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 or feedback from a past event you’ve attended, please email Marissa at newsletter@thecspc.org and it might make it into our next issue!

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. We encourage you to vet other organizations to see if they are places you would feel comfortable, and we appreciate feedback if we have listed an organization/event that does not appear to share CSPC values.

July 10–12

Three Dollar Bill Cinema | Queer and Trans Film Festival ($15+ | in person)

Get ready to party like it’s 1996! This year, Three Dollar Bill Cinema is turning back the clock and turning up the volume with a fierce, joy-filled retrospective at the Queer & Trans Film Festival 2025—July 10–12 at Broadway Performance Hall and Erickson Theater. We’re uniting the legacy of the Seattle Queer Film Festival and TRANS|lations to celebrate 30 years of queer cinema and 20 years of trans storytelling. That means iconic shorts and features from festivals past, a brand-new lineup of trans-made and trans-led short films, and a spotlight on the brilliant local voices that shaped our scene. No virtual fest this year—so mark your calendar, grab your crew, and get ready to celebrate the stories that made us.

July 11

Fremont Abbey | An Interactive Evening Suitable for Introverts ($29.25 | in person)

An evening designed to foster curiosity and creativity, "An Interactive Evening Suitable for Introverts" invites guests (introverted, extroverted, or anyone in between) to enjoy a night of music, poetry, and hands-on art—all at their own pace. Hosted by performing songwriter Allison Preisinger, this event is the perfect opportunity to explore your creative side in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, whether you prefer to observe or actively participate.

July 16

Papaya Project | Spicy Speed Dating for Queer Femmes & 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! Let’s come together for a night of meeting new people, making friends, and maybe even finding a spicy spark or two (or three).

July 18

Seattle’s LGBTQ+ Center | Gardens & Gems ($25+ | in person)

Are you ready to sparkle and shine at Seattle's LGBTQ+ Center's summer fundraiser, Gardens & Gems? This isn't your ordinary gala; it's an evening of queer entertainment, art, and pure community joy. Dress up in your most fabulous floral or gem-inspired attire and join us for a night of opulence and fun, all while supporting the Center's mission to cultivate access and connections to promote self-determination, liberation and joy in our communities.

July 19

Kremwerk | Shit Show Last Shit Show ($12–$20 | in person)

Let’s celebrate two unforgettable years of unhinged drag, twisted survival challenge showdowns, and...other things!!!! Come witness us put these queens through hell one more time for the shittiest show in history…as we invite back some of your favorites, and some creatures you haven't even seen before…

July 26

The Beacon Cinema | Underwater Love ($13.12 | in person)

Ever wondered what a kappa’s cock looks like? Seattle’s favorite drag queen UH OH wants to show you! Uh Oh joins us on Saturday, July 26 to perform and host a special screening of UNDERWATER LOVE, a pornographic musical romance about the mythical Japanese water-creature from pink film legend Shinji Imaoka, shot by Wong Kar-wai’s cinematographer Christopher Doyle(!) and featuring the infectious pop music of Stereo Total.

August 2

The Beacon Cinema | SECS Fest Presents Blonde Ambition ($13.12 | in person)

One of the funniest (not to mention gayest) heterosexual adult films ever produced, The Amero Brothers’ love letter to the golden age of Hollywood musicals is a tour de force of burlesque humor, uproarious sight gags, and madcap set pieces, all culminating in one of the most outrageous finales in hardcore film history!

August 3

Consent Academy | Real Talk: Consent Culture for Leather, Kink, and Lifestyle Folks ($0–$20 | online)

This support group is designed for individuals in the BDSM, kink, lifestyle, and greater sex-positive community, including munch leaders, event producers, dungeon monitors, organizational representatives, consent advocates, and anyone interested in enhancing their understanding of consent practices. For two hours, facilitators will create a welcoming and supportive environment for open discussions about consent incidents and violations and how to move through them.

August 3

Theatre Off Jackson | The Sunday Night Shuga Shaq ($45+ | in person)

The longest running and ONLY monthly ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR Burlesque Revue in the Pacific Northwest, The Sunday Night Shuga Shaq, is back! Please join us for an evening of dazzling dancing, tantric teasing, and all around prismatic sexy magic with some of the hottest Burlesque performers this side of the Mississippi! There will be so many shades and flavors of chocolate, caramel, mocha, lemon meringue, and red velvet dripping from the Theatre Off Jackson stage that you are guaranteed to leave with a tooth ache.

Conflict Resolution Coordinator Handoff

Hi fellow CSPC Members! This is Skitty, your HR Director and Conflict Resolution Coordinator. I have been volunteering in these roles (as well as additional roles) for years. This has been a lot of heavy lifting, for a very long time. So, I will be stepping back from the position of Conflict Resolution Coordinator at the 8/13/25 Board Meeting. That may seem like a long time off, but from a handoff sense, there isn’t a moment to lose. 

You may be thinking, “I didn’t know we had a Conflict Resolution Coordinator. What even is that?” Here’s an overview. The Conflict Resolution Coordinator:

• leads the Incident Handling Team

• designs and improves incident handling tools and processes

• collaborates with volunteers in other areas of the CSPC to resolve incidents and reduce the likelihood of future occurrences

• actively designs CSPC policies to promote a culture of consent

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of growth in how we handle consent incidents at the CSPC. I am continuing to lay the groundwork for a team approach to conflict resolution and incident handling that wasn’t viable in the past. My plan is to have a solid, well-functioning structure in place prior to the August handoff. 

Hopefully you are thinking, “What can I do to help?” I’m glad you asked. Here’s what we need:

• Keep practicing consent!

• Keep speaking up when something looks or feels nonconsensual or just “wrong.”

• preferably in the moment, communicate your concerns to those involved and to those who can help problem solve (including Monitors, ECs, and Discord Mods)

• if you are not able to reach resolution, file an incident report or Discord ticket

• Educate yourself! The opportunities are endless.

• Volunteer - your ideas, your time, your expertise.

• If you are already volunteering, train for a position of greater responsibility.

• If you wish to volunteer with the Conflict Resolution Team, email hrdirector@thecspc.org

• Heads-up:

• volunteering with this team requires you to initiate each step

• you need to self-direct and follow through

• an ongoing commitment is required

• willingness to maintain impartiality and confidentiality are mandatory

• If you are already part of the team and are interested in being the next Conflict Resolution Coordinator, email hrdirector@thecspc.org.

I will continue to share more information between now and August. Stay tuned!

Search for a Certified Public Accountant!

The CSPC Treasurer is seeking a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to assist with filing our 2024 taxes.

Details:

This is a one-time engagement request to prepare and file the 990 form for non-profits. There is potential for an ongoing relationship to support our future annual tax filings. This would be paid based on a negotiated hourly rate and invoiced as an independent contractor. We have an extension until November of this year and will be conducting a search over the next few months.

Candidate Requirements:

• Licensed CPA 

• Familiar with IRS compliance for non-profits specifically social clubs 501(c)(7) organizations

• Detail-oriented and responsive

• Able to provide references or examples of similar work

• Comfortable with government name being attached to the CSPC

If interested, please email treasurer@thecspc.org with the subject: "CPA Needed" 

In the body include a brief description of your experience, if you are self employed or work for a company, and how long you have been certified. No need to attach a full résumé.

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

Message from the President

As I shared at the July Board Meeting, in our 25th Anniversary year the Board has been working hard toward growth and sustainability for the CSPC as an organization. In addition to working toward hiring a full-time Operations Manager to lead much of the administrative work that keeps the Center running smoothly, we have been actively continuing our search for a space to expand our services as a sex-positive community center as originally envisioned and operated for the CSPC’s first 17 years.

The CSPC Board is seeking community input related to the organization's search for a 24/7 space and the need for additional volunteer bandwidth to support our continued activities at Gallery Erato and a new expansion location.

The Building Committee has located a space in the Northup neighborhood in Bellevue that the CSPC can occupy 24/7 to expand our current party structure to include additional parties and many other kinds of community events — potluck munches, game nights, dedicated tasting nights, in-person discussion groups, skill shares, workshops, vendor fairs and more — IN ADDITION TO maintaining our current events at Gallery Erato. 

This space meets many, but not all, of the priority specifications established for a new space:

• This space is the lowest level of an office building owned by a cooperative dedicated to creating queer spaces who intentionally sought out the CSPC as a potential tenant. There is plentiful free parking surrounding the building and an elevator for ADA access. There are many bathrooms, including one with a shower, and the property owner has agreed to add laundry and kitchen facilities to our specifications so that we can wash our own sheets and host events that involve food service. There is one very large space with hardwood floors previously used as a karate dojo, plus several smaller spaces on the same level. 

• However, this space is not easily accessible via public transit, and the standard-height ceilings will limit the use of longer whips. We also have no guarantee that the city of Bellevue will approve our specific use at this location; we must sign a conditional lease before the city will consider a business license application (this is true of all potential new locations).

The decision to submit a non-binding Letter of Intent to sign a lease (and then sign a lease) is a big one. It is a big financial commitment, and the Board is still working through the numbers related to how many events and other activities will be required to break even and whether the time required to ramp up to those numbers can be supported by other resources.

It is also a big commitment by the community. Hosting more parties and other activities at a second space will require many more volunteers, including volunteers who are not currently active with our community. We need previous members, current members, and local sex-positive folx who are not yet members to consider whether this is a space they would support by attending events and by volunteering to make those events happen. 

Laundry facilities don’t matter if nobody is adding soap and bleach and pushing that hot water button, and it’s not safe to host events without a full complement of volunteers. Even in our current space, we often have important roles unfilled or filled at the last minute by Board members dedicated to keeping our doors open for members. We are currently considering a new event cancellation policy for events that don’t have essential roles filled at least 48 hours prior to the event time to ensure that we can maintain the CSPC’s standards for safety.

Please respond to the 2024 Community Survey here to share your thoughts about this opportunity, your ability and willingness to contribute as a community volunteer, and on our efforts to expand in general. This survey is widely available, with one response per email address possible to ensure that we avoid duplication (you must sign in with an email address to respond). 

Please complete this survey and share with your local partners and friends. The CSPC is an organization by and for its members, and it is critical that we have the membership’s support in this decision. The link for sharing this survey is: https://forms.gle/68ePF4PwUUVYWQB28

Thank you all for all the ways you contribute to helping our community thrive. Here’s to our next 25 years! <3

Community Matters: Message from the President

I have a nasty relationship habit of blaming myself when things are rough and just doubling down internally on working harder to fix it myself instead of engaging my partner in developing solutions that will work for both of us. Often, my partners don’t even realize just how much I’m struggling. I realized a few weeks ago that the Board has fallen into this pattern since the beginning of the pandemic, and we need to share with the membership just how challenging our work has become so that we can work together toward solutions.

I am concerned about the ongoing sustainability of the CSPC organization if we aren't able to restructure the way our leadership is managed. Leadership volunteers are exhausted to the point of burnout, and we aren’t seeing broad participation by volunteers who are actively growing their experience and engagement with an intention to eventually step into leadership roles.

I believe that to be sustainable into the future, the CSPC needs to be attracting, training, and retaining more leadership volunteers, especially EC's, and we need to be considering a long term paid operations leadership position. 

The first step for growing our volunteer corps, including those on a pathway to leadership, is to consult a nonprofit attorney about how we can recognize (not "compensate") volunteers without running afoul of tax laws either for our 501(c)(7) nonprofit organization or our volunteers. At the June 2024 Board meeting, the Board approved the expense for an initial legal consultation toward this effort.

During most of our 25-year history, we had a managing director handling the day-to-day operations of the organization, and I believe it is also time to return to that practice. The first step toward hiring a managing director is for the Board to review our financial position carefully and determine a budget that the organization can sustain as a salary, then develop a job description that will take on many of the administrative responsibilities that the Board and other volunteers have been performing for the last four years. We will be working on this in the coming months. 

In addition to providing space for smaller and more community gatherings–potlucks, game nights, discussion groups, skill shares, and others in addition to parties–I believe that expanding into a new space will create opportunities to attract new volunteers from a new (and previous) membership base who will not participate in events at the Gallery for a variety of accessibility reasons, but we must address the issues of leadership burnout and volunteer scarcity, with or without an expansion space. Without more volunteers, we would not be able to safely schedule activities at an additional space

The CSPC is strong, and we have grown even stronger in the nine years since we lost our original home in Interbay. We provide welcoming access to diverse, supportive community that encourages the celebration, development, and exploration of each person’s unique sexuality and sensuality. I believe in this community’s power to create the organization, spaces, and events that we want to be part of, but that requires all of us to do our part.

Enormous thanks to those of you who have been stepping up this year: to all our Frolic volunteers, all our Pride volunteers, our two new Board members, and those who have expressed interest in joining the Board and who are working toward greater leadership responsibilities. Thank you to our (almost) 12 EC’s (including those nearing completion of the extended training process for this critical role) and to the many, many volunteers who make our events possible. Thank you to the volunteers who write our newsletter, update our website, answer emails, meet the laundry person, clean up flood damage, lead new member orientation, tech host our online discussion groups, moderate our Discord server, and so much more. You all are fucking rock stars.

I invite you to share your thoughts with the Board via the Feedback form on the front page of the website. If you see a need where you are willing and able to put your own skills to use, please propose a solution that you can lead. Got a great idea for something new and the bandwidth to help make it happen? Share it with us! The CSPC is an organization with events and other community services created by and for our members. Your creativity and passion are needed, now and always. <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!

May 30–August 8

Consent Academy: Consent and Leadership Summer 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.

July 4–7

Woodwinked at the Whump & Hump campout ($20–$50+ | in person)

You are most cordially invited to Temptr’s private party out at Kinky Acres! Everyone must be pre-approved. RSVP instructions on FetLife.

July 7–12

The Goodenough Community: 2024 Summer Gathering - Consent: The Heart of Relationships and Communities ($690+ | in person)

The Goodenough Summer Gatherings are a rich mix of learning, practice, and skill-building that happen within a container of friendship and good will. For over 55 years, we have developed and refined our method of offering these life-changing experiences to ourselves and the wider world. Expert teaching sessions are enlivened by an atmosphere of play and exploration. These lessons are further explored in small group sessions where participants can feel safe and respectfully held as they learn to manage their inner landscape of feelings in ways that promote greater understanding and well-being.

July 10

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. A portion of each ticket will be donated to Camp Ten Trees, a nonprofit residential camp in Washington State for youth of LGBTQ and nontraditional families, LGBTQ youth, and their allies.

July 15 (every Monday through August)

Emerald City Trapeze Arts - Beginner Shibari ($25 | in person)

In this foundational session, students will learn fundamental ties and techniques to begin their rope journey. Though fundamental, these techniques can be combined in uncountable ways to produce elaborate shapes and scenarios. Besides learning technical skills, we will focus on rope bondage as a movement and acrobatic art, with emphasis on flow, aesthetics, and partner connection.

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.

Frolic 2024 on the Fly

June 16th Stewardship Day

Sunday, June 16th, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
We look forward to joining The Grove’s residents in laughter, elbow grease, and property primping, followed by hot tubbing and hob-knobbing with new friends! Email frolic@thecspc.org if you have questions not covered by the instructions below.

The Frolic 2024 Stewardship Day! 

Once you follow the link to VolunteerLocal, do the simple join process with a chosen name and email.

Sign in if you already have done so.

Then, under the list of Community Service options, choose Stewardship Days and sign up! (June 16th)

Have You Checked Out the Website?

Presenters and Workshops

This newsletter is spotlighting our two amazing Featured Presenters: the dynamic duo Mac Scotty McGregor and Dawn Celeste McGregor! Read on to discover an Olympic athlete and deeply thoughtful transman, as well as a passionate soul-expansive woman. She’s the type of doctor you will love! Check out their profiles!

All Presenters Bios HERE 

All Class Descriptions HERE

The Grove

The Grove has added four dedicated RV spots and two pairs of composting toilets! There’s a lot more space to camp in too!

Registration

Don’t wait to buy your ticket!

Our online ticket registration includes a quick-ish orientation video and asks for all the information we needed to have you fill out last year onsite. You will literally drive up to the Loop, park, show your legal identification, get a swag bag, and go find your campsite! 

Join in the discussion on Discord and Fetlife! 

NOTE: Our Orientation also counts as a CSPC New Member Orientation! Once you watch the 26-minute video, you’ll be a CSPC member*! Bonus! (*after registration processing)

We will also have a virtual Pre-Frolic 411 again so store up those questions for Wednesday, July 17, 7-9 p.m. Add it to your calendar!

Redbubble displays all the fantastic swag you can order. Check it out! 

YURT AUCTIONS

Yep, I said it! Click on the link to be wowed by their awesomeness! The Gaia Yurt was won for $610 at auction! The Prism Yurt is up now and runs through 12 p.m. on June 24.

The Prism Yurt Auction 

One yurt left after this! 

Celestial Yurt: Auction starts June 25. Ends July 15. (16-foot dome yurt with electricity)

Commonly Asked Questions

1. Are there bathrooms? 

1. Yes, one VIP/ADA full bathroom, two outdoor hot/cold showers, two pairs of composting toilets, several portable toilets, and two pairs of handwashing stations.

2. Is there water available? 

1. Yes, from a hose and the hospitality tent, where you will also find coffee, hot water for tea, and various snacks.

3. I have a special diet. 

1. No worries. There is a section of the registration process to delineate specialty diets. We will do our best to address everyone’s needs. It may not be possible to accommodate EVERY request though, so we will publish our best efforts of a menu plan with plenty of time for you to add yumminess to your camp packing plans. 

4. Ummm…what do I wear? 

1. Be legally covered when you can be seen by the neighbors. Mostly though…whatever you do or don’t want. If you prefer to go naked, make sure you judiciously apply sunscreen. If you prefer to wear clothing, just make sure you are making eye contact with naked folx, no staring. Now in the clothing department, go crazy! Go leather, go latex, be a horse, wear a onesie. You do you!

5. I don’t know ANYONE. I’m super nervous! 

1. It’s ok. We’ve all been there! And there will be plenty of opportunities to meet people in a variety of situations.

6. I don’t know how to get what I want or make sure no one does anything crazy to me. I want to feel safe. 

1. Visit our trained staff in the Consent Canopy. They will be happy to discuss these concepts with you. If you feel unsafe, for any reason, visit the Consent Canopy, security personnel (in red shirts) or any on-shift Lead (in yellow shirts.)

Any other questions? Join the Frolic channel in Discord for answers or email us at frolic@thecspc.org.

Frolic Discord!

The More You Know!

Are you wondering where all the active members are posting, if not on Fetlife? Where are we sharing titillating thoughts, planning scenes for events, and just gabbing about our interests?

Did you know that we have a Frolic-specific channel on the CSPC Discord server? 

If you are a CSPC member with an active membership, you can join the server by clicking on the Discord link on the bottom of our CSPC website 

If your membership is inactive, choose the Membership tab at the top of the page to reactivate your membership first. 

Otherwise, go to our event page to register for a New Member Orientation. They are available both virtually and in person! It’s only $10 to join and one hour of your time!