids,

37
00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:07.319
Okay, in initiation? Should we
should we go? There? I

38
00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:09.800
love initiating. Do you do?
Oh? I feel like I'm to learn

39
00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:15.599
from you today. I love those
episodes. I love initiating, especially like

40
00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:21.479
in public when I'm interested in somebody, Like if I'm like, I'm very

41
00:03:22.039 --> 00:03:25.560
quick to get eye contact. I'm
very quick to be like, oh that's

42
00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:29.759
cutie over there's cutie over there.
I'm gonna like there, you will be

43
00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:35.319
mine. So it's very I don't
know if I told the story on this

44
00:03:35.400 --> 00:03:39.719
podcast of my like my approach to
somebody where I just is like do you

45
00:03:39.719 --> 00:03:43.520
want to fuck? If you did, it's worth telling again. I was

46
00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:47.800
out with somebody and it was supposed
to be like a business lune. Oh

47
00:03:47.479 --> 00:03:52.159
yeah, yeah, okay, all
right, but tell it again, tell

48
00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:55.599
it again, and tell us about
initiating. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

49
00:03:55.639 --> 00:04:00.520
I think that Like for me,
it comes with my impulsive. Yeah,

50
00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:03.240
I think impulsivity where I'm just like
and impatience and I'm just like, if

51
00:04:03.319 --> 00:04:05.919
they don't, if they don't do
it, and then I never see them

52
00:04:05.960 --> 00:04:10.879
again and the moment has passed,
but it doesn't. It's very anxiety provoking

53
00:04:10.919 --> 00:04:15.360
to me. Sometimes, um like
I will feel the physical manifestations of anxiety.

54
00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:19.480
I will feel my heart racing when
I hear my voice it sounds like

55
00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:24.040
it's shaking. Then I'll be like, you look, I don't know,

56
00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:28.519
but like, I think that I
came off super confident in that clearly it

57
00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:33.279
worked said yes, it worked a
charm, yes, yes, And but

58
00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:36.319
I think like in general, like
I feel like, yeah, I'm bold,

59
00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:40.480
I'm really really bold. I don't
I don't know. I was in

60
00:04:40.519 --> 00:04:43.800
the Bay a couple of weekends ago
and there was this girl and she was

61
00:04:44.279 --> 00:04:48.000
our server at like this one restaurant
and then happened to be bartending at the

62
00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:53.879
at the bar the next night,
and I was like, give me your

63
00:04:53.959 --> 00:04:59.319
number. So I think initiation when
it comes to all of these, like

64
00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:01.680
I'm I'm as bold as fuck.
I don't care. I'm quick to hit

65
00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:05.360
somebody with a little wave, a
little eye contact, a little linger a

66
00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:10.759
little smirk. I'm like, I
want you to give me lessons in the

67
00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:14.120
I mean, I don't know what
am I initiating these days. Yeah,

68
00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:16.959
you know, but you you get
initiate Friendship's true. I did have a

69
00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:20.879
really oh this is kind of a
sad story. I'll tell it and then

70
00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:25.600
we can decide if we want to
keep it. But I there was this

71
00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:29.800
cat that was living outside of my
house. Yeah, and I was working

72
00:05:29.800 --> 00:05:32.199
with this like animal activist group,
and they were helping me decide like is

73
00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:35.959
this feral cat or is this a
cat that's like lost, And they kind

74
00:05:35.959 --> 00:05:39.800
of determined, like this isn't a
feral cat, we should get it inside

75
00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:42.839
and bring it to the beat whatever. So for a week I was just

76
00:05:42.839 --> 00:05:46.839
trying to build trust with his cat. Finally got it inside and it died

77
00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:51.959
two days later, and it was
like in your house in my house and

78
00:05:53.480 --> 00:05:59.920
found out that it had like advanced
leukemia. Were both the animal, right,

79
00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:03.519
that's your initiation rites people were like
queer and cool, and I was

80
00:06:03.560 --> 00:06:09.160
like, you're the only people that
knew Sammy the cat, Like we have

81
00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:14.680
to hang out and that's that is
truly my form of initiating, Like whether

82
00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:17.839
it's a date or a friendship or
anything. I will sort of like it's

83
00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:20.879
way less straightforward, it's way worse
than yours. If I'm honest, like,

84
00:06:20.959 --> 00:06:26.639
I will just make something up that
that feels like something we have in

85
00:06:26.680 --> 00:06:30.199
common. I guess that's probably not
so bad. Um, that's not bad.

86
00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:31.759
I'm like, I feel like I
did I initiate with you, initiated

87
00:06:32.839 --> 00:06:36.839
give me their information, email them
right now, initiated with me. But

88
00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:40.160
I was gonna do it anyway.
It was just gonna take me well because

89
00:06:40.199 --> 00:06:45.199
I had to come up with a
whole story that, you know, that

90
00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:46.399
would make sense. So I don't
know. I guess I'm a little bit

91
00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:51.199
more of a pisces that way.
Could that be? Um? Yeah,

92
00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:57.680
but I think lately initiating sexually,
I don't like mal and I both I

93
00:06:57.720 --> 00:07:02.399
think initiate pretty fifty fifty. And
our form of initiation at this point is

94
00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:08.000
pretty much one of two things.
It's either should we have sex right now,

95
00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:13.959
or it's like kissing that escalates into
a very particular type of kissing that

96
00:07:14.040 --> 00:07:17.040
we both know but have never talked
about. Means like I want sex right

97
00:07:17.079 --> 00:07:21.639
now, and so our forms of
rejecting initiation are either like no, I

98
00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:25.720
don't want to have sex right now, or like one person is leaning in

99
00:07:25.879 --> 00:07:30.800
escalating the kiss and the other is
like giving little pex and like then you

100
00:07:30.839 --> 00:07:33.040
know, we stop, and then
like ten minutes go by, and then

101
00:07:33.079 --> 00:07:38.360
the person who like was trying to
initiate is like feeling really sad and rejected,

102
00:07:38.360 --> 00:07:44.279
and then we emotionally process what the
experience that I know, and then

103
00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:47.079
like the whole night we could have
been having sex, but instead we're talking

104
00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:50.120
about what it was like that you
were kissing me this way and I was

105
00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:56.040
not as into it, and you
know, and then often we end up

106
00:07:56.040 --> 00:08:00.120
having sex because maybe that conversation turns
us on. I don't know, but

107
00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:05.160
yeah, we're in a we're in
a routine of either very straightforward or very

108
00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:09.560
round about. Do you prefer when
someone initiates sex with you or do you

109
00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:16.120
prefer to initiate personally? I hate
initiating. Yeah no, no, I'm

110
00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:20.920
exact opposite of you. I love
a strong initiation. The more clear it

111
00:08:20.120 --> 00:08:26.839
is, the better, because I
have I have contextual desire, but the

112
00:08:26.920 --> 00:08:31.360
context that makes me desire somebody is
a strong initiation. So it's like even

113
00:08:31.399 --> 00:08:33.840
if I'm well, that makes it
hard for mal I think, and for

114
00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:37.240
any partner that I've had because because
I am, like exist in a state

115
00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:41.679
of usually not being turned on and
it takes a strong initiation to get me

116
00:08:41.720 --> 00:08:45.360
there. That's a huge risk that
I ask my partners to take because they're

117
00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:48.200
like sensing that I'm not turned on
and they have to take that leap of

118
00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:54.600
faith to like pull me into desire. It's interesting. Yeah, I haven't

119
00:08:54.600 --> 00:09:00.639
figured it out fully. It's interesting
because I like lean more submissive sexually,

120
00:09:00.759 --> 00:09:03.799
but but you top from the bottom. I feel like you really tap from

121
00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:09.480
the bottom. I think so too. That really uts that's hidden because I'm

122
00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:15.320
all I'm like, I'm like,
I DTF is my like state. My

123
00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:24.559
HOMEO state is DTF. So it's
like if somebody's trying to like just yeahones

124
00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:30.480
are flying for real, I don't
know. It's deep, it's real deep.

125
00:09:30.679 --> 00:09:33.600
Yeah. I feel like most of
like people that I've like been in

126
00:09:33.639 --> 00:09:35.639
long term relationships with, they're like
okay, and all my friends are like

127
00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:39.240
and Camille still wants to have sex
all the time, like years into my

128
00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:46.039
relationships and are like, I don't
know, that's that's magic. I love

129
00:09:46.120 --> 00:09:48.279
that for you, and I learned
from you. I learned from you.

130
00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:54.480
Okay, should we talk about other
people? Let's get it to get all

131
00:09:54.559 --> 00:10:01.240
right? Oh, okay relatable.
We schedule sex, and sometimes the starting

132
00:10:01.240 --> 00:10:07.480
can be awkward. Tips for moving
from appointment vibes to sexy. My answer

133
00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:09.039
is probably going to be annoying.
Do you ever feel that like this.

134
00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:13.440
Do you feel like, because you're
a therapist, you give therapisty answers to

135
00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:16.960
things and they're annoying. Yes to
your clients and to your friends and to

136
00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:20.360
the world. Yes, yeah,
okay, yeah with good because I'm like,

137
00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:26.039
I feel like the appointment can be
sexy. That's literally I feel like

138
00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:30.000
it's kind of annoying. But I
do feel like I think that because we

139
00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:33.240
are taught that the only way that
sex is sexy is if it's like this

140
00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:37.799
spontaneous, nonverbal we just are on
the same wavelength all the time. Thing

141
00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:43.919
that this has been like constructed into
making us feel like if we do schedule

142
00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:50.440
sex, that it isn't as genuine
as hot, as sexy, as real.

143
00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:52.960
And I think that you can make
your appointments like you could put role

144
00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:56.840
play into them, like I don't
know that's what's coming up for me.

145
00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:00.960
I'm on a lot of cough medicine
and right now wavelength you're on. I

146
00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:03.879
love it. Yeah, but I'm
like, you know, like you could

147
00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:07.799
be like I feel like this would
be a good teacher student type of thing

148
00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:11.080
that you could do to spice it
up and then be like, this is

149
00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:16.240
like it's time for our appointment,
like I will try it a sex appointment

150
00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:20.480
or is it a doctor's up?
Yeah? Yeah, exactly exactly, or

151
00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:22.320
are you in trouble with the principle, Like I don't know, Like I

152
00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:28.879
think that it's just like the more
than that, you can start to normalize

153
00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:31.480
that this is what happens and lots
of relationships, short term, long term

154
00:11:31.480 --> 00:11:37.639
and everything in between. You could
put less pressure on yourself and then it

155
00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:41.639
won't you won't feel so internalize judgment
over the way that sex happens in your

156
00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:48.919
relationship. I love it. Mic
drop Yeah, I I'm just narrating what

157
00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:52.159
you're doing. You dropped, you
dropped the mic. Yeah. I feel

158
00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:56.159
like it doesn't have to be like
we show up in the bedroom, we

159
00:11:56.240 --> 00:11:58.759
get on our bed, each of
us around our knees, looking at each

160
00:11:58.759 --> 00:12:03.080
other, and then one of us
reaches out. Although you know, it's

161
00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:05.960
like a notebook style sex. That
could work. Yeah, that could work.

162
00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:09.840
I love it though. I love
it that like, just because it's

163
00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:11.639
an appointment for sex doesn't mean it
has to be an appointment for a certain

164
00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:16.240
kind of sex. I also was
going to give a very annoying, different

165
00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:20.320
therapistic answer, which is like,
what if starting is awkward, that's okay,

166
00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:28.120
yep. Equally as annoying YEA,
thank you, because I do think

167
00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:33.200
that starting sex and long term relationships
can very often be awkward. Whenever you

168
00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:39.600
are starting an embodied activity, it
makes sense that your body needs a second

169
00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:43.840
to get back in the room sex
For most people from bodied activity, the

170
00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:46.519
body needs a warm up. So
if you don't want to do the warm

171
00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:50.480
up when you meet each other at
the appointment, do it with yourself in

172
00:12:50.519 --> 00:12:54.919
another room first, right, Like
you could say a little bit a little

173
00:12:54.960 --> 00:13:00.320
solo sex an essential shower. If
you don't want to warm up together,

174
00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:07.440
you're gonna have to warm up somewhere
else. Next person says, for women,

175
00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:11.080
love and women, how to initiate
in a way that isn't ikey in

176
00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:16.279
this is het man way. M
hmm. Interesting, This is a layered

177
00:13:16.919 --> 00:13:22.559
question. Yes, should we start
by I mean yeah, no, hear

178
00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:26.080
you? No, No, go
ahead. I was gonna say we should

179
00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:30.120
we try to put words to the
ikeys is Man way that this person is

180
00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:35.639
trying to describe. Yeah language,
Yeah, absolutely, I feel like that's

181
00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:37.000
a good place to go because I'm
like, what are what are we talking

182
00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:41.879
about? Like? Is it?
Because when I think of like Ichy sis

183
00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:46.799
het Man way, I think of
violation and I think of like won't take

184
00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:50.759
no for an answer, or a
no is just a no until it's a

185
00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:56.759
yes type thing. That's the flavor
that feels like this person might be trying

186
00:13:56.759 --> 00:14:01.600
to get out is you know,
um violations of concern And I totally,

187
00:14:01.840 --> 00:14:05.240
I totally think so. And I
also think that people who are not sisman

188
00:14:07.320 --> 00:14:13.480
often feel like any kind of initiation
is pressure any like not from a sisman

189
00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:18.039
to other people. Like when when
non sisman are initiating, I think that

190
00:14:18.120 --> 00:14:24.960
our bar is low to feel like
we have done too much oppression, right,

191
00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:30.200
Like when you have like a marginalized
identity and you feel like taking up

192
00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:35.080
space is potentially unsafe for you,
or you will be told that you are

193
00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:37.840
too much, or you between you
will be told that you're asking too much.

194
00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:41.679
It makes sense that you adapt and
adjust and then you're like, well,

195
00:14:41.720 --> 00:14:46.200
up, I'll occupy less space then, so I won't initiate. I

196
00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:50.039
will I will be ready for when
somebody wants me, but I won't,

197
00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:56.879
you know, maybe be the initiator
or like a maybe a really present advocate

198
00:14:56.919 --> 00:15:01.039
for my needs and placing them front
and center in the spotlight one hundred percent.

199
00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:05.159
And I think along those lines,
and with the additional layer of purity

200
00:15:05.159 --> 00:15:11.440
culture, we have very much cast
specifically women in the role of the gatekeepers

201
00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:16.639
of sexuality, like it is their
job to say yes or no to something,

202
00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:20.960
it is not their job to ask
that question. And I think when

203
00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:24.279
we are then in a place where
we're asking that question, it feels something

204
00:15:24.279 --> 00:15:31.279
about it feels feels aggressive to us
because because we have been taught that,

205
00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:39.759
you know, women are sexually demure
and and responsible for preserving purity and preserving

206
00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:43.080
knows and not asking for yeses.
So I think, but I think that's

207
00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:46.440
part and parcel with also what you're
talking about. I think that's really well

208
00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:50.840
said. And I think that when
it comes to this person and their question

209
00:15:50.000 --> 00:16:00.039
is like also the ways in which
patriarchy and systems of oppression natural really infiltrate

210
00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:06.919
everyone. So also being like,
what does initiation if I were to define

211
00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:10.720
it for myself in my relationships,
what would it look like? And maybe

212
00:16:10.759 --> 00:16:17.480
it does borrow from archetypes that you
have seen and that artists had meant maybe

213
00:16:17.480 --> 00:16:21.600
it does borrow from some of that, And it sounds like you're in queer

214
00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:26.480
relationships, so those things are also
queer for you, and like being able

215
00:16:26.519 --> 00:16:33.360
to kind of like redefine it and
being assertive and having a more aggressive kind

216
00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:40.679
of approach that you know obviously respects
body autonomy and consent, but being like,

217
00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:42.879
this is still an okay way for
me to be because I think that

218
00:16:42.919 --> 00:16:47.360
there is shame and being like,
okay, well i can't initiate in this

219
00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:49.720
way because then I'm going to feel
like a gross sist dude. And it's

220
00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:52.639
like, well, it can also
be like something that makes you feel really

221
00:16:52.679 --> 00:16:56.320
empowered and sexy and turns you on, and that gets to be okay for

222
00:16:56.360 --> 00:17:00.960
you. I love that you brought
up the archetype piece because I think what

223
00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:08.079
I'm like feeling so much empathy for
for this person for myself is that you

224
00:17:08.119 --> 00:17:11.200
know, I'm somebody that I would
love to be a better initiator of sex.

225
00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:15.720
And who are the fucking examples I
have to look at to show me

226
00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:21.319
what that looks like. Not very
many nuanced ones, not very many people

227
00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:26.839
that look like me. So I
guess that, like, in the light

228
00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:30.319
of that, this question makes all
the sense in the world. It's sort

229
00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:33.599
of like, okay, so here's
the template we've been given. What is

230
00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:41.279
an alternative to that that is still
strong and assertive and clear because it is

231
00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:44.960
it is a hard line, right, Like some people, well, what

232
00:17:45.160 --> 00:17:47.480
really love is somebody walked up to
them in a bar and put their arm

233
00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:49.920
around their shoulder, depending on who
that person was in the context, and

234
00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:53.759
other people would be like, what
the fuck And we don't know, we

235
00:17:53.839 --> 00:18:00.240
don't know, and and so I
really feel it like, yeah, we

236
00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:04.880
have to err on the side of
caution and asking those questions, and yeah,

237
00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:07.559
how do we how do we keep
it sexy? At the same time,

238
00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:12.599
it's hard, but I could see
it being really sexy if somebody came

239
00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:17.839
up to me and was like,
like, I'd love to put my arm

240
00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:22.519
around you or whatever version of that. Yeah, if you can't ask questions

241
00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:26.960
about what somebody wants in a way
that is confident. I think that might

242
00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:33.079
be part of a middle ground.
All right. The next question says,

243
00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:41.319
how to ask out my best friend
of five years? First of all,

244
00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:47.640
yeah, like so hot, first
of all. Second of all, potentially

245
00:18:47.720 --> 00:18:51.599
re traumatizing because how many of us
have fallen in love with straight best friends

246
00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:56.480
in our past? And I'm gonna
go ahead and assume that you know this

247
00:18:56.480 --> 00:19:02.119
person isn't straight, because I can't
go there right now. That's the truth.

248
00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:07.720
That's really hard. Okay, Mike, this is not an answer.

249
00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:11.240
This is a story. My godmother's
My godmother is queer, but did not

250
00:19:11.640 --> 00:19:14.880
did not know she was queer,
was not in touch with her queerness until

251
00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:18.079
her late twenties early thirties, and
she had a coworker and they became like

252
00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:23.599
best best best friends and hung out
for like years, And then I asked

253
00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:26.519
them the other day. I was
like, so, how did this start?

254
00:19:26.599 --> 00:19:27.480
Like you didn't even know? You
were like, how did this go?

255
00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:32.920
And she was like, we were
at dinner, sitting across from each

256
00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:36.559
other, and I just like started
playing footsie with her, and I just

257
00:19:36.599 --> 00:19:41.759
like put my foot on like next
to her leg or on her lap,

258
00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:45.480
and she just sort of started like
rubbing it and that was there. That

259
00:19:45.559 --> 00:19:49.079
was how it started. So that's
one way to do it, Isn't that

260
00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:53.000
kind of cute? That's so cute. Yeah, it melted my heart and

261
00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:56.559
that was like, you know,
that was the nineties, right, so

262
00:19:56.599 --> 00:19:59.920
that was that was kind of a
big deal. You're That story you just

263
00:20:00.039 --> 00:20:03.119
shared is like so much. It
talks about initiation in so many ways and

264
00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:07.160
like the different ways that it can
present itself. And I think, how

265
00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:10.319
would you do it? Like,
m like I'm going to try to figure

266
00:20:10.359 --> 00:20:12.480
out my best friend and think,
like how the fuck would I? I

267
00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:15.799
would never ask out my best friend, So I don't know because I've like

268
00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:21.559
hooked up with Oh that's true,
that's a couple of my best how died?

269
00:20:21.799 --> 00:20:25.599
Like? Can maybe can you share
if you're open to it? Yeah?

270
00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:30.400
How that starts? Is it?
Is there any acknowledgement of attraction ahead

271
00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:33.279
of time or does it just kind
of happen? You know? It's It's

272
00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:37.599
interesting because when I'm thinking about this
one friend in particular, I'm trying to

273
00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:41.319
remember, like when was the first
time that she and I kissed? And

274
00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:45.160
why? Because I feel like we
had been Like no, like you're just

275
00:20:45.400 --> 00:20:48.599
friends. Oh my god, I've
known you since you were seventeen. Da

276
00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:52.880
da. I think that I just
maybe like sense that there was a vibe

277
00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:57.960
shift there. And I think what's
really like, I feel really fortunate is

278
00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:03.160
that I've been able to like hook
up with her, and that it doesn't

279
00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:07.720
always it hasn't changed like the course
of our friendship, and that we're able

280
00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:11.640
to still be friends and then sometimes
we make out and sometimes we might have

281
00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:17.680
sex, and then sometimes we won't
at all. But I guess this person

282
00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:21.559
is asking something different because it sounds
like this person relationship. Yeah, I

283
00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:23.960
think too. So, okay,
best friends, you probably talk about everything.

284
00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:29.720
I wonder if you could start out
talking about this in a way that

285
00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:33.759
isn't asking them to go out with
you, but is sort of exploring whether

286
00:21:33.880 --> 00:21:37.039
or not they've ever thought about you
in that way, as like, so

287
00:21:37.160 --> 00:21:45.119
I have this friend and not okay, not quite that roundabout and passive,

288
00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:49.000
but more like, um gosh,
why can't I think of an example of

289
00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:53.200
this right now? Let me think
this is a tough question. Why is

290
00:21:53.240 --> 00:21:56.599
it tough? Why do you think
it's tough? Okay, I'll I'll tell

291
00:21:56.640 --> 00:22:00.720
you why I think it's tough.
I think that probably for this person feels

292
00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:03.960
like there's a lot at steak,
more at steak than than asking a strang

293
00:22:03.079 --> 00:22:07.279
how a stranger what happens if they
say no? What if I make it

294
00:22:07.319 --> 00:22:08.680
awkward? What if I win the
friendship and maybe we'd I mean, I'm

295
00:22:08.680 --> 00:22:14.279
glad you asked that question, because
if the friendship isn't a friendship that could

296
00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:18.000
handle that. I don't know if
it's the relationship, but I would want

297
00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:22.359
to be in Oh maybe, like
that would be the kind of conversation I

298
00:22:22.359 --> 00:22:26.119
would want to be able to have
and bounce back from with somebody, even

299
00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:29.640
if maybe they needed time of course
that would make sense. Yeah, but

300
00:22:29.720 --> 00:22:33.599
like I don't know how they respond
to this question for me would be a

301
00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:37.680
great indicator of what I actually want
to go out with them. Yeah.

302
00:22:37.720 --> 00:22:40.880
I think another thing that makes it
hard is like the fear of rejection,

303
00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:44.319
Like what does it mean if you're
if your best friend of five years is

304
00:22:44.359 --> 00:22:49.559
oh right, they really know yourself
and then like, yeah, what was

305
00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:53.079
it because of this? This?
This? What have you? So?

306
00:22:53.160 --> 00:22:56.759
I feel like that's what makes it
hard. Like every time I went through

307
00:22:56.759 --> 00:23:00.839
a breakup and my best friend told
me you're hot, anyone would be lucky

308
00:23:00.920 --> 00:23:04.880
enough to have you. They were
lying because they didn't want me. Yeah,

309
00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:10.680
yeah, yeah. The stakes.
I can understand why that the stakes

310
00:23:10.680 --> 00:23:14.400
are high. I think the stakes
are high and the stakes are low because

311
00:23:14.440 --> 00:23:18.480
it's gonna be okay. It's gonna
be okay. And I think that you,

312
00:23:18.799 --> 00:23:22.599
I think testing the waters in a
sense of like, maybe things do

313
00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:26.960
feel a little bit flirtatious, and
you can kind of sense you might know

314
00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:32.400
what this person's flirt style looks like
or when they are into you. Like

315
00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:37.160
as best friends, you do have
a really intimate knowledge of one another.

316
00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:38.440
So I think that there are ways
that you might be able to be like,

317
00:23:40.119 --> 00:23:44.000
you know, gently curious about like
what happens. And it could be

318
00:23:44.039 --> 00:23:48.799
like a foot seat moment. It
could be like a you know, just

319
00:23:48.920 --> 00:23:53.000
a lingering glance. I don't know, Okay, could we explore the other

320
00:23:53.079 --> 00:23:56.559
end of the spectrum where they just
come out and say it. I just

321
00:23:56.599 --> 00:24:00.400
want to put that out, Like
what if they they ask friend to go

322
00:24:00.440 --> 00:24:03.079
to dinner. Friend doesn't necessarily like
necessarily know what that means, and that's

323
00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:07.880
fine, I think, And at
dinner you maybe have this conversation and say,

324
00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:10.680
like, hey, I know,
we go to dinner all the time

325
00:24:10.839 --> 00:24:15.599
as friends, and part of me
is hoping that, like, you might

326
00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:18.960
be interested in something else, and
if not, we can continue this dinner

327
00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:22.880
as friends as we would have.
I will, oh a surprise date,

328
00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:26.440
well not a SKay okay, okay, wait wait you're right, that's not

329
00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:30.160
a good thing. But are we
on a date now or not? Okay?

330
00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:33.359
Because I'm just thinking like you,
but I like, I like,

331
00:24:33.640 --> 00:24:37.880
I actually don't think that what you're
suggesting is a bad thing. You could

332
00:24:37.880 --> 00:24:41.400
text your friend and say, do
you want to go on a date with

333
00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:42.880
me? I just feel like there
needs to be a little bit more of

334
00:24:42.920 --> 00:24:48.319
like a here's how I got from
there to hear yeah, and I'm like

335
00:24:48.759 --> 00:24:52.160
yeah, I say. I like
the idea of presenting it as like,

336
00:24:52.200 --> 00:24:56.359
hey, if this is something you
have ever thought about you want to explore,

337
00:24:56.960 --> 00:25:03.000
like sweet, we can and continue
this dinner as friends and go on

338
00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:04.200
a date later if you decide that
something you're interested in. If you're not

339
00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:07.079
interested at all, we can just
continue this dinner as friends. Like I

340
00:25:07.160 --> 00:25:12.480
like the idea of being together for
the conversation and making it clear that you're

341
00:25:12.519 --> 00:25:17.240
not going anywhere either way, because
I think that there could be some built

342
00:25:17.240 --> 00:25:21.400
in aftercare for both of you and
something like that that maybe wouldn't be there.

343
00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:26.759
I kind of do agree in kind
of like where the maybe explicit nature

344
00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:30.480
of a conversation needs to be had, of like I would like to go

345
00:25:30.519 --> 00:25:33.839
on a date with you rather than
like because if you hang out all the

346
00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:37.160
time, it's like and a lot
of us flit with our friends all the

347
00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:40.119
time. I know, I know
you know, you know it too well.

348
00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:45.559
Well, I want this person to
update us, please dear they do

349
00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:52.440
ask out their friend, please tell
us. I want the tea and ful

350
00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:55.240
I'm gonna ask all my friends,
how would you want me to ask you

351
00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:56.440
out? If I asked you out? And then I will purport back,

352
00:25:56.799 --> 00:26:00.480
I will poor back in the safe
word stories. Yeah, and I'll say

353
00:26:00.519 --> 00:26:03.440
I wouldn't want you to ask me
out. So one of my friends did

354
00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:07.559
ask me out one time. Actually
yeah, he was like we were at

355
00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:11.920
dinner once and we were hanging out, and then like the next day or

356
00:26:11.960 --> 00:26:14.400
two he texted me and was like, hey, like, so some of

357
00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:17.400
the things that you said, Like, I was wondering if this is like

358
00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:18.200
something that you would want to do, because I joked, and I was

359
00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:23.680
like, because we were both resonating
on like our dating struggles and being like

360
00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:27.839
really intense, like passionate people who've
fallen in love and whatever, and I

361
00:26:27.920 --> 00:26:30.799
was like, ah, we should
just date something like that, you know.

362
00:26:32.680 --> 00:26:34.319
And then he was just like,
you know, he was very straight

363
00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:37.920
up, and he was like,
either way is fine, but I'm just

364
00:26:37.960 --> 00:26:41.359
like wondering if that's something that you
were serious no matter if he wanted to

365
00:26:41.400 --> 00:26:45.680
like look into more. And and
I was like, oh gosh, because

366
00:26:45.720 --> 00:26:48.119
you were kidding. You were not
interested? No, no, no,

367
00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:52.079
I was not interested. But I
really appreciated that and like and then he

368
00:26:52.160 --> 00:26:56.279
was like, cool, I'm grown. That's fine. We moved on,

369
00:26:56.400 --> 00:26:59.839
and I was like, dope,
can I tell one more story because I

370
00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:03.000
I've actually asked out a friend before
she was out on a date with somebody

371
00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:07.440
else, and I just texted her
I feel a little bit jealous, and

372
00:27:07.799 --> 00:27:14.119
that was my way in, and
it was like, I'm just sharing my

373
00:27:14.200 --> 00:27:18.559
feeling. You can decide for yourself
if you want to interpret it as like

374
00:27:18.759 --> 00:27:21.759
I'm jealous you're on a date or
I'm jealous someone's on a date with you.

375
00:27:21.839 --> 00:27:26.559
But she like went right with it
and we dated. So oh there

376
00:27:26.599 --> 00:27:30.960
it is, look at you initiating. Yeah yeah, in my own special

377
00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:41.720
way, I love it. This
week's safe Word is Pineapple from at tc

378
00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:48.160
r n K, so I like
all them consonants in your Instagram name.

379
00:27:48.839 --> 00:27:52.720
Safe Word is hosted by Casey Tanner
and Kam Lewis and is produced by coordinator

380
00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:56.640
et Townsend. Our theme song is
written and performed by Emma Jane and Tory

381
00:27:56.759 --> 00:28:00.000
Rainey. To support the show,
please follow us on Spotify and take a

382
00:28:00.039 --> 00:28:03.480
moment right now to give us five
stars. We also love ray reviews on

383
00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:08.319
Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to
podcasts this summer. You can still submit

384
00:28:08.440 --> 00:28:12.000
questions. To submit long form questions
in writing or in your own voice,

385
00:28:12.279 --> 00:28:17.119
go to the Safe Word pod or
Queer Sex Therapy Instagram page and click on

386
00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:21.000
our link tree in the bio to
write out longer questions. If anything today

387
00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:23.480
made you curious about seeking support,
the Expansive Group has a great team of

388
00:28:23.519 --> 00:28:27.599
therapists and mentors to discuss challenges you
might be facing. Go to the Expansivegroup

389
00:28:27.640 --> 00:28:30.759
dot com, submit a contact form
and we'll help you get connected. For

390
00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:34.160
behind the scenes look at safe Word
and podcasts updates. To find us on

391
00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:36.759
Instagram at safe word pod

