Rosalind Mary Owens (born 12 November 1944), known as Tuppy Owens, is an English sex therapist, consultant, campaigner, writer and former adult model.
Education
Born in Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
, Owens gained a degree in zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...
from Exeter University
, mottoeng = "We Follow the Light"
, established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter)
, type = Public
, ...
, and then worked in ecology
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
in Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
and Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
.[ She settled in ]London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, and worked as a scientific administrator at the Natural Environment Research Council
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is a British research council that supports research, training and knowledge transfer activities in the environmental sciences.
History
NERC began in 1965 when several environmental (mainly geogr ...
.[ Then, in the late 1960s, she established a sex education book publishing company, for which she wrote and published ''The Sex Maniac's Diary''][ successfully between 1972 and 1995, and which she operated as a thriving business from her ]Mayfair
Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...
flat[ — for example, the 1975 ''Sex Maniac's Diary'' was launched in August 1974 with a reception at the Bristol Hotel in London which was reported on the following day in the ]Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
.[
]
Work
From 1974, Owens also began lecturing on the subject of sex.[ In 1975, she appeared in the Dutch pornographic film ''Sensations''. From 1984, the ''Sex Maniac's Diary'' was published as ''The Safer Sex Maniac's Diary'' and provided the first visual instructions to the public on how to put a ]condom
A condom is a sheath-shaped barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both male and female condoms. With proper use—and use at every act of in ...
on securely; it also reviewed condoms and offered safer sex
In cryptography, SAFER (Secure And Fast Encryption Routine) is the name of a family of block ciphers designed primarily by James Massey (one of the designers of IDEA) on behalf of Cylink Corporation. The early SAFER K and SAFER SK designs share t ...
advice, all at the beginning of the outbreak of HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
.[
In 1979, Owens started the Outsiders Club for socially and physically disabled people to find partners. She was helped by Nigel Verbeek, who had recently lost his sight. Both worked voluntarily, which Owens continues to do today. Outsiders is a club providing peer support to members, an online Clubhouse, and monthly lunches around the country.
In order to ensure that she answered the members' questions with accuracy, Owens trained as a ]sex therapist
Sex therapy is a strategy for the improvement of sexual function and treatment of sexual dysfunction. This includes sexual dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation or delayed ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, lack of sexual interest or arousal, ...
at St George's Hospital Medical School in London, where she gained a diploma in Human Sexuality in 1986.[ She was also subsequently awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Institute of Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in ]San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
.[ In 2009, Owens was named one of the Family Planning Association's 80 most influential achievers in the field of family planning.
For disabled men and women who want to learn what pleasures their bodies are capable of enjoying, and how to please a partner, Owens set up the TLC Trust website, where they can find responsible, safe sexual services.
In 1981, Owens appeared in the English pornographic film ''Lady Victoria's Training'', which was produced by Mike Freeman/Videx and featured Simon Lindsay Honey, who went on to work as a porn producer and actor under the pseudonym ]Ben Dover
Simon James Honey (born 23 May 1956), better known as Ben Dover, is an English pornographic actor, director and producer. He has also worked under several other pseudonyms including Steve Perry as producer and Lindsay Honey as an actor and mus ...
.[
In 2005, Owens founded the Sexual Health and Disability Alliance (SHADA)][ to bring together health professionals interested in sex and disability. In November 2009, a conference with the title "Disability: Sex, Relationships and Pleasure" was held by SHADA with the ]Royal Society of Medicine
The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society in the United Kingdom, headquartered in London.
History
The Society was established in 1805 as Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, meeting in two rooms in barristers’ chambers ...
.[ Owens produced the Sexual Respect Tool Kit, and started the sexual advocacy service, ASAP. She also answers the Sex and Disability Helpline. Her book "Supporting Disabled People with their Sexual Lives" was published by ]Jessica Kingsley
Jessica may refer to:
Given name
* Jessica (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters with this name
* Jessica Folcker, a Swedish singer known by the mononym Jessica
* Jessica Jung, a Korean-American singer known by the m ...
on 19 November 2014.
Owens remains active in running Outsiders.[ At the same time, she also advises the promoter of the Sexual Freedom Ball to fund Outsiders, and the organisers of the fundraiser, The ]Erotic Awards
The Sexual Freedom Awards is an annual British event that honours achievement in the sexuality and erotica industries worldwide.
Founded in 1994 by campaigner Tuppy Owens, the awards were first called the "Erotic Oscars", until the name had to be ...
,[ now called The Sexual Services and Entertainment Awards.
Owens is now the chair of the Sexual Freedom Coalition.][ Back in the 90s Owens worked campaigning with Prostitution Pride, parades through London, which were funded by Arcadia events in North London.
Owens has been working with Designability (formerly the Bath Institute of Medical Engineering) in the hope that they will be able to create sex toys that can be used by disabled people who, without them, cannot masturbate.
Owens will be the editor of a forthcoming website, The School of Sex for Disabled People, which is being created by sexually experienced disabled people and those who provide them with sexual services. She is currently writing her autobiography.
]
Award
Owens has won the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award from the European Lifestyles Awards. She is also a Winner of the Innovation Award of Sexual Health and Human Rights UNESCO 2015.
She was a finalist (Lifetime Achievement) in the Directory of Social Change Awards 2015.
Publications
* Photographs of caterpillars in Trinidad Scientific American: August 1967
* ''Sexual Harmony''. London: Highbury Press, 1969
* ''Love in the Open Air''. London: Cand Haven Ltd., 1970
* ''The Sex Maniac's Diary''. London: Cand Haven Ltd., 1972-1995 (from 1987 called ''The Safer Sex Maniac's Diary'')
* Column in ''Club International''. London: Paul Raymond Publications, 1975–6
* ''Take Me I'm Yours''. Edinburgh: Paul Harris Publishing, 1978
* ''Mothercare Diary''. London: Reader's Digest, 1980
* ''Practical Suggestions''. London: Outsiders Trust, from 1980 to present
* ''Emotions in Focus'' — catalogue of the Exhibition of the same name which opened at The Round House in 1983 (International Year of Disabled People). London: the Outsiders Trust, 1983
* ''INSIDE''. London: the Outsiders Trust, 1984–1998 and 2002–present
* ''The Sex Maniac's Bible''. London: Cand Haven Ltd., 1989
* ''The Sex Maniac's Address Book''. London: Cand Haven Ltd., 1989
* ''Little Book of Delights'' (annually). London: the Leydig Trust, 1989–present
* ''The Organ monthly''. London: Cand Haven Ltd., 1990–1993
* ''The Making of Sensations''. New York: Rhinoceros, 1993
* Introduction to ''Half Dressed, She Obeyed''. Stockport: Divine Press, 1993
* ''The Politically Correct Guide to Getting Laid''. London: Cand Haven Ltd., 1995
* ''The Sexual Skills and Needs of Disabled Men — A Female Perspective Sexuality & Disability Journal''. New York: Kluwer Academic/Human Sciences Press, 1996
* ''Planet Sex — The Handbook''. London: Cand Haven Ltd, 1996
* ''Disabled People Make the Best Clients'' presented at the ICOP Conference, Los Angeles 1997 and then globally
* A column in ''Desire'' 2000–2008
* Contributions to ''The Sex Book''. London: Cassells, 2002
* Foreword to ''Baby Oil and Ice''. London: The Do-Not Press, 2002
* Columns in ''Forum'' and ''Erotic Review'', 2005–2009
* Content for the Sex and Disability section of the Lovers' Guide website 2007
* ''Philip's Aspidistra: the Owens' Bequest'' in ''About Larkin'', Journal of the Philip Larkin Society No 24, October 2007
* ''Sex and Disability'', an article on TheSite.org, Youthnet, 2009
* Chapters in ''A Guide to Sexual Dysfunction in Men''. Leicestershire: Troubador Publishing Ltd., 2010
* ''Ten Things to Know About Sex and Disability''. London: Royal College of Art and Imperial College, 2010
* Chapter entitled ''Disability and Sex Work '' in book Queer Sex Work, Taylor and Francis Books 2014
* ''Supporting Disabled People with their Sexual Lives, — a clear guide for health and social care professionals '' Jessica Kingsley 2014
References
External links
Official site
Website of Outsiders
Website of SHADA
(the Sexual Health and Disability Alliance)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Owens, Tuppy
1944 births
Living people
English female adult models
English pornographic film actresses
Sex educators
People from Cambridge
Alumni of the University of Exeter
Sex therapists