Behind the Scenes at Babeland: An Interview with Lauren, Receiver/Sex Educator

You've seen our Staff Picks section, right? Every month, six of our staff members pick one of their favorite toys, and we tell you all about it here. And in the spirit of letting you into our behind-the-scenes wonderland, I (Abby, your trusty Web Editor) interview one of our Staff Pick-ers every month. This month, learn a little more about Lauren, our Soho Receiver/Sex Educator extraordinaire! Lauren brings an awesome sense of humor and a unrelenting commitment to sex education to everything she does, and we adore her for it. Read on!

Abby: What first brought you to Babeland? Tell us the story of how you started working here.

Lauren: I grew up in NYC and found Babeland about ten years ago, after too many trips to seedy sex shops in the West Village. The first thing I bought was a beginner's strap-on kit, but it wasn’t until I found my true love, the Hitachi Magic Wand, that I knew that sex toys were a passion of mine. About 2 ½ years ago, I decided to try and get a job here because I loved the people who work here (a lot of my friends were working here already), and I love to talk to people about their sex lives!

Abby: Where were you before Babeland? Give us a summary of your career!

Lauren: Oh, I’ve done a variety of things including having worked in a record store, a mosaic-making shop, a patisserie, and teaching guitar to middle school kids. On top of Babeland, I also co-host a monthly queer party called Queerespondence at Southpaw in Brooklyn, as well as volunteer at the Lesbian Herstory Archives.

Abby: And when you're at Babeland, what do you do here?

Lauren: I’m responsible for managing the inventory at Babeland SoHo, which basically means I count vibrators and dildos all day long! A day in the life includes carrying many boxes down to the basement, unpacking, and checking quantities. I love it because I’m the first person at the store to check out the coolest new toys we get in. Vixen is always my favorite vendor to unpack because they often have the Outlaw, which is the biggest dildo we have, packed on top of the box. The last time we got a box in, there were probably 10 huge dildos spilling right off the top! It’s moments like that where I’m reminded of how special working at Babeland is.

Abby: What was your family’s reaction when you told them you work at Babeland?

Lauren: My family loves it! I’m in the process of scheduling toy parties at two of my family members' houses!

Abby: That's so great. Tell us about your favorite/most touching/life-changing moment with a customer, coworker, whoever.

Lauren: I, like everyone else, have way too many to choose from! What I love about the community at Babeland is that we’re a big family. We all hang out and genuinely like each other. It’s so amazing because we all have really radical outlooks on life, and some people come into the store with a lot of armor or judgment about what we do.  So it’s comforting to have such a wonderful support system of people who have your back. We really try to take care of each other.

Abby: Definitely. I think that's one of the best things about working here. What’s something you’ve learned about yourself through your work at Babeland?

Lauren: I've learned that I actually can speak in public! After being in the workshop program for a year and teaching various techniques and tips to over 30 people at a time, my public speaking skills have dramatically improved.

Abby: And what's something you've learned about sex?

Lauren: That there are a lot of people out there who have really limited or inaccurate knowledge about it, and how much I want to change that!

Abby: And finally, everyone's favorite question: what are your favorite words for different anatomical parts?

Lauren: Cunt, pussy, junk, bits, tits, titties – tee hee!ful support system of people who have your back. We really try to take care of each other.

Abby: Definitely. I think that's one of the best things about working here. What’s something you’ve learned about yourself through your work at Babeland?

Lauren: I've learned that I actually can speak in public! After being in the workshop program for a year and teaching various techniques and tips to over 30 people at a time, my public speaking skills have dramatically improved.

Abby: And what's something you've learned about sex?

Lauren: That there are a lot of people out there who have really limited or inaccurate knowledge about it, and how much I want to change that!

Abby: And finally, everyone's favorite question: what are your favorite words for different anatomical parts?

Lauren: Cunt, pussy, junk, bits, tits, titties – tee hee!