To the Berlin Wall…with Love

Object sexuality or objectum sexuality, in German objektophil (OS), is a pronounced emotional and often romantic desire towards developing significant relationships with particular inanimate objects.

Those individuals with this expressed preference may feel strong feelings of attraction, love, and commitment to certain items or structures of their fixation. For some, sexual or even close emotional relationships with humans are incomprehensible.

Object-sexual individuals also often believe in animism, and sense reciprocation based on the belief that objects have souls, intelligence, feelings, and are able to communicate. Contrary to sexual fetishism; the object to an OS person is viewed as their partner and not as a means to an end to enhance a human sexual relationship.

In Feb 2008, Erika Eiffel, an object-sexual living near San Francisco, California founded OS Internationale, an educational website and international online community for those identifying or researching the condition to love objects. The website generated a flood of international media interest.

Eiffel, whose name derives from her marriage to the Eiffel Tower in 2007, has been featured as a spokesperson in a variety of international articles, radio talk shows, and television programs and documentaries worldwide.

Prior to 2009, object-sexual relationships were treated as curiosities and sensationalized in the media. Medical, psychological, and sexological professionals categorized OS as a paraphilia, though without specific data or inquiry into this condition.

In February 2009, Dr. Amy Marsh, a clinical sexologist, contacted OS Internationale with questions about objectum sexuality. With the consent and cooperation of Erika Eiffel and twenty-one English-speaking members of the OS Internationale organization, Dr. Marsh conducted a survey designed to provide the membership with data which could be given to interested professionals and media representatives.

Objectum Sexuality flashed into mainstream and has been the subject in a wide variety of international media stemming from ABC News Good Morning America and the Tyra Banks Show where they featured Erika Eiffel and her “marriage” to the Eiffel Tower discussing how her object love empowered her to become a two time world champion in archery and her role as a spokesperson for OS.

In July 2010, The Music Theatre Company produced a musical stage play titled “Erika’s Wall” telling the love story of Erika Eiffel and her long-time relationship with the Berlin Wall.

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