SB - I-WW'
Honey, they've got a full line
By Zach Bergson
Name: Beth Karmeisol
Education: Masters in Public Health, University of
Michigan
Age: 43
Hometown: Metamora, Mich.
How did you get into the sex store business?
Twenty plus years ago I was doing volunteer work with
adolescents that were dying of AIDS. I saw a huge need
to establish a sex-positive environment that disseminated
consistent and correct information about sexual health in
a positive way. In addition to being a retail environment
that you can then purchase all of these products to help
keep you safe - reduce the risk of sexually transmitted
diseases and infections, and unintended pregnancies - I
wanted to promote the educational side of it.
Every single person that works for me has to be trained
and has to have a background of sexual health, women's
health or men's health that then we build upon in here.
We're not selling T-shirts: if someone comes in and buys
a T-shirt somewhere and it's not the right fit or it's not the
right color, it's no big deal. But if somebody comes in and
we sell them the wrong condom or a lubricant that's not
compatible with a condom then that's a potential risk. The
people here have to understand that sexual health and
background.
Ok, we're going to do a 180 now. What's the best start-
er toy for a couple that's never used a sex toy before?
It's hard to answer that question. I can't just pick some-
thing magically out of the air and present it. The biggest
reason for that is perception. Each couple has a comfort
'Yevel. Questions have to asked before products can be
assigned. Questions that I would address is: Are you look-
ing for a massage item, a vibrating item, are you looking
for a game? Things of that sort and then zero in accord-
ingly.
But there's no magical answer for that, because of that
perception. I can't take something off the shelf and shove
it in your face and say this is the end-all-be-all product,
because the person might look at me and say "Oh my
god, that scares the crap out of me," and they might be
too uncomfortable to tell me they're uncomfortable with
it, and feel pressure to buy. And nobody ever feels pres-
sure to buy in here, because we want the individual to be
educated about the product and then make their decision
about what is best for them.
Is there one bestselling toy that you have here?
The Lelo line, Iwill say, does really well for us, for a
-couple of different reasons. The quality of the product,
its name recognition and we're now offering all Lelo
products on sale until the end of the year.
Could yougive me some examples of the different Lelo
products?
Honey, they have a full line. From start to finish, they
have a full line of products. They start with a basic dildo
- a dildo or a dong is a product that is non-vibrating.
And then they move into internal and external products.
Vibrators, that can be used for penetrative stimulation or
k3
external stimulation of the clitoris or penis. Vaginal, anal,
cock-rings, they make a full line for everything. They have
back massagers, dual stimulators - those that stimulate
internally and externally for a female. They run from $40
to $200. A full range.
One of the coolest things that they have is a USB charged
product, so you don't have to worry about batteries. You
just plug it into your computer and go. They have remote
controlled items as well for partner play or if you want to
wear the product through town and hold the remote con-
trol, you can do that too. You never know what's going on in
those lecture halls.
I'm sure you get crazy phone calls here. What's the
weirdest call you've gotten?
The one thing that is a little irritating is when you're in the
middle of something and you get the prank- phone calls.
Yesterday we were really busy and I was working by myself,
and I had an individual call that was obviously a prank call.
Any of the prank phone calls start off really hesitant and
then they go into it, and then the person kept on asking for
sex and wouldn't stop. The funnything is that the prank
phone calls pick up when school lets out. When the parents
are away, they have nothing to do so they think it's funny to
prank us. Sometimes you do know that somebody is on the
other end pleasuring themselves and that's very uncom-
fortable, but we can usually figure it out. We just state that
that is inappropriate for this type of location, if you need
help with something you need to take of that yourself.
The categories that define sexual relations can be lim-
iting at times, what do you think the role of the Safe
Sex Store has in helping these people come to terms
with these definitions in reference to themselves?
I actuallytaught a class here to undergraduates called
Human Sexuality and Gender Issues. Gender issue is a big
deal and identity comes from within, and it's very difficult to
label somebody. My stance - it's going to sound harsh -S3
Safe Sex Store, we don't care who you or how you identify.
We want to make sure that whenever or however you identi-
fy, you're proceeding safely. That's our number one concern.
If somebody is struggling with trying to find their iden-
tity - we've worked with numerous people and counseled
them to the point where they're on the brink of suicide.
I have one particular case that this person was ready to
commit suicide and I had gone to a hotel room and met
this person, and literally talked them off the edge, because
they didn't see an out. He felt homosexual, but his outward
identity to the world was heterosexual, and he needed to
come to grips on how to come out. Today, he is an amazing,
thriving, beautiful homosexual man. It's really about build-
ing the confidence in the individual to establish their own
identity within and makingsure that they don't feel judged.
Terra Molengraffcontributed to this story.
t