Betty Dodson with Carlin Ross

Better Orgasms. Better World.

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People keep asking me "what's bodysex?" because I've been blogging and tweeting about our production of Betty Dodson's Bodysex Group. I figured I should explain Betty's work and why it's so important to our feminist history. 

"Bodysex" is the word Betty coined for her work teaching women about their bodies and their orgasms. Back in the 70s when Betty left the art world to join the feminist movement, she had the idea of doing a workshop for women focused on sexual consciousness raising.  The feminists had put together groups of women where they spoke first person about their experiences.  These consciousness raising groups started the movement - Betty always makes the point that it was the first time she'd been in a room with just women.

Betty had been active in the Sexual Revolution and the group sex scene in nyc.  She hosted exclusive orgies at her apartment and experienced first hand that women were faking orgasms.  The men were having a great time and women were just performing.  One bright spot was that her lover, Grant, would set up in the corner of the room and do pussy grooming.  The women would gather round and watch each other be groomed.  They realized that there was variety in women's genitals.  This experience inspired Betty's vulva slideshow that she presented at NOW's Sexuality Conference in 1973.

Betty knew she could create a workshop that would combine her experiences as a feminist and a hedonist.  Women were faking orgasms and they had genital shame. 

Betty always says that the women created the workshops.  The women would enter Betty's apartment and take off their clothes - then they would walk into Betty's living room and all sit on the floor in a circle.  Betty would ask each woman to answer two questions "how do you feel about your body?" "how do you feel about your orgasm?".  One day a woman confessed that there was something wrong with her genitals.  Betty asked if she could see them.  Then Betty showed her her genitals and one-by-one so did all the other women.  They realized that none of them were deformed.  They were all normal.  The Genital Show & Tell ritual was born.

During one bodysex group, Betty confessed that she fantasized that they all had a group orgasm that levitated the building.  One woman announced, "let's do it".  Sheila (the woman who started the groups with Betty) went into Betty's bedroom and grabbed all the vibrators.  The Group Masturbation ritual was born.

Betty's work has been featured in The Vagina Monologues and Fried Green Tomatoes.  When I first met Betty, she took me to Copenhagen to be in a bodysex group.  As an accomplished, orgasmic woman it changed my life.  For me, it felt like I'd been in the circle before - like it was a part of my DNA.  I swear that we did this ritual millions of years ago in the cave.  It was our sexual initiation - a rite of passage. 

We're going to be film an entire workshop from beginning to end and document the process.  Sheila - the woman who started the bodysex groups with Betty - is flying out from Tuscon and will be in the circle.  I'll be in the circle along with our bloggers Dee Greene and LesleyS, Laurie, Davina, Christina and one more lucky lady (we still have space for one more woman).

What Betty and I do is a true labor of love.  She could focus on her art - I could focus on law and we'd make lots of money.  But our hearts aren't in it.  And I know that we're making a difference.  I want to produce this film and the documentary because I want to get Betty's message into the mainstream media.  Betty's work needs a context.  Betty's 82 so it's now or never.   

I've started to beat the fund raising drums. We've raised $3k for the film and need to raise another $17k.  To sweeten the pot, Betty has donated this original oil on canvas painting to the cause.  She doesn't paint that often and this 13" x 9" painting was done in 2005.  That makes it more rare. 

If you're a fan...if Sex for One changed your life...if you learned how to have your first orgasm...if you love our podcasts...if you've pleasured yourself to my pictures, please donate to our film.  We want women 100 years from now to be able to have their own bodysex groups.  Betty's work must be saved for the ages.

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