February is the month of lovers AND self love~ We’ve had so many great customer experiences in the last few weeks, it’s nice to know people are feeling lot’s of pleasure! Want to know what everyone’s buying? Here are the top ten best selling vibrators for 2/2014: (In order of popularity) #10 Lelo Nea & […]

I’m a sucker for Egghead porn. At this time of year, there is a lot to hate about Chicago. Well not Chicago, per se, but certainly the subzero temperatures, chilling winds, and the ever-late Chicago Transit Authority that has you waiting at a bus station for fifteen, twenty minutes, having you curse the very day […]

As the holidays approach and we have our attention turned to the economy, I think this is a good time to not only look at international spending habits, but also our own right here at home. A friend of mine recently posted on her facebook page that buying from local businesses would help turn the […]

Vaginal Fisting (“fist-fucking, or “handballing”) specifically refers to the delicate and sensuous art of vaginal penetration, encompassing the entirety of a human hand and wrist (while synthetic toys are available to achieve the same goal, it’s more scrumptious to use one with a pulse). Why a fist? Although penises, dildos, and vibrators provide particular and […]

Sexy Date and A Toy: Go Get a drink in a hotel bar. Sure the economy is rough and you love dive bars. I completely understand, but when’s the last time you and your honey treated yourselves to a swanky cocktail at a swanky hotel? You don’t have to be staying there to enjoy the […]

Santa Baby, “Stuff this Stocking!” 10 Stocking Stuffers that Won’t Break the Bank P-Style- Ladies, pee standing up in style! $ 15 Sugar sak- keeps your toys dust and germ-free when they’re not being used $13 Innervibe vibrating finger-vibe- fits in your purse! $10 Innervibe vibrating cockring- great for cockring first-timers $10 Jimmy Jane Iconic […]

Sometimes we at Tulip Toy Gallery get the opportunity to collaborate with community organizations that benefit vital programs here in Chicago. Last Monday, November 15th, we had a great time sponsoring Chances Dances, a monthly dance party put on by Chances Dances at The Subterranean in Wicker Park—just up the street from our newest store. […]

3 Good Books Hidden on Our Bookshelf and Why They Are Good Girl Meets Girl by Diana Cage Why: Because I could’ve used this when I was a baby dyke! It will help those budding lesbians out there to: come out, find their inner player, navigate internet dating, make stuffed acorn squash, communicate clearly, not […]

At first I thought the Jimmy Jane Form 3 was a little weird looking. I’m used to more phallic vibes, but I’m so glad I gave it a shot! The engineers at Jimmy Jane know exactly what they’re doing. Even though it can be used by boys too, I feel like they’ve really taken the […]

One of my recent favorites…SM 101 by Jay Wiseman SM 101 is a frank introduction to Sadomasochism. At 391 pages, author, Jay Wiseman, takes an incredible degree of care in defining SM play, its basic techniques, how to find SM partners and play safe as well as many many other valuable insights for everyone from […]

She was 47 feet long and a bit weathered, docked at pier H you told me. I locked the door to my condo in which he was sleeping and walked to the marina, too drunk on lust and adrenaline to think of anything but the present moment. You held my hand and told me to […]

A review of Jenna Jameson’s How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale Once upon a time my exboyfriend asked me to help him to weed out the things in his basement that just have got to go. Quickly and confidently, I tossed things over my shoulder into big piles. Stuff went […]

Now that I’m teaching again I have the pleasure of writing lecture notes. What is nice about the practice of writing lecture notes is that one is afforded the opportunity to experiment with different readings of texts that, at this point at least, I have read 3 different times in the context of teaching this […]

As I will soon be leaving the country I have been narrowing down what I will need to bring. Pinning down which outfits are the most important, which shoes match everything, and what electronics I will need to conduct research has been a trying task. Fifteen weeks is a long time to be away from […]

At first, I have to admit, I couldn’t help but laugh. There I was, face-to-face with myself in the bathroom mirror: cleavage-popping corset, thigh highs, garter belt. Mustache. And a damn good mustache, if I say so myself, considering it was only the second one I’d ever drawn. It looked like my father’s: the real […]

“When did you know?”, they ask eagerly. This question strikes me oddly. I always hesitate, unsure of how to answer. There was no big discovery. Their face swims before me, open and seeming to expect some big confession while I imagine waking up one morning, suddenly aware of my deepest desires. It didn’t happen that […]

A week or so ago my boyfriend and I decided to make an investment. While real-estate or a fare card for transit would have been a wise choice we chose a city instead. That’s right, a city. After visiting Detroit, Chicago, and Toronto I pushed for the one and only Big Apple. A curvy shaft […]

Venn Diagrams: a staple of my 6th grade English class. Used primarily for comparing and contrasting the traits of heroes and villains from our greasy books. As a heinously awkward, four-eyed, bookish Strangling, drawing those two stupid interconnected circles was the highlight of my day. The analytical son-of-a-gun I’ve always been, it really was just […]

The boy and I were talking about Marx earlier today. I should rephrase: the boy and I were being politely social on account of his room-mate. We both were craving the privacy of a closed door and music loud enough to mask my rather audible enjoyment of his company. That would come soon enough, a […]

Every couple of months or so, I go through a pretty exhausting existential crisis. I analyze the whats and wheres of life, trying to answer the unanswerable questions. You know, just like every other over-analytical twentysomething on the planet. Naturally, like the masochist I am, I found myself smack-dab in the middle of my most […]

Tonight mid-shift, I looked up to see a heavyset blonde with a fake tan literally straddling the doorway of our store to act as a soccer-mom blockade, if you will, for a group of 7 or 8 teen girls passing by. Judging by the girls’ highlighted hair and bellybutton rings peeking out beneath their tanktops, […]

A lot can happen in forty years. A man landing on the moon becomes passé, for example. A celebrity can become a superstar, then alleged child molester, then nothing more than food for worms. Wars start, then lose meaning. But then again, in the span of four decades, some wars never end. This weekend marks […]

This is my last shift as a Tulip. It’s a lot like my first- Berwyn and Clark is the same quiet kitschy corner and my Pandora music station is still set to “Ne-Yo.” Every few hours a gay man comes in and buys a big bottle of Maximus (the first thing I sold here). Of […]

White linen, short minis, bare-skin, fogged designer sunglasses, de-frizz hair serum, cold drinks, ultra-fresh produce, restaurant mist-fans, poolside umbrellas, and skyrocketing a/c bills adding to the already too-high overhead costs for local businesses. Red-faced tourists under floppy hats and the homeless, selling Evian from coolers at traffic lights, are the only ones naïve or desperate […]

“Enjoy your night,” I say simply, that little knowing, shit-eating grin on my face. My customers – one man and one woman, now owners of their very own strap-on set – return my quip with looks of part-shock, part-horror, and part-unbridled excitement for what their night has in store. “I bet you love to say […]

I’ve come to think of Boystown as a ghetto, especially upon reading Guillaume Dustan’s semi-autobiographical novel, “Dans ma chamber”. He describes the neighborhood where he lives in such a manner as to render it nearly indistinguishable from, say, Boystown: the economics of his neighborhood revolve around hair and tanning salons, bars and nightclubs, sex clubs, […]

I’m a classy broad with champagne taste; for Andre, specifically. Cook’s if I’m feelin’ frisky. My product purchases aren’t due to preference, but based on tough times and limited by necessity. When you work two jobs and can just barely make rent, afford groceries, or cough up cash to see a doctor when you’re huddled […]

A friend of mine recently recited a poem by Anne Carson which prompted me to return to the volume he drew from, wherein I found another poem I was pleased I’d underscored when I first read it. In this poem Carson poses a question–”What really connects words and things?”–but the question is both a rift […]

I have this secret guilty habit I perform each day, somewhere between my first cup of coffee and the final knot in my tie. I’ve checked the day’s headlines, drawn up a lengthy “to-do” list, and fretted over the always-empty bank account. And just before I motivate myself to finally get up and get on […]

Go back, go back. Go over it. Brotherboi. Try to remember. The “you” of now is not an academic revelation. It is the “you” of always. Someone once told you to put your shirt on during t-ball, to cover what you could not see and did not yet understand would be inescapable. Prepped for and […]

He watches her from across the bar as she casually tosses her long red hair and sways to the music. He sips his beer, quietly admiring, as her hands caress each curve of her body. Her tight black dress creeps toward her waist, revealing a tantalizing flash of inner thigh. He notices her, noticing him, […]

My grandmother never had an orgasm. She was beautiful, curvy, intelligent, strong, and quick-witted. She married twice, and gave birth to six children. SIX. My grandfather was the love of her life and their deep connection radiated throughout our family with an awe-inspiring understanding of unconditional love. She had hard times and many more good […]

It happens every day; on street corners, in bars, on dance floors, in bathrooms and offices, schools and shoppes around the world. Fleeting moments of intimacy between strangers, friends, lovers and potential lovers. A shy glance, a forward stare, brief moments of contact, blushing confessions, “I don’t know why i just told you that”‘s. Hearts […]

Come here. Sit down. I know, I know -that romance thing is for the monogamists, for the kids of “B” movies and drunk high school proms, for your mom and dad who now hate each other, for some dark-haired hero from your childhood that is not coming. I know, I know- we’re too radical, too […]

Man: I am a Man. Woman: I am a Woman. Man: What makes you a woman? Woman: What makes you a man? Man: I have a penis. Woman: So do I…well…sometimes. I have breasts. Man: Im fairly certain Ive had breasts before. Woman: Ha! Well, I have a vagina, BUT, I cant carry a child. […]

We’ve all heard it. Those sappy Lifetime-inspired Hallmark-worthy Oprah-ready phrases to describe how sex revolutionized a person’s life. “Making love,” “our sex was an expression of our affection,” “it means more when you’re with that special someone.” Please excuse me while I vomit (and not in the erotic fashion). Sex has long been assigned those […]

It came as such a relief. Like the moment after turning in an exam you were bound to fail, or the halting of your car after you’ve skidded out, I could only exhale and walk away, a little scathed but still in tact. I looked at myself in the mirror- an old soccer t-shirt and […]

I’m all about sexual empowerment. You want to strap it on and cruise Halsted for cute gay boys at 3 am? Go ahead. Be safe. You want to cover yourself in peanut butter and go at it in the middle of the day at St. Boniface Cemetery? Cool. Try not to get busted (unless of […]

In my last post, we established that dirty little secret of my sprightly youth. To quote: “I’m young. Not in the, ‘wow, he’s so underage it’s illegal’ sort of way, but rather in the sense that I moved to Chicago for school less than a year ago.” I’ve been thinking a lot about age recently, […]

The first time it happened by accident. My girlfriend, Paris (stylish black femme with a misanthropic streak and penchant for obscure music —think: “um, I liked them before they were cool”) and I were in the throes of teenage lust. She was sprawled across the backseat of my car, tartan skirt hiked around her belly, […]

Alright ladies, gentlemen, and gender-fucks, lets be honest: I’m young. Not in the,”wow, he’s so underage its illegal” sort of way, but rather in the sense that I moved toChicago for school less than a year ago. Now, I shirk at the inevitable label as”baby-gay”, since for the majority of my post-pubescent life, I’ve been […]

I still remember my first pornographic video. I was fourteen, and while I had seen plenty of still photos of men having sex, masturbating, and indulging in all sorts of erotic pleasure, I still lacked that integral aspect: putting it all in motion. The first film was perhaps the worst porn I had ever seen. […]

I admit it, I’m jealous. Seething with an insatiable desire and perpetual (phantom) hard-on. “It was…almost too good to be true,” my friend reminisces, grinning vacuously while I turn over his brand-new Steamworks membership card in my hand. “I could basically get anything I wanted!” I congratulate him and demand he describe every room in […]

Last weekend was business as usual: after a brief visit to Tulip, I took the train home. As each one of the upcoming stops were announced, I kept my eyes on the passengers around me. None of them could know what I was keeping in my backpack. I couldn’t stop smiling the entire way home. […]

As a supposed sex educator who has always cautioned friends to revel safely in their promiscuity, I’ve been a bit of a hypocrite. For a long time, I found girl/girl safer sex an uncomfortable prospect, if not wholly repulsive. I got tested biannually. I demanded that the smattering of bio-boys I fucked wear condoms. I […]

Believe it or not, I used to be a sexual purist. When I first came out as a babydyke in the Kansas City LGBT scene (see Holden, we hillbilly Kansans can be queer as fuck, too), I dated a bright, punky femme who described herself as ‘a freak in bed,’ and had been sleeping with […]

Last weekend, as I peddled dildos and vibrators here at Tulip to our fabulous customers, I was greeted by two men straight from Kansas City. With their cute southern drawls and pure interest, they reeled off a seemingly endless list of questions, often asking another before I had a chance to answer. It was not […]

I just concluded an hour-long tirade directed toward my poor (very patient) girlfriend, Alexandra, by shouting, “I really think I’m this shifting Venn diagram of postmodern bullshit! Like, some queer, bi-gendered/genderqueer-but-hardly-andro faggy dyke who loves performing femme…but only with a self-reflexive drag queen aesthetic, you know?! I mean, really I’m just a gay boy.” What […]

Oh, the penis; that famous and infamous extension of the male body which seems to garner inordinate attention in everything from television and magazines to casual conversation amongst friends. Both feared and held sacred, the male member has been deemed a fascinating creature by so many, never ceasing to provide hours of conversation, both internal […]

There are words that go down in history. And then there are others – no matter how hard you refute, ignore, or tip-toe around them – that will live on forever in infamy. Certain labels come to mind. The nasty little labels from the ever-broadening Rainbow Spectrum linger there for a while. Don’t get me […]

I share a vision with some of my fellow Tulips (the audacious counterpublic of Pleasure World) of a social space which transgresses the trappings of institutionalized domesticity, the capital Ms that pose just as much of a threat to our community as the Westboro Baptist Church—Marriage and Monogamy. Good, clean, wholesome, state-sanctioned and primetime-approved intimacy. […]

“We play in playgrounds without the rubber floors and soft edges. Most prefer plastic over rusted metal jungle gyms where the paint peels off when we grab with our little hands and decorate our palms with colorful confetti. They can call it dirt and hurt our feelings but we won’t care when we press our […]

Below is one of our favorite quotes from Pat Califia’s important essay collection, Public Sex. Califia is the Big Daddy of what we at Tulip call “pleasure world” (pleasure world being public spaces for sex and talk unfettered from traditional models of sociality, mainly marriage and monogamy; pleasure world is all about re-imagining the social […]

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that Tulip Toy Gallery is a different kind of sex toy store. With our wide range of products, from unique BDSM gear and gorgeous dildoes and vibes to fashion-forward clothing and an impressive array of literature, Tulip is proud of the holistic, cutting-edge approach we take to […]

Why do we tend to couple up and live only with that person? Queers who are interested in fostering other ways of being and belong that do not involve the dominant life narrative of maturity, namely the couple form and parenthood, feel a sense of defeat in the face of what Leo Bersani calls, “the […]

These are a Few of My Favorite Things: Tulip’s (Naughty) Holiday Gift Guide Wednesday, December 3 6:00-8:30 pm The Center on Halsted 3656 N. Halsted Street Chicago, IL Come join us for a discussion of all sex toys naughty (and not so nice), perfect gifts for friends, lovers, or yourself. We’ll talk about “safe” gifts […]

As a true child of the 21st century, I often sit and muse about life before the internet, cell phones, and the iPod. After all, how did people function without their Blackberry in one hand, a soy latte in the other, and headphones blaring Rihanna? What sad and dismal days those must have been. And […]

Spice It Up: Sex in the New Year January: Wednesday, 1/7 6:00pm Center on Halsted (this workshop is part of Woman-Identified Wednesdays) 3448 N. Halsted Street Chicago, IL (free) It’s a new year so why not take control of your sex life and have better sex? Think about your body as a site of multiple […]

Cady, Linsey Lohan’s character in the fine cinematic masterpiece entitled Mean Girls said it best: “Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Of course, here in Boystown, where lines of gender are often blurred, Halloween can become a […]

Word Play: The Linguistics of Sexuality As a sexual health educator and Tulip employee I talk about sex a lot: on elevators, on the train, in the classroom, even on airplanes with the flight attendants (who, I might add, try to set me up with their gay sons). Through my conversations, I’ve developed a keen […]

Today, as our social capacity to discuss sex and pleasure is expanding beyond what it used to be. After all, this is not your grandma’s generation. While we still have a long way to go, important discussions on sex are evolving to include maximized pleasure in ways once seen as taboo. At the forefront of […]

Confident in the Skin I’m In: Dress for Success There is a spectrum of gender expressions, unfettered from traditional definitions of “male” and “female.” This workshop starts from and celebrates this premise. Come for a discussion–in a safe and accepting space– about the many ways in which transfolks can be their gorgeous selves in the […]

I couldn’t stop touching this unbelievably soft, silky silicone toy when I first got it. I usually steer clear of dual action vibrators, because the round-and-round motion of the shaft kind of scares me. But I just might be a convert: I love this toy! It’s so versatile, it can produce both really strong vibrations […]

I am an aspiring Burlesque dancer. That’s right. Wipe that drool from your mouth. Why am I only aspiring and not shouting my new found passion from the rooftops yet, you ask? There are far too many mediocre burlesque performers out there in Chicago. That’s why. So many girls just want to wear makeup and […]

If there needed to be a Tulip Toy Gallery in Britain, NOW is the time to have one: Britain’s oldest virgin turns 105 today! Clara Meadmore was born in 1903 and since the age of 12, felt that she would live a celibate life. She never married nor had a boyfriend and feels that relationships […]

I get asked a lot of sex questions… I’m not entirely sure why, but I assume it has something to do with bizarre social constructs involving sex store workers as being sexperts. [Note the sarcasm and empathy]. But what is fact, is that we talk about sex a lot, and have read about sex a […]

As a sexual health educator for over two years, I’ve become very well acquainted with the condom. I’ve rolled them down plastic penis models, shot them across classrooms, licked them, put them over my head, handed them out as party favors, and always had one handy to give to a friend in need. They’re like […]

“You could move.” ~Abigail Van Buren, “Dear Abby,” in response to a reader who complained that a gay couple was moving in across the street and wanted to know what he could do to improve the quality of the neighborhood. “The next time someone asks you, ‘Hey, howdja get to be a homosexual anyway?’ tell […]

In no particular order, I, K. Bust, would like to present to you my top ten terms for female masturbation: Drum roll, please… 10. Playing the clitar 9. Checking for squirrels (File this under WTF?!) 8. Dialin’ your rotary phone 7. Erasing your problems away 6. Lady diddles 5. Tip toe through the two lips […]

The assertion that BDSM is a reproduction of existing power relations is fundamentally flawed. Inevitably it involves the eroticization of both power and strategic relations, but it stands in stark contrast to expressions of social and political power. The latter are “…stabilized through institutions, [so]…the mobility in power relations is limited…the strategic relations of people […]

Does your idea of foreplay include… blindfolding your partner so that they are entirely unable to see when and where your next touch will be? dripping, or perhaps ever pouring, scorching candle wax onto their unsuspecting flesh? handcuffing them to the bed, or better yet, tying their hands behind their back, eliminating their ability to […]

I put the Vamp Silicone pack-and-play, the Bella, to the test! The Bella can be a bit too large to always wear around in public. It looked like I had a hard on, but if that is what you want then go for it! It’s fun to show off. I slapped that bad boy in […]

Let me start by saying this is the best film yet by Buck Angel, the “man with a vagina.” It was totally plotted out! It was like watching a good movie and the acting was amazing. This porn was obviously inspired by the now classic queer film, Brokeback Mountain, and it really had hot cowboy […]

1. Gigi rechargeable vibe – a great beginner vibrator because it starts at such a low intensity and has perfect g-spot stiumation (no guess work, no hunting around in that vagina!). – there are so many settings, almost everyone is sure to find one they like – vibrating blow jobs! – slender size is good […]

1. The Bend-Over-Boyfriend Special- Wilde dildo (the dandy) and spareparts harness Wilde has a great angle for p-spot stimulation; inside bumps perfect for anal; non-realistic *Try Hydra Smooth Lube: nice and thick water-based lube for anal that lasts and lasts; not sticky or runny, moisturizing, 2. Spareparts Harness- sexy, comfortable, and accommodates all different shapes […]

Tired of floppy dildoes that just don’t hit that g-spot? Tulip is over all of that flip-flopping, guessing, poking, prodding kind of sex. We’re the only store that carries the revolutionary Talula (in small, medium, and large for size queens). The Talula is an anatomical superstar (even a penis can’t get that erect) and hits […]

Even someone who can’t wait to jump into the world of sex toys can be intimidated be the number of choices out there. Rachel Venning and Claire Cavanah have created Sex Toys 101 for just those people. This clear, informative, and “playfully uninhibited guide” introduces just about every category of sex toy out there. Having […]

It’s nearly impossible to objectively judge any creative endeavor, and porn is even harder to rate. Even you don’t dig golden shower/hot wax/strap-on anal play scenes, it may still be the stuff of my fantasies. Still, we do hand out awards for “good” porn. Tulip has several of these title, they really are pretty damn […]

Lucy B is an outstanding company specializing in pin-up couture and retro-inspired lingerie that is TO DIE FOR. Fans of Marilyn Monroe, Dita Von Teese, and Bettie Page will adore the lacy baby dolls and animal print bra and panties sets.  EVERYONE is encouraged to peruse our gorgeous selection as the sizes range from XS […]

“Why can’t they have gay people in the army? Personally, I think they are just afraid of a thousand guys with M16s going, ‘Who’d you call a faggot?’” –Jon Stewart “Homosexuality is regarded as shameful by barbarians and by those who live under despotic governments just as philosophy is regarded as shameful by them, because […]

Strap-ons are not just for girl-on-girl action anymore. More and more heterosexual couples are indulging in harness sex. This involves the woman wearing the dildo while the man is on the receiving end. The sexual act is called pegging or bend-over-boyfriend (we love BOBs!). The prostate is the male G-spot and through stimulation via anal […]

Tulip’s First “This is Not a Salon” Series Saturday, June 21st 8:00 pm, Tulip Lakeview Part 1: Minor/Nonstandard Intimacies “Making a queer world has required the development of kinds of intimacy that bear no necessary relation to domestic space, to kinship, to the couple form, to property, or to the nation. These intimacies do bear […]

Dressing fetish goddesses like Dita von Teese, Vex is Chicago and the world’s premiere latex clothing designer. Go beyond the boudoir and wear Vex to restaurants, bars, clubs, parties, to the theater . . .just because most people under dress doesn’t mean that you have to. Be original. Wear latex in public. Work it out, […]

Come check out our latest porn titles, from Belladonna to Papi and Wil! From the “dirtiest girl in porn” and our hero, Belldonna: Bella Fucking Girls 5 and 6 (she’s as nasty as she wants to be, we promise) From our favorite female porn director, Mason (cutting edge, nasty, and un-PC–we love her): Mason’s Dirty […]

New Books at Tulip Black Like Us: A Century of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual African-American Fiction Queer Beats: How the Beats Turned America on to Sex We Came All the Way From Cuba so You Could Dress Like This? short stories by Achy Obejas Virgins, Guerrillas, and Locas: Gay Latinos Writing About Love Ceremonies: Poetry […]

Tulip’s First “This is Not a Salon” Series: In the spirit of Anais Nin, Collette, Djuna Barnes, Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde . . . Saturday, June 21 8:00 pm,Tulip Lakeview Part 1: Minor/Nonstandard Intimacies “Making a queer world has required the development of kinds of intimacy that bear no necessary relation to domestic space, to […]

Tulip is the only sex store in Chicago to carry products from the new Sin Five line. Brand new to the US market, the name Sin Five was inspired by the fifth–and probably the most intimate deadly sin – lust. Sin Five fuses fashion, pleasure and high-end engineering into one gorgeous toy. This unique line […]

New Art Coming to Tulip Lakeview We’re thrilled to feature the work of local artists Torie McMillan and Michelle Lee this summer at Tulip Lakview. Torie McMillan (June/July)-photography McMillan moved to Chicago from Houston two years ago. Photography and painting are her main mediums. Currently, her focus is on the queer community, with a special […]

Beginning August 08, Tulip will hold workshops at the award-winning GLBT Center on Halsted located at 3656 N. Halsted Street in Chicago, IL. We are proud to participate in the Center’s Fall workshop/lecture series on sexuality. More information will be posted soon. Is it possible to know too much about sex, desire, fantasy, pleasure? Tulip […]

Tulip Body Candle for $15 – a candle, available in three scents, that burns WARM for temperature play and turns into organic soy massage oil. Imagine blindfolding your partner and playing with the warm sensation of falling wax and afterward using the drops to give a sensual massage! The wax is completely organic and healthy […]