SPEAKING OF BUTT PLUGS

Buttplugs provide non-stop entertainment for your nether parts, combining stimulation of an erogenous zone with what many experience as a delicious feeling of fullness. They're also great in either solo or partnered play for training those sphincter muscles to relax. If you're the kind of guy who has trouble loosening up, the gentle insertion of a well-lubed plug can help you get used to getting loose.

Buttplugs, like dildos, are made from a variety of materials. Vinyl or rubber ones are cheapest, but hard and relatively inflexible. Jelly-rubber ones are colourful, but porously difficult to keep spotless. Pricier silicone plugs, if they fit into your budget, are probably best - flexibly firm and easiest to clean.

For an extra thrill, consider the vibrating plug. These fellas have a little electric vibrator inside, wired up to a control unit that - in the good ones - allows the user to choose from a sliding scale of sensations, from "Gently Murmuring" to "Holy Cow!" Not only does the vibration persuade many holes to open up more easily, guys often find the added stimulation of their prostate glands is heavenly. And, unlike some cylindrical vibrators (you know, the ones passed off as "facial stimulators" in polite company), vibrating plugs are safe; their substantially flared bases won't allow the whole unit to slip inside where it can become wedged in, resulting in an embarrassing trip to casualty.

There are lots of fun things you can do with buttplugs. They enable you to "fuck" a guy's butt while you're sucking his dick. They also can be props in domination/submission scenes ("I'm gonna put this in you, and you'll keep it in"). And since they can be worn for extended periods, they can even be used in public play; nobody at that expensive restaurant will know you have it in but the two of you. (All but the chunkiest models do tend to work themselves loose, though, so you might want to consider a specially designed harness, or at least very tight underwear, to keep your little friend firmly up your arse.)

The usual precautions apply. Don't share uncleaned toys. (Rubbers help keep things tidy.) Don't let your eyes be bigger than your butthole; be sensible about size and what you (or he) can accommodate. Make sure there are no rough edges; remember, it's delicate in there. Don't ever, ever shove it so far in you won't be able to get it out again. And keep it out of sight when your parents visit. Treated well, your friendly little buttplug can provide you and yours with many evenings of discreet, delightful, arse-tingling pleasure.

Simon Sheppard

San Francisco artist and activist Simon Sheppard is best known for his contributions to the erotic literary scene. He wrote hundreds of stories that appeared in S/M magazines; erotic anthologies; and over twenty editions of Best Gay Erotica and Best American Erotica. His Sextalk column has appeared on OutUK for more than 20 years. You can find out more about Simon Sheppard in this OutUK feature and tribute, or take a look at some of his many books that are still available:

       

Looking for something very sexy and just as smart? Man on Man collects the best and hottest gay sex writing by Simon, who is also co-editor of Rough Stuff: Tales of Gay Men, Sex, and Power as well as a collection of gay erotica called Hotter Than Hell.

In KINKORAMA : Dispatches from the Front Lines of Perversion he takes readers behind the unmarked doors and black vinyl curtains that lead to the sometimes shocking, often hilarious, relentlessly arousing scenarios of extreme sex. There are also stories of bears in Tales from the Bear Cult: Beat Bear Stories from the Best Magazines.