There’s a Dildo in the Dishwasher.

Talking self-pleasure and self-maintenance with the Red Tent Sisters of Toronto.

Courtesy of mushypony.com

Staying in bed just got hotter. Whether you’re nestling under the covers with a battery-operated toy or the real McCoy, The Red Tent Sisters have got everything you need to get this winter off to a warm and oh-so-happy start.

The pro-women’s shop has got alternative menstrual and fertility products (such as the Diva Cup) along with sex-toys made of stainless steel, wood and non-porous silicone. They’ve also got a small rental selection of porn DVD’s directed by females that take women’s pleasures into account, which goes perfectly with their Japanese condoms that use a thinner latex than the ones you’d find at Shoppers. They’ve even got vegan condoms. Yes. Vegan condoms.

Natural light filters into the clean store making it feel warm and friendly. It’s a comfortable place to peruse the collection of fiction, general women’s health, natural fertility, parenting and sex books, and let your eye wander to the table in the centre of the room.

What’s on that center table? Well, it ain’t candy (even though one is called the Liquorice Pop, $50). It’s glass dildos!

Courtesy of mushypony.com

“They’re really versatile with one end for G-spot stimulation and the other end for clitoral stimulation. They’re the cleanest sex-toy on the market. They’re non-porous and you can put them in the dishwasher!” says Kim Sedgwick, co-owner.

For over two years, the idea for a boutique and women’s wellness centre was percolating in the minds of Kim and Amy Sedgwick, sisters and co-owners. “I felt like I was giving sexuality workshops my whole life,” says Kim, 25, who grew up surrounded by older sisters. Doling out advice to her friends around the cafeteria table later led to a B.A. in Gender Studies and English from King’s College in Halifax. While there, she became a fan of the education-oriented sex shop: Venus Envy, which in turn inspired her to open her own shop.

“There are so many hang-ups ingrained in us…. Here we take a holistic approach to women’s health,” says Kim. “We’re always working to have that reflected in our store and not have sex stigmatized.” By having everything out in the open and not hidden behind a black curtain, they’re making a bold statement that may not jive with locals.

“We did some of our own market research outside the Carrot Common [a health-food store on the Danforth] and asked if people would go to a sex shop in that area. It was overall pretty receptive, but some people still wanted the sex-stuff to be secluded to a back corner,” says Kim.

Instead, they decided to intermingle the sex-toys with the PG products and in doing so, have taken away the feelings of shame and sleaziness that come with shopping for such taboo items. Unlike other retail experiences, shopping at The Red Tent Sisters comes with great, personable service. They know their products, where they come from, who they’re made by and why they stand behind them.

Kim and Amy are smart businesswomen. They’ve also paired their retail business with a wide-range of workshops like Bedroom Burlesque, Rock YOUR World and Fertility Yoga.

Courtesy of mushypony.com

“Women will spend money to do something for someone else, our Rock HIS world workshop is really popular,” says Kim. “But to get women to go to the Rock YOUR World course was really tough.” Eventually, they got enough people in order to run the course, but Kim wishes that more women would feel it was important and feel comfortable enough with their own sexuality to attend a class where the goal is to learn how to pleasure yourself.

The classes are all clothes-on, lecture-style, but far from boring: “We have a vulva puppet to show anatomy!” laughs Kim.

The Red Tent Sisters are open Mon-Sun. Check them out online here, or on their sister site: http://www.ecosex.ca/

– Otiena Ellwand