Bring up the subject of “impact” here at Lotus Blooms, and we’re likely to show you our fine racks of paddles, floggers, and crops. But as much as we love our toys around here, we also love to get out into the communities we serve and try to make an impact with the work we do and the support we offer as well. If you’re only familiar with us as a sex store, you might be surprised to learn what else we have to offer.

Sponsoring Sex-Positive and Queer Performing Arts

We frequently sponsor local burlesque and variety shows whose casts center women of color, queer and trans folk, performers of size, and other artists who are too often marginalized by mainstream arts programming. Burlesque is a rich and beautiful art form created and curated primarily by women and queer artists; it’s always challenged the status quo and promoted sexual liberation and empowerment. Today, it offers a context in which the artists are able to redefine and expand what it means to be sexy and sexually visible. We’re proud to have supported shows like Chocolate City Burlesque & Cabaret, Eat Your Hart Out Fat Burlesque Revue, Smut Slam DC, and many others that quite literally embody our vision of “Pleasure for Every Body.”

Pop-Up Partnering with Local Organizations

We often set up information tables at events co-hosted by Planned Parenthood and the Department of Health to raise awareness for medications like PreP- a once-daily pill taken to reduce your risk of HIV by 90%.  We’ve also worked with the Planned Parenthood Developing Leaders program to sponsor their “Cherry Blossoms for Choice” fundraiser and to edutain (entertain and educate– get it?) their volunteers on body-safe toys and sex-positive pleasure.

You can find us at events all over the DC area, whether we’re bringing a pop-up shop to the all-sex edition of Big Bear Cafe’s free ASL classes, setting up a booth at a university health fair, or giving presentations to other sex educators and colleagues at conferences like Woodhull’s annual Sexual Freedom Summit. With education at the core of our mission as a business, we love getting opportunities to go beyond our own four walls and share our knowledge and resources with people from all walks of life.

Embracing Public Education

From time to time, we get the chance to send our educators out to universities, libraries, nonprofits, and other organizations to give free public workshops on a variety of sex-positive topics. We think it’s important to make sex education accessible to as many people as possible regardless of their level of experience or their economic status, and frankly, we just love having more chances to talk about having a healthy, joyful sex life!

We have just such an event coming up next week on Monday the 18th at 7pm, when we’ll be hosting a free-to-the-public workshop discussing the Circles of Sexuality at the Duncan Branch Alexandria Library as part of their Pride Month programming.  We believe that everyone has more of a sexual identity than they think they do, and that not everything to do with sexuality is necessarily erotic; but rather, that it can relate to how we seek things like closeness and caring. It’s open to everyone, so please join us!

If you work with an organization that you think would be interested in or benefit from one of our workshops, please reach out and contact us. We’d love to talk to you about how we might be able to work with your group.

Creating Change, One Conversation at a Time

And of course, some of the most effective outreach we do is simply talking to the people who seek our help or advice, meeting them where they’re at and reassuring them that it’s normal and OK to talk about sex and to have the questions or thoughts that they want to express. Some of those people have been generous enough to give us permission to share their reactions to the conversations we’ve had with them, so we’ll let them speak for themselves:

“This was my first sex workshop ever and I was super nervous but Teal was fantastic. She created such a safe, fun environment and I felt totally at ease. Everything was fantastic. I can’t wait to try out my new skills!”

“You made what wasn’t comfortable very comfortable, normalized it and super appreciated the remarks re: porn vs reality”

“I wish sex education in school was presented within the same context that the workshop was…I really, really wish I’d had access to a shop like Lotus Blooms when I was in college. I feel like there is so much misinformation out there and things aren’t often presented in a way that is empowering to females or that somehow magically combines respect, responsibility, and pleasure all in one go. Sex toy stores have always felt so degrading and smarmy to me, until Lotus Blooms.”

“I want to thank you again for your help in explaining the various features of the different products available.  It was so informative and phrased in such a caring, understanding manner that I ceased to be embarrassed, particularly at my age,for getting such helpful information.  As someone who was involved in women’s health, I would suggest that as a supplement to medical advice any woman with intimacy concerns go to your tastefully decorated shop for help in better understanding such concerns and/or to explore ways in which they may be better managed.”

Do you have questions about sex toys or techniques? Are you looking for resources to help you with coming out, exploring your sexual identity, or tackling the issues that get in the way of satisfying sex? Do you need to find tools to make sex more accessible or comfortable for your body? Whatever’s on your mind, you can always feel free to call us, email us, or drop by the store to talk with us. We love hearing from you and helping you find the answers you need!

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