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March with the CSPC at Pride!

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Pride is coming! On June 26, the CSPC will be marching in Seattle’s 2022 Pride Parade. As an organization for our members, by our members, we are looking for at least 25 members who are excited and enthusiastic about dressing up and showing Seattle what sex positivity means to you! You might even get to help carry our banner or hand out buttons and other swag to the onlookers along the parade route.

You will need to commit to gathering on Sunday morning with the rest of the CSPC marching contingent on 4th Ave, between Pike St and S Washington St, for staging before the parade begins, then shake your groove thing for the crowds for the next few hours as the parade moves through downtown ending at Seattle Center. All participants are required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. So if you’d love to show off your finest fetish gear, cutest critter costume, or whatever outfit brings out your Pride, contact us at pride@thecspc.org. We’d love to have you help us share the joy of free and authentic sexual expression at the 46th annual Seattle Pride Parade.

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Community Matters--Registration and Monitor Volunteer Training!

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By Sakari

Mark your calendars! Registration and Monitor volunteer training via Zoom on May 12!

Hi CSPC fam! Are you volunteer-curious? Do you have a drive to help your fellow community members? If so, think about taking an advanced volunteer training class with us! The CSPC is hosting a big training day on May 12.

From 4:30pm to 5:30pm there will be Registration training for anyone interested in facilitating our front-of-house operations. If you have experience in customer service and like the idea of greeting our party goers while smoothing their way to kinky enjoyment, this could be a great opportunity. 

From 5:30pm to 6:30pm we'll have a Monitor training classroom. Monitors are a key component of our mission. If you're passionate about consent culture, responsible kink, and just plain helping your fellow community members, please consider becoming one of our Monitors by taking this first step. Once the classroom portion is complete, you get the chance to sign up for a shadow shift at one of our parties to complete your training. 

If you'd like a chance to make a bigger impact at the CSPC, please join us in our online Zoom meeting space on May 12 at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81161509712?pwd=U2QrbDNzSjV4VW1tb3JSSkNUbVBhQT09.

See our website for more information about becoming a volunteer. If you have any questions please send emails to eventsdirector@thecspc.org. 

Hope to see you there!

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Community Matters: Keeping Our Community Safe(r)

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As the public health guidelines for COVID-19 precautions and the conditions on the ground continue to shift, the CSPC is committed to protecting the safety of our members to the best of our ability. Ensuring that our members have full knowledge of the safety protocols that will be in place at an event before purchasing tickets is important in our informed consent-based culture. That means that our protocols will shift more slowly in practice, as we want to make sure that events uphold the protocols in place when the event was first advertised and tickets were sold.

For the upcoming in-person events in both April and May, the CSPC will continue to uphold the updated precautions announced in March: we will continue to require mandatory proof of vaccination; mandatory masking except for eating, drinking, or using your mouth in a scene; and we will cap event attendance at 120 tickets sold in order to maintain space for social distance while welcoming more of our members to our in-person events.

We have sold out nearly all in-person events since we returned to holding parties, so it is clear that our community is eager to gather, and we want to be able to welcome as many members as possible at our events. Your willingness to consider each other’s safety and comfort by supporting the ongoing vaccination and masking policies has made the increase in the number of members at our gatherings possible. Thank you!

We will announce further changes to the CSPC’s COVID protocols in the newsletter and will note the pertinent expectations for each event in the specific event descriptions.

Stay safe, stay sexy!

–The CSPC Board

What's In a Word?: Sex-Positive Dictionary

“Inconceivable!”

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

–The Princess Bride

The mission of the Center for Sex Positive Culture is to “create spaces to celebrate, develop, and explore sexuality and sensuality among a diverse, supportive community.” An important part of that exploration within a diverse community is developing shared understandings of the language we use to describe ourselves, our sexualities, and our sensualities. 

For many of the words we use, however, there isn’t a single definition to rely on. Language is fluid, just like other forms of human expression (like our sexuality). So how do we create deeper understanding between us, while avoiding “one twue way-ism”? 

To approach this challenge, the CSPC is embarking on an ambitious project to member-source a dictionary of commonly-used terminology in the sex-positive community. This resource will be crafted by CSPC members and available to CSPC members (and possibly the public–we are looking into appropriate hosting platforms now).

Each word will offer multiple definitions submitted by CSPC members or crafted by CSPC member teams connecting via our Discord server. The author of each definition will be identified by their initials to honor the voice of the individual or team submitting the definition while minimizing any hierarchy of “rightness” that might spring up around definitions submitted by community leaders, etc.

In each newsletter, we’ll be announcing five “words of focus.” Please submit your definitions of those words or acronyms to the Sex-Positive Dictionary DTF (that’s Disappearing Task Force, pervs!) at sexpositivedictionary@thecspc.org. We’ll also be soliciting and sharing definitions of these five words on social media.

The five words for this issue are:

  • Impact play

  • Genderfluid

  • Sensation play

  • Brat

  • Primal

Are there words you’d like to see included? Definitions you’d like to share for words that don’t happen to be on this period’s list? Questions about the project? Want to volunteer to help? Contact us at sexpositivedictionary@thecspc.org, and we’ll get right back to you.

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Community Matters: Join the Action at the CSPC!

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by Sadie

Did you know that CSPC currently puts on 22 events a month?  That includes virtual discussion groups, in-person events, New Member Orientations, Munches, Board meetings, and Volunteer events.  There’s something going on to entice everyone!  

Are you new to kink or the CSPC?  Check out Fresh Meet!  Are you an experienced player who loves dance music?  Come get your beat on at Power Play Mixed-Tape!  Want to volunteer?  Come get acquainted with our leadership at our Volunteer Munch! (Learn more about helping support your vibrant CSPC community as a volunteer here.)  Have a special interest?  Come to one of our Discussion Groups!  We have groups focused on Power Dynamics, Switching, Queer Identities, Consensual Non-Monogamy, Neurodivergence in the Scene, Erotic Writing and more!  

This is one of the many reasons I love the CSPC.  There’s something for everyone.  Some of our events aren’t my thing.  That’s okay, there are others that are.  If you haven’t visited recently, this might be a good time!  Check out the current event offerings and read the descriptions on our website at theCSPC.org/event. We can’t wait to connect with you!

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Community Matters: Staying Safe with More Sexy People

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As the public health guidelines for COVID-19 precautions continue to shift, The CSPC is committed to protecting the safety of our members to the best of our ability. We want all our members to make decisions about purchasing tickets for CSPC events with full knowledge of protocols that will be in place at the time of the event. That means that our protocols will shift more slowly in practice, as we want to make sure that events uphold the protocols in place when the event was first advertised and tickets were sold.

As you know, The CSPC has three primary areas of safety precautions in place for in-person events at this time: mandatory proof of vaccination; mandatory masking except for eating, drinking, or using your mouth in a scene; and capping event attendance at 100 tickets sold in order to create space for more social distance.

We have sold out nearly all in-person events since we returned to holding parties, so it is clear that our community is eager to gather, and we want to be able to welcome as many members as possible at our events. 

In the interest of serving our community’s need to connect in-person while maintaining the safest environment possible, we are pleased to share that events being scheduled for April will have an increased cap of 120 tickets sold. Vaccination and masking protocols will continue to be unchanged at this time.

We appreciate the willingness to consider each other’s safety and comfort you have demonstrated by supporting the ongoing vaccination and masking policies, which made increasing the number of members at our gatherings an easier choice.

We will announce further changes to The CSPC’s standing COVID protocols in the newsletter and will note the pertinent expectations for each event in the specific event descriptions.

Stay safe, stay sexy!

–The CSPC Board

Celebrating Neurodiversity!

by Teeebone

In August 2021, the CSPC introduced a new online discussion group for neurodivergent members to meet on Zoom on the fourth Tuesday each month. The ND/DG became so popular that a couple months after its debut, a second time slot was established on first Sundays. This group creates a safe space and provides access for this “community within the community” to talk and be themselves.

Public awareness and celebration of neurodiversity has grown over the last two decades. Founded in 2018 by Siena Castellon when she was 16 years old, Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an official yearly event coming up on March 21-27, 2022. This teenager from the UK had faced many challenges, including prejudice and bullying in school, which motivated her to create this event to address and challenge misconceptions and stereotypes that still prevent autistic people and people with learning disabilities from reaching their full potential.

Supportive recognition of neurodiversity is an ongoing endeavor. While public education still has a way to go on this matter, primarily due to limited school funding, there are encouraging signs from the business sector. Places like AMC movie theaters offering Sensory Friendly Films and Chuck E. Cheese restaurants hosting monthly Sensory Sensitive Sundays are good examples of this. The general public is becoming more educated on this subject and are learning better ways to communicate and connect with neurodivergent people.

Want to find out more about Neurodiversity Celebration Week? Just follow the magic footprints: https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/

And if you’re curious about the ND/DG, we’re on Zoom on the first Sundays of the month from 5-7 pm and the fourth Tuesdays of the month from 7-9 pm–during Neurodiversity Celebration Week this month! You don’t have to be a neurodivergent person to attend, just be aware, respect the space, and be understanding and supportive. :^)

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Let's Get This Party Started!

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by Sakari

Do you have any parties centering around…?

Do you have any parties centering around foot worship?  Around poly mingling?  Around WAM?  Around furries?  Around sex in swimming pools?  Around left-handed people?  We get variations of this question all the time.  I wish that we already had all those parties set up, but the truth is, we don’t throw parties.  You, our members, do.  The good news is that if there’s a party or focus you’d like to see at the CSPC, you can bring your vision to life!

Let’s say you desperately want a party with a certain focus.  You can have that if you’re willing to put the work in!  An event like this takes some work, but we have it all set up for you and your team.  It takes about 3-6 months to put an event together and a couple months to get a regular schedule going. 

First step is contacting our Events Director at EventsDirector@theCSPC.org.  They have resources and know-how to help you plan an event, whether it’s your first or fiftieth. 

The process goes something like this:

  • A month or two of envisioning your party while recruiting and creating your team.  What is the theme, what will it look like, feel like, what aspects are needed?  Who is going to work with you on bringing this to fruition? 

  • Sharing a proposal with the CSPC board and presenting at a board meeting.  Once you have your vision, our Events Director will help you flesh it out and write it up into a proposal.  It will be sent to the board a week before the board meeting so they can comment and ask questions.  At the board meeting, you will tell a little about your proposed event, answer any lingering questions, and the board will vote as to whether it can move forward or offer feedback on what it still needs before it can be approved. 

  • Once you’re approved, you’ll work with Events to get posters designed, Operations to get ticketing and website links, and Communications to help with marketing.  You’ll also be promoting the party as you continue planning.  Your first event can happen six weeks to two months from the approval. 

  • As we get close, you’ll be promoting the party and continuing to recruit volunteers for your team.  All CSPC events are by members, for members, and having a committed team of trained volunteers makes every party more fun for everyone!

  • On the night of the event, you’ll be in charge of what the party looks like and how it’s run!  With the support of Events and your volunteer team, you can settle into your groove as the Host with the Most, connecting with party goers and bringing the energy and activities that you envisioned to life.

  • After the first event, you’ll debrief with our Events Director and decide if and when you’d like your next event.  If you’re looking to do the party regularly, we have a policy of two months between the first and second party, ramping up to once a month or whatever your desired cadence is. 

So there you have it!  It may sound complex, but if you have a vision, we have the resources to make it happen and to simplify the process along the way. 

Reach out to EventsDirector@theCSPC.org to get your party started! 

Interested in volunteering? We can’t do what we do without trained volunteers! Many roles are open, both at parties and behind the scenes. Complete your online volunteer orientation and submit your volunteer application form today!

Community Matters: Spotlight on The Swirl

by Emma Atkinson

Have you heard about The Swirl Events - the Seattle area’s first Lifestyle group owned and operated by POC and allies?  Are you looking for a culturally diverse and inclusive place where your sexy self is most welcome?  Can you find your way to Kent? 

The Swirl is a small members-only club, and Deziree and Avon want to make sure you have a safe and sexy experience.  They have parties on Friday and Saturday nights every other weekend.  Friday night features fun themes that let members and non-members meet and mingle - for example, Karaoke Night, Erotic Poetry Open-Mic Night, and Kink Night.  After midnight on Friday the social activities give way to a members-only sexy afterparty.  Saturday night is usually a hot dance and sex party.

Don’t let the small size fool you - they’re equipped to support seriously fun times.  The club has nine play spaces, a swing, and a fuck box (!!).  What’s a fuck box?  I don’t know but I’m pretty sure I need to find out, and you probably do, too.  We’ve included a pic to pique your curiosity.  

When you check it out, you’ll want to find your fanciest clothes and plan to dress to impress.  Get more info at their website,  www.theswirlevents.com, and take a peek at the flyers below for some of their upcoming events.  

How great are these humans?  They’re offering us 10% off a new annual membership that’s already an amazing deal - just use the promo code: CSPC.  The CSPC is glad to let you know about places that we think you’d like and, in the process, help our many like-minded communities thrive and prosper.