Suzannah Weiss

Suzannah Weiss
Born (1990-09-06) September 6, 1990
Alma materBrown University, University of Minnesota, Antioch University
OccupationWriter
Writing career
LanguageEnglish
GenresFeminism, sex, relationships
Websitewww.suzannahweiss.com

Suzannah Weiss (born September 6, 1990) is an American writer and sexologist.[1][2] She is the author of Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject (Polity, 2024), which details her journey toward sexual empowerment and a framework for moving beyond the objectification of women, and Eve's Blessing: Uncovering the Lost Pleasure Behind Female Pain (Polity, 2025), which challenges the normalization of women's pain and paves a path toward more pleasurable lives for women.[3][4] She has written for publications including The New York Times,[5] The Washington Post,[6] and New York Magazine[7] and edited for Teen Vogue,[8] Complex,[9] and Vice.[10]

Weiss is also a sex therapist, a sexual assault counselor, a birth doula, and a sex educator certified by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT).[11] She is the resident sexologist at Erojoy, a wellness company that develops technology-driven sex toys.[12][13]

Weiss has taught a variety of sexuality courses[14][15] and spoken at conferences including South by Southwest, the AASECT Conference, and the Woodhull Freedom Foundation's Sexual Freedom Summit.[16][17][18] She has been quoted as an expert in publications such as Cosmopolitan,[19] Men's Health,[20] CNN,[21] Glamour,[22] and Teen Vogue[23] and played a central role in social media discussions of how women are treated by doctors.[24] Her writing has been published in several anthologies[25][26] and has been discussed on The Today Show and The View.[27][28][29][30] Her book Eve’s Blessing: Uncovering the Lost Pleasure Behind Female Pain received the AASECT Amplifying Voices book award for General Audience in 2026.[31] She has appeared on Bold TV, C-SPAN, The Fallen State, and many radio shows and podcasts.[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42]

Philosophy

Weiss questions the idea that women's power is primarily located in their appearance and that sex functions as a gift granted to men for male pleasure.[43] Instead, she advocates for an approach that ensures mutual satisfaction among all involved parties.[43] Her book Subjectified maintains that repeated exposure to the male gaze—including in media marketed to women—can result in the internalization of objectification.[44] Weiss suggests that objectification often becomes intertwined with girlhood and womanhood. Weiss promotes sexual empowerment and has encouraged individuals to communicate their desires and boundaries and respect one another's autonomy.[45]

In her book Eve's Blessing Weiss argues that the cultural normalization of women's pain has roots in patriarchal systems that historically treated women as property, and continues to inform medical institutions today.[46] She contends that the expectations of suffering during menstruation, childbirth, and first-time sex stems from misinterpretations of religious tests rather than Biblical truth, using the curse of Eve as an example of a mistranslation used to justify dismissing women's pains and health concerns. Weiss is critical of health providers who fail to treat women as sexual beings, citing the routine neglect of sexual side effects when prescribing medications such as birth control and the dismissal of female sexual dysfunctions that could be indicative of major health problems, especially in older age.[47] Ultimately, Weiss argues that womanhood should not be defined by the endurance of pain, but the capacity for pleasure.[48]

Education

Weiss is a feminist. She holds a Master of Arts in clinical psychology from Antioch University,[49] a Master of Professional Studies in sexual health from the University of Minnesota, a Bachelor of Science in cognitive neuroscience from Brown University, and a Bachelor of Arts in gender and sexuality studies and modern culture and media from Brown University.[50][45]

Erotic content and performance art

Weiss works as an erotic performance artist and model under the stage names Shoshanna Blanca and Jesus Christ Pornstar.[51] In her book Subjectified, she details her decision to engage in online sex work, describing an initial hesitation rooted in concerns about objectification before experiencing what she calls an "epiphany" regarding the liberatory potential of pleasure as work. She has described her Only Fans as an "art gallery" providing a visual companion to her writing.[51]

Her primary performance art project, The Second Coming, blends Christian and Jewish imagery and concepts with erotic content to make "sexuality sacred" and redefine purity. She explores themes of divinity, sexual shame, and body autonomy through body art, music, prayer, educational vlogs, and sensual performances. A companion project, Uncovering Eve, presents images, Bible verses, and videos reinterpreting the Biblical story of Adam and Eve through a feminist lens, serving as a visual extension of her award-winning book Eve's Blessing.[52] Weiss has described her performance work as an extension of her advocacy and academic views on sexual shame, purity culture, and the destigmatization of sex work.[53]

References

  1. ↑ "Polity". Polity. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Short Takes: Provocations on Public Feminism". Signs Journal. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  3. ↑ Weiss, Suzannah. Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject. Polity Press.
  4. ↑ Weiss, Suzannah (Sep 15, 2025). Eve's Blessing: Uncovering the Lost Pleasure Behind Female Pain. Polity Press. ISBN 1509566171.
  5. ↑ Weiss, Suzannah (2019-10-05). "The Sexist Undertones of Wedding Marketing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  6. ↑ "The Washington Post". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "Most Recent Articles by: Suzannah Weiss". New York. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "Teen Vogue". Teen Vogue. 30 May 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-01-25. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "Complex Magazine". Complex. Archived from the original on 2019-04-06. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  10. ↑ "Suzannah Weiss". Well & Good. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  11. ↑ "Conversations with Suzannah Weiss". VoyageLA. Aug 12, 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  12. ↑ "New Year's Sex Positions to Ring In 2026 with a Bang". Cosmopolitan. 2025-12-22. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  13. ↑ "Fleshy Rebrands as Erojoy: The Future of Sexual Wellness". Erojoy. 2026-06-16. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  14. ↑ "Modern Sex Therapy Institutes". Modern Sex Therapy Institutes. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  15. ↑ "Suzannah Weiss Courses". Suzannah Weiss. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  16. ↑ "Woodhull Freedom Foundation". Woodhull Freedom Foundation. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  17. ↑ "Censorship and Tech's Prudish Stance on Our Sex Lives". SXSW Schedule. SXSW. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "2023 Annual Conference Schedule". AASECT. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  19. ↑ Hamilton, Jill (Nov 26, 2024). "How to Do the Reverse Missionary Sex Position". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
  20. ↑ Anca, Reniel (Oct 8, 2024). "Can You Achieve Hands-Free Orgasm Using Your Mind?". Men's Health. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
  21. ↑ Villano, Matt (Apr 26, 2024). "Why your next vacation might be all about sexual wellness". CNN. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  22. ↑ Lustig, Hanna (Sep 12, 2024). "How to Talk Dirty 101: Try These Examples and Expert Tips to Keep Them Coming Back for More". Glamour. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  23. ↑ McConnell, Liv (Nov 22, 2024). "How to Finger a Girl (or Anyone): Tips and Techniques". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  24. ↑ "Women share all the times their medical problems were ignored by doctors". Yahoo!. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  25. ↑ "Here We Are". Goodreads. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  26. ↑ Kramer Bussel, Rachel (Feb 8, 2022). Big Book of Orgasms: 69 Sexy Stories (Volume 2). USA: Cleis Press. p. 338. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  27. ↑ "The View". Retrieved 2018-01-23 – via Facebook.
  28. ↑ "Why are compliments embarrassing?". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
  29. ↑ Weiss, Suzannah. "10 Things A Feminist Does In A Relationship". Bustle. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  30. ↑ Weiss, Suzannah. "A Psychological Explanation for Why Getting Compliments Is So Embarrassing". The Cut. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  31. ↑ "AASECT Annual Awards". AASECT Annual Conference. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  32. ↑ "Gender Discrimination in the Workplace". C-Span. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  33. ↑ Bold (10 Nov 2017). "Welcome back to #BoldTV with @carriesheffield and @clayaiken! Feat: @NRO, @bustle, @politico, @EqualityforHER, @RiseNowUS, @suzannahweiss, @xan_desanctis, @ErinDelmor, @IanKullgren!https://www.pscp.tv/w/1eaKbqBkbjRxX". @BoldGlobalMedia. Retrieved 2018-01-22.
  34. ↑ "Susanna Weiss: "I will never shave my legs again"". WGN Radio - 720 AM. 2015-07-29. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  35. ↑ "Suzannah Weiss Joins Jesse Again! (#360) | theFallenState".
  36. ↑ Dr. Moali (12 November 2024). "What You Don't Know: Women, Sex, Power, and Pleasure". Sexology. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  37. ↑ "Incorporating Pleasure Into Daily Life to Prepare for an Orgasmic Birth". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  38. ↑ Baldwin, Amy; Lampert, April. "Shameless Sex". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  39. ↑ "You Are Not Broken". Kelly Casperson MD. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  40. ↑ "34 The Boobies Episode". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  41. ↑ "Bonus Ep: Subjectified with Suzannah Weiss". Spotify. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  42. ↑ "Body Objectification, Agency, + the Paradox of Our Desires". Everand. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  43. 1 2 Sage, Jessie (Dec 5, 2024). "The 4B Movement Ignores One Important Fact: Women Desire Sex, Too". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  44. ↑ "How to Escape the Male Gaze, According to a Sexologist". Hypebae. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  45. 1 2 Paget, Simone (Jan 19, 2025). "How New Book Subjectified Empowers Women to Reclaim Their Sexuality". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  46. ↑ "Sexologist Suzannah Weiss '13 reframes women's pain, pleasure in upcoming book". The Brown Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2025-10-25. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  47. ↑ Britt, Tabitha (2025-09-19). "Suzannah Weiss on Pain, Pleasure, and 'Eve's Blessing'". DO YOU ENDO. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  48. ↑ "SEX FILES: Why so many women think painful sex is normal". torontosun. Archived from the original on 2026-01-26. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  49. ↑ "Suzannah Weiss". Glamour. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  50. ↑ "Suzannah Weiss". Double Blind Magazine. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  51. 1 2 "Oh F*ck Yeah with Ruan Willow: Reclaiming Sexuality as Sacred: Spirituality, Psychedelics, and Breaking Religious Taboos, Featuring Shoshanna Blanca, aka Jesus Christ Pornstar". sites.libsyn.com. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  52. ↑ "Jesus Christ Porn Star: Healing Sexual Shame Through Spiritual Erotic Art | Shoshanna Blanca". The Intimacy Inquiry.
  53. ↑ Harrington, Suzanne (2024-06-20). "'Each orgasm I experienced for money shattered three decades of conditioning regarding the meaning of work and play'". Irish Independent.
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