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MY BASKETBALL TEAM IS:
Our vision is a world where people communicate about sex, relationships, and intimacy in a way that is normalized and free of stigma.
We envision partners having open and honest conversations with one another about all of the wild and sexy things that are important to them in between the sheets—or wherever else they decide to get down.
We envision friends and family members who are not embarrassed, nor shy, to share real talk about sensitive topics like condom usage and consent.
We envision a diverse and dynamic community of storytellers lending their voice to the global conversation around intimacy and inclusion.
We hope that our stories make you laugh and that they make you cry, and that they sometimes make you laugh and cry at the same time. More than anything else, we hope that our stories spark dialogue.
Share your story and change the game. Then change your sheets.
MEET NICOLE
FOUNDER AND COMMISSIONER
OF MY BASKETBALL TEAM
Nicole Banister is half Black, half Persian, and all big hair. Passionate about connecting both dots and people, Nicole launched My Basketball Team in 2020 during a serendipitous alignment of unprecedented amounts of free time (#TheRona) and a thoughtful examination of her passions and expertise. Her social impact work and career in sexual health have taken her to 40+ countries including places like Sudan, Qatar, and Papua New Guinea where she creates safe spaces for young people to redefine healthy relationships and consent. She is a United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Fellow, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, a Hoya, and a social justice warrior. She is an avid writer, an ardent speaker, and an occasional model. You can follow Nicole on Instagram, read her articles on Medium, and if you catch her on the streets, call her “Comish.”
NICOLE
THE NITTY GRITTY
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WHAT IS SEX POSITIVE?Sex positive means we like sex. We like to talk about it, we like to study it, we like to have it, and we like to share it. More so than even liking it and studying it and having it and sharing it, we believe sex is, and always will be, a choice. There is an urgent and critical need to ensure that decisions made around sex are safe and informed. Years of stigmatizing rhetoric entrenched deeply into social and familial institutions like religion and culture have shrouded conversations around intimacy in both fear and shame. ¡No más! “I have an open, tolerant, and healthy attitude toward sex; and I value sex because sex is good.” Repeat.
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WHAT IS PRO SEXUAL DIVERSITY?Being pro sexual diversity means we at My Basketball Team both recognize and acknowledge that sex can be many different things in many different ways to many different people. Maybe you like ropes. Maybe you like groups. Maybe you like toys. Maybe you like you and only you. However you choose to get down, and whoever you choose to get down with, is up to you. We love, accept, and appreciate you for all of it.
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WHAT IS PRO HARM REDUCTION?Being pro harm reduction means that no matter what story we share, merch we drop, or video we post, My Basketball Team will do everything in our power to advocate for sex and intimacy to remain safe, consensual, and nonviolent. We acknowledge that while most of the stories we post are fun and awkward and spontaneous, for many of us, and womxn in particular, sex and dating is not all happy funny stories. We will never share stories that perpetuate violence, risky behaviors, or a lack of consent. We’ve declined story submissions that we believe do not showcase consent or healthy sexual interactions, and we will continue to do so. Safe is sexy and so is consent. Period.
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HOW DO I SUBMIT A STORY?It goes down in the DM... and in our story submission section.
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WHO CAN SUBMIT STORIES?Everyone. Literally everyone. But what if I’m—yes. But what about—yes. But I’m so—yes. You, you, and you.
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HOW MANY STORIES CAN I SUBMIT?All of them. Literally all of them. Just keep clicking refresh and keep submitting your stories for days on end. Kthxluvubye.
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ARE THE STORIES REALLY ANONYMOUS?Yes means yes.
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HOW DO I PARTNER OR COLLABORATE WITH MY BASKETBALL TEAM?We like our collabos both new school and old school. You can DM us or email us—whichever makes more sense.
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WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I SUBMIT MY STORY?Now that you've shared your story, share another one! Just kidding... Unless you want to. But do keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook pages for when we post your story for the world to see and support. We may edit it slightly for grammar, punctuation, and story flow; but otherwise, we will do our best to honor and to hold your story and narrative as is. My Basketball Team's values and principles are committed to just storytelling, ethics, and to do no harm.
CATCH US ON
#mybasketballteam
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