Broaden Your Mind

Other Community Events to Enjoy!

The CSPC throws amazing parties and hosts many important discussions on various topics. But luckily, we live in a place where there are many more options to dive into sex- and body-positive culture. The list below is just a sampling of some great events coming up in the next month.

We include non-CSPC events in every issue. If you have an event suggestion, please email Marissa at newsletter@thecspc.org and it might make it into our next issue!

September 21 – December 7

Consent Academy | Consent and Leadership Series ($300+ | online)

Consent and Leadership is a unique opportunity for leaders to deepen their understanding of consent, power, trauma, and accountability. It consists of 8 workshops and one optional lab, each exploring the knowledge, skills, and practices anyone who finds themselves in a position of influence or authority needs in order to foster a consensual space.

November 17

Pan Eros: Holes in Friends: an introduction to needle play ($30–$75 | in person)

Come learn the foundational skills needed for all levels of needle play, from mean/sadistic needles to decorative/artsy scenes to predicament play as well as  other pokie shenanigans. This class will focus on safety considerations, supplies, how to use them and where to get them and the technique on how to pierce someone by the end of class.

November 20

Papaya Project: Spicy Speed Dating for Queer Femmes and Thems ($15 | in person)

Looking to make new connections while exploring different perspectives on identity, relationships, sexuality, and pleasure? If you're a femme or non-binary queer person, this event is for you! Come together for a night of meeting new people, making friends, and maybe even finding a spicy spark or two (or three).

November 20

Lionesse: BJ Magic ($44 | online)

Join for a transformative online workshop where you’ll learn how to give your partners new levels of full-body pleasure and spine-tingling bliss. Discover how to tap into your own turn-on, so you enjoy BJs just as much as your partner—and feel joyful, confident and empowered every step of the way!

November 21

Three Dollar Bill Cinema: Queer Screenwriting Group (free | online)

Join us! Three Dollar Bill Cinema's Queer Screenwriting Group is a weekly community safe space for LGBTQ+ writers and filmmakers to work on creative projects and connect with other like-minded people in film. 

November 29

Lumberyard Bar: ABDL Night (free | in person)

On Friday November 29th the Lumber Yard Bar in Seattle will transform into the biggest and best diaper party in Washington! Come out and join us for Diapers and Drinks, an ABDL Night at the Lumber Yard Bar. This will be a night of diapers, delicious drinks, socializing, DJs, dancing, and more. Starting at 8pm the bar will officially switch over to an ABDL themed event and you can show up and wear whatever ABDL, Ageplay, or Kink attire your heart desires. We will have a space set up to hold your vanilla clothes for $5 (cash only) during the event as well as a private area set up in the venue for diaper changes. There will be diaper samples available and even a special ABDL themed drink the bar will be serving!

December 7

Kremwerk: Shit Box, PornHub Edition ($15–$20 | in person)

Drag Queens leak their sex tapes! Featuring:Shit Show's Viper Fengz and Peach and Funbox's Fran Zia, Ava Magnum, and Solana Solstice.

December 11

Papaya Project: Sex Trivia ($10–$20 | in person)

This monthly event is the best way to learn about and celebrate pleasure, queerness, and the science of sex! Trivia questions cover a wide variety of sex and sexuality-related topics, so get ready to challenge yourself, learn something new, and have a good time. 

Editor’s note for all events*

As a reminder, these are non-CSPC events. We include them as a way to open your mind to other experiences, but we have no control over them, their content, or their missions.

News From the Board - Event Staffing and Cancellation Policy

The Center for Sex Positive Culture is created for us, by us! We rely on ourselves, as volunteers, to create and run the events we would like to see. If this is news to you, please take a moment to reflect on this fact.

It takes a large number of volunteers working together to create events that run smoothly and are enjoyable for everyone. At the November Board Meeting, the Board formally passed a motion to implement the following policy. It is intended to facilitate adequate event staffing, in an organized, sustainable, and equitable manner.

Beginning January 1, 2025:

• 72 hours before the start of an event, if the following volunteer roles have not been filled, a final notice and request to fill these roles will go out to the Volunteer Google group and the Discord Volunteer group:

• Opening EC, Closing EC, NMO Leader, Opening Registration, Middle Registration, and at least one Monitor for both the First and Second shift

• Any event that does not have all of these volunteer shifts filled within 48 hours of the start of the event, will be canceled. Ticket holders will be issued a coupon code for use at a future event. 

• If key volunteers cancel their shifts within that 48 hour period, we will do our best to find replacements, or alternatively, fill in using staff who are already signed up. We will not cancel events with less than 48 hours notice unless there is an emergency reason outside of the scope of this policy.

• No one should sign up in advance for more than one of these essential shifts per event. No one should be expected to volunteer more than is comfortable and sustainable for them. No one will be pressured by leadership or other volunteers to take on a volunteer shift.

Questions or concerns about this policy should be directed to HRdirector@thecspc.org and/or EventsDirector@thecspc.org.

If this article has you thinking it is time to start volunteering, then great! Go to the volunteer page on our website to get started. If you are already a volunteer and you want to take on a new role or responsibility, please contact the appropriate lead:

eclead@thecspc.org

nmo@thecspc.org

registrationteamcaptain@thecspc.org

monitorlead@thecspc.org

volunteerliaison@thecspc.org (if you are not sure or you wish to volunteer behind the scenes)

Broaden Your Mind

Other Community Events to Enjoy!

The CSPC throws amazing parties and hosts many important discussions on various topics. But luckily, we live in a place where there are many more options to dive into sex- and body-positive culture. The list below is just a sampling of some great events coming up in the next month.

We include non-CSPC events in every issue. If you have an event suggestion, please email Marissa at newsletter@thecspc.org and it might make it into our next issue!

September 21 – December 7

Consent Academy | Consent and Leadership Series ($300+ | in person)

Consent and Leadership is a unique opportunity for leaders to deepen their understanding of consent, power, trauma, and accountability. It consists of 8 workshops and one optional lab, each exploring the knowledge, skills, and practices anyone who finds themselves in a position of influence or authority needs in order to foster a consensual space.

October 10 – 20

Seattle Queer Film Festival ($150+ | in person and online)

Seattle Queer Film Festival has been an important part of the Seattle queer film community since 1996, and has remained the largest of its kind in the PNW. Since then the festival has expanded to intentionally showcase stories reflecting the vast spectrums and intersections of our queer communities. 

October 19

Pan Eros | Seduction ($60 | in person)

It’s time for Seattle’s sexiest Halloween party! Gallery Erato is preparing to host Seduction: Masquerade of Shadows—a night of music, dancing, ambient performances, and the hottest costumes to make it out of the bedroom! Seduction this year offers two floors of Halloween revelry. Step into our parlor upstairs for a delightfully spooky party. You’ll rub elbows with creatures that go bump in the night (don’t worry, they’re on their best behavior) while roaming a fantastically macabre collection of art specifically curated for the season. If you’re feeling bold, head downstairs into the Vampire’s Lair. Bewitching beats will keep you dancing, and our bar will be mixing up the perfect cocktails and mocktails.

October 25–26

Emerald City Trapeze Arts | Carnevolar ($50–$150 | in person)

Prepare for a Halloween night of spine-chilling thrills at Carnevolar XII, where the eerie meets the extraordinary. As darkness descends and the witching hour approaches, Emerald City Trapeze transforms into a dark carnival of the bizarre, featuring world-class flying trapeze, aerial, and circus acts. Deep in the shadows, a powerful coven weaves magic in the name of vengeance, defying gravity and mortality itself. Witness jaw-dropping aerial performances that will send shivers down your spine, as trapeze artists soar through the night like restless spirits, twisting and turning in fleeting glimpses.

Editor’s note for all events*

As a reminder, these are non-CSPC events. We include them as a way to open your mind to possible other experiences, but we have no control over them, their content, or their missions.

News From the Board - Board Elections

Officer and Director Elections were held at the September 11th Public Board Meeting. Congratulations to the following Board Members and thank you for taking on a year in these leadership roles within the organization!

Officer Positions:

• Board President: Jadzia (she/her)

• Vice President: Vanessa (she/her)

• Secretary: Mina (she/her)

• Treasurer: lumen (fae/faer)

Division Directors:

• Events Director: Jadzia (she/her)

• Human Resources (HR) Director: Skitty (she/her)

• Operations Director: Vanessa (she/her)

• Communications Director: Ari (she/they)

The Board also voted on a new board member during this meeting. Please welcome Huckleberry (she/they) to the leadership team! You can read her bio here!

Have feedback, questions, or concerns? Visit our Contact Us page for more info.

Community Matters: Message from the President

By Eirikah Delaunay

While the Board is still analyzing all the insights you shared in the recent membership survey, there were a number of messages that came through loud and clear:

• 27% of the 303 respondents were former members, and 27% have not attended an in-person event during the last year.

• The reasons shared for lack of attendance were overwhelmingly related to the inaccessibility of the Gallery Erato space, whether that inaccessibility was due to parking issues, concerns about the neighborhood, or challenges with the facility itself (stairs, air quality, etc.). Other top reasons were personal in nature–time crunches related to work, etc.

• Respondents could select as many preferred areas as desired for an additional space dedicated to CSPC activities. The top three selections were the East Side, North Seattle, and a continued presence at Gallery Erato, all with a 64% selection rate. Snohomish County was a distant 4th place with 37% of respondents. There were also numerous write-in comments, many of which suggested a South End location, which was not originally included in the survey due to other organizations already providing service in that area. We will dig into those comments in greater detail in the coming weeks.

• 62% of respondents said they would attend events in Bellevue more than occasionally, and 40% said they would volunteer either in person or behind the scenes if events at a Bellevue space were an option.

• Only 69 of 303 respondents had volunteered in the last year, although more than twice that number had volunteered sometime in the past. Again, the write-in responses to the question about volunteer roles was illuminating in terms of the breadth of service this community has generated during our 25 years.

• The top priorities of respondents based on our initial scan of the comments are accessibility in many different forms (good parking AND public transit access, more masked events, greater inclusion of BIPOC members, other disability access, etc.), stronger cultivation of and support for volunteers, and more events—parties with different themes, in-person munches and game nights, and education. Again, there is a lot of rich data that we are continuing to analyze toward taking action in alignment with member voices.

However, the Board has made progress on many fronts in the last month: in addition to extending our contract with our Operations Consultant, 7, we are now finalizing the job description for a paid role that will manage our daily operations to alleviate some of the burden on Board members and other volunteers; we have had an initial consultation with a non-profit attorney for advice on how we can better recognize our volunteers without creating tax liabilities for them or the CSPC; and we have rented a storage unit and moved CSPC inventory out of Larry Grella’s donated space and into paid storage. Huge thanks to Larry for eight years of donating space at his home to house CSPC property—a $16,000 value over that time period.

September 2024 is my last meeting as President of the CSPC Board, and October will be my last meeting as a Board member. While the last three years of service to the CSPC has been intense in terms of time and energy spent, I feel good about spending this time giving back to the community that has meant so much to me over the last 13 years. 

I have enormous faith in the incoming Board officers to continue leading this organization into its next 25 years, and I want to encourage the membership to get involved whenever and however you can. Ari will be sharing more later about an opportunity to serve a one-year term as a Community Board member, or on the Nominating Committee that will oversee the election process for those two Board positions, and we are working diligently to create a more accessible and actionable job board for the many volunteer roles that aren’t solely focused on running events. 

Thank you all for all you do to make the CSPC the community—and family—it is for so many of us. <3

Broaden Your Mind

Other Community Events to Enjoy!

The CSPC throws amazing parties and hosts many important discussions on various topics. But luckily, we live in a place where there are many more options to dive into sex- and body-positive culture. The list below is just a sampling of some great events coming up in the next month.

We include non-CSPC events in every issue. If you have an event suggestion, please email Marissa at newsletter@thecspc.org and it might make it into our next issue!

September 14 

Circus Etc. Cabaret | Sans Solos ($25–$40 | in person)

In the final installment of the Circus Etc season: “Sans Solos” puts acrobatic collaboration in the spotlight. In “Sans Solos”, artists from the SANCA and ECTA staff and the region will perform new work in the form of duos, trios, and groups. With its first onstage appearance, the Group and Banquine Acrobatics collective will grace the stage with swinging, flipping, and towering threehighs.

September 19–October 5

HumpFest ($25 | in person)

We're making HUMP! history in 2024 with another all-new lineup featuring 25 MORE brand-new, adult short films, and there's something for everyone in the second half of this year's offerings! You'll experience smokin' hot paranormal encounters, a mind-bending space carnival, spine-tingling ASMR, all the thermal eye candy you can eat, and so much more. It's double the sex, double the kink, (double the pizza?), and double the FUN!

September 20 – 21

Kremwerk | Kremfest ($24–$48 | in person)

We're thrilled to welcome you back for the 7th annual Kremfest—a two-day celebration of cutting-edge electronic music! This year's festival brings together an exciting mix of local and international DJs, producers, and artists, showcasing a diverse range of electronic music genres.

September 21 – December 7

Consent Academy | Consent and Leadership Series ($300+ | in person)

Consent and Leadership is a unique opportunity for leaders to deepen their understanding of consent, power, trauma, and accountability. It consists of 8 workshops and one optional lab, each exploring the knowledge, skills, and practices anyone who finds themselves in a position of influence or authority needs in order to foster a consensual space.

September 27 – October 5

Theatre Off Jackson | Hamlet, a Literary Burlesque ($25+ | in person)

Noveltease Theatre, Seattle’s premier literary burlesque company, invites you to avenge a murder most foul in their hauntingly tantalizing production of Hamlet. In this carnal and bloody adaptation of the Shakespearean drama, a young Hamlet knows that literary burlesque is just the thing to catch the conscience of the king.

October 3

First Thursday Art Walk in Pioneer Square (free | in person)

Pioneer Square’s First Thursday Art Walk is the longest running established art walk in the nation. Since the early 1960’s, Pioneer Square has provided a haven for Seattle’s artistic community, housing esteemed galleries, innovative exhibition spaces, and working artist studios alike.

October 10 – 20

Seattle Queer Film Festival ($150+ | in person and online)

Seattle Queer Film Festival has been an important part of the Seattle queer film community since 1996, and has remained the largest of its kind in the PNW. Since then the festival has expanded to intentionally showcase stories reflecting the vast spectrums and intersections of our queer communities. 

Editor’s note for all events*

As a reminder, these are non-CSPC events. We include them as a way to open your mind to possible other experiences, but we have no control over them, their content, or their missions.

News from the Board - Community Matters

COMMUNITY MATTERS

Join us in creating a Community Director Nomination Committee!

The CSPC Board of Directors is really excited to announce that we’re reviving the Community Director role! There are two Community Director spots, and they will be fully functioning Board members who are elected in by the membership at large, and who will serve 12-month terms. The idea is that these positions will enable the membership to choose who they want to represent them on the Board, and as such we want the whole process to be defined and owned by you. 

To facilitate these positions being filled, we need a Nomination Committee of at least five active members. Initially, your job will be to work together to figure out how the Committee will function, and then you’ll move on to defining the nomination process for Community Directors. Once the groundwork is laid, the Committee will gather nominations, hold elections, and deliver the results to the Board. This will become a standing Committee with work to be done year-round, but you all know that many hands make light work! 

Disclaimers: members of the Nomination Committee will be ineligible to run for a Community Director position while they are on the Committee and for six months afterwards. It is our intention that Committee meetings are open to the wider membership so that folks can watch what’s happening if they so choose, however Committee members are able to join virtual meetings off-camera and with the name of their choice.

If you are interested in being a part of the Community Director Nomination Committee, or if you have questions about participating, please email ari@thecspc.org. 

Nathan's Frolic Journey

THE Frolic 2024: A Transformative, Freeing, and Healing Experience

I heard so many incredible stories about Frolic 2023, each one more fantastic and amazing than the last. When one of the directors of Frolic approached me to become a set-up and strike co-lead, I jumped at the opportunity to experience it firsthand. The work was exhausting, but seeing all of my volunteers—and all the volunteers in general—do such an incredible job was nothing short of inspiring. Events like this don’t happen without the dedication and hard work of volunteers.

At Frolic 2024, I learned so much, whether it was through classes, workshops, discussion groups, or simply talking to the amazing people around me. I walked away a more whole person. The atmosphere of unconditional love, where everyone embraced each other's weirdness and quirks, was intoxicating. Before I found this community in December 2021, I never felt like I had a family or that I could trust anyone. At Frolic, I wanted to strengthen my existing relationships with my friends, and I believe I accomplished that.

There was a time in my life when having friends, talking to people, or even kissing someone seemed impossible. Achieving what once felt impossible is a feeling like no other. I love and trust my friends deeply, something that was unthinkable for most of my life. At Frolic, I saw so many amazing scenes and played with incredible people, building play partnerships that I’m excited to see grow. As time moves forward, I’m looking forward to 2025 being even better and witnessing this community continue to come together and strengthen.

A Thank You From Frolic Co-Directors

Turtle and I would like to share a heartfelt thank you to all of our volunteers (behind the scenes and in person), this year’s presenters, and attendees. The Frolic was an amazing success this year because of all of you. It’s been four days since we’ve shared our gratitudes and farewells at the Closing Circle and I’m still overwhelmed with the kindness, love, and knowledge that we shared as a community. 

We’re passionate about hosting this annual fundraising event for our membership and intend to hit the ground running with our pitch to the Board for 2025. This year we restructured our volunteer staffing, revised the camp layout to accommodate updates at the venue, and performed test trials on SOPs. Most things went off without a hitch and some things have taught us lessons for the future. But we’d love to hear from you, the attendees, on what went well and what could use some improvement. 

Please take a few minutes of your time to complete this survey so that we may consider your constructive feedback for the future!

Personal Note from the Directors

Mina:

I’ve spent a lifetime feeling out of place; navigating through life as a people-pleaser, fearing rejection and feeling invisible. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon The CSPC that I started to feel like I found a space that was meant for me. Three years later, I find myself passionately giving my all to ensure that this organization thrives, so that anyone who finds themselves in this space is provided the same opportunity as I. The opportunity to be vulnerable, to make the leap, and to be embraced as who you truly are. With the patience and understanding of this community, I’ve been able to grow, heal, and get in touch with who I am instead of who my past shaped me to be. We have so much to learn from each other and The Frolic is a unique space to provide education and intimacy. I look forward to sharing this space with you again in the future. 

Turtle:

I am very proud of the sheer quantity of leadership involved in this year’s Frolic. I do not mean just those folx with LEAD on the shirts. Yes, those peeps are amazing, forward thinking and problem-solvers. We also saw random acts of leadership! People who organized camping family areas or arranged a long walk. We had huge doses of personal leadership shown by individuals caring for the fire or picking up trash or volunteering last minute to help clean the kitchen. It feels good to know these are our current and future volunteers and leaders.

I resonate deeply with the thoughts written above by Mina. I desire to hold space for the humans who come behind me to feel their whole selves as they are, no judgment, no shame. I didn’t have that before I joined the CSPC. Just know: You, yes YOU personally, are why I stay.