Celebrated on the last Sunday of May, International Masturbation Day has been observed since 1995 and acts as a reminder of every person’s right to masturbate.
In 1994, US President Bill Clinton fired his Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders. Professor Elders was not afraid to discuss subjects in a frank and honest manner, something that didn’t always go down well with a more conservative America at the time.
Elders spoke openly about a range of topics, but those still considered taboo garnered her a lot of criticism. Considered controversial, Elders posited that masturbation be an alternative to promote among younger generations with the hope of reducing teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
Elders was speaking at a UN conference in 1994 when she was asked if masturbation should be taught in schools.
I think that is something that is a part of human sexuality and it’s a part of something that perhaps should be taught. But we’ve not even taught our children the very basics. And I feel that we have tried ignorance for a very long time and it’s time we try education. Professor Minnie Joycelyn Elders
By December Elders was forced to resign, her views not mirroring the government’s.
The following year on 9th May, sex-positive retailer Good Vibrations honoured the former Surgeon General and started National Masturbation Day.
Masturbation is a right of all humans, and in fact it has become known that many mammals perform some act of self pleasure. To continue keeping masturbation as taboo – something to be embarrassed about – is entirely wrong.
Masturbation promotes body-positivity, releases happy hormones and can improve your physical and mental health.
It is said among many mental health specialists that masturbation can relieve depression and lead to a higher sense of self-esteem. And a 2016 study found that regular ejaculation markedly reduced prostate cancer risk in all age groups.
Masturbation is important in learning about your body, it can and should make you feel better, it can be incorporated into acts of intimacy with a partner and should never be considered a guilty or embarrassing pleasure.
Masturbating is exactly that, a pleasure. So on the last Sunday of May, or indeed at any point of the year, take some time out of your busy schedule to explore your body, feel yourself and enjoy a self-induced orgasm. Go on, make a sticky mess.
View all masturbation photographs on Cheeky Boners by following the masturbating tag.
Header Image: Jerking His Perfect Boner
