Gloryholes have long been associated with gay culture. As a great way to maintain anonymity in contexts where gay sex is illegal or socially unacceptable, they come from a history of persecution.
However, they're certainly not a new thing. There is evidence Gloryholes existed in ancient Greece, Egypt, and Japan, before being exported to Europe in the 1700s. Given their history of concealment, it shouldn't come as any surprise that Vatican city has one of the largest numbers of glory holes per capita. Gloryholes are a fantastic example of how social ideas influence human sexual behaviour.
Emil is a Filipino-Australian artist, sex worker and HIV + health educator who, in 2021, began operating a glory hole as part of their art practice. Emil's work sits delicately at the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, art, and unashamedly being a slut. Their work is subversive, clever and sexy.
In this episode, Emil and Caroline discuss navigating gender and power dynamics in sex, being a generous lover, and how engaging in alternative sexual practices can support sexual healing.
You can find Emil on Instagram at @babydilfx. You won't regret following them.
Connect with us:
Becuming takes the frustration out of finding the perfect sex toy by sending you personalised recommendations. Check it out at www.becuming.me.
","author_name":"Becuming"}