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Community Matters: Price Increase and Possible Masking Policy Change

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Event Ticket Price Increasing May 1–Introducing Tiered Pricing

The Board approved an increase in ticket prices for in-person events at the meeting on March 8. This is our first ticket price increase in over six years, while our costs for events have grown considerably with inflation. 

In order to keep CSPC events as accessible as possible while ensuring sustainability for the organization, we will be implementing a tiered pricing system. The three price tiers will be $25 for “discounted” tickets (the same as our current ticket price), $30 for “standard tickets,” and $35 for “benefactor” tickets. Members will self-select the price of their own tickets during registration beginning May 1. 

Is money tight? Choose the discounted ticket. Got enough for some small pleasures? Choose the standard ticket. This is the price most members will pay. Able to support your community by contributing a little more? Choose the benefactor ticket to help cover the gap for members who need discounted tickets. 

The CSPC is your community; your volunteer and financial support make all our services possible.

Considering a Change to the Masking Policy

As Washington State is planning to lift the masking requirements at medical facilities as of April 3, the CSPC Board is considering changing our masking policy from the current requirement of KN95 or N95 masking when not actively eating, drinking, or involved in a scene. The proposal under consideration is to make masking optional, though still strongly encouraged as a method of protecting ourselves and others from spreading Covid and other airborne illness. The CSPC will continue to provide free masks to those who wish to wear them in the event this change is adopted.

Please complete this four-question survey to share your thoughts on this proposal. We also invite community members to join us at a members-only Masking Policy Town Hall meeting via Zoom from 7-9 p.m. on Monday, April 3, to contribute your thoughts and ideas to the conversation. Time for each speaker will be limited to allow the largest number of participants possible to speak, so please be prepared to share your comments concisely. Register for the Masking Policy Town Hall here.
We are a community for our members, by our members–your voice matters as we make decisions that impact the future of the organization. The Board will be voting on this proposal at the April 12 Board Meeting for possible implementation as of June 1.

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Community Matters: Possible Price Increase and Volunteer Training

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Board Considering Ticket Price Increase–Community Feedback Requested

The Board will be considering an increase in ticket prices for in-person events at the meeting on March 8. Ticket prices haven’t increased in over six years, while our costs for events have grown considerably with inflation. In order to keep CSPC events as accessible as possible while ensuring sustainability for the organization, we are proposing to implement a tiered pricing system where members self-select the price of their own tickets upon registration beginning in May. The three price tiers would be $25 for “discounted” tickets (the same as our current ticket price), $30 for “standard tickets,” and $35 for “benefactor” tickets. See more details here.

Please share your thoughts via email at feedback@thecspc.org or complete a feedback form available on our homepage. We also invite community members to join us at the March 8 Board meeting to contribute your thoughts and ideas to the conversation. We are a community for our members, by our members–your voice matters as we make decisions that impact the future of the organization.

March Volunteer Training for Registration and Monitoring

Join us on March 20, 2023, from 7-9 p.m., for our next volunteer training. Monitor training will run from 7-8 p.m. and Registration training will run 8-9 p.m. Registration will open soon–log into Volgistics and register for the training on March 20 to get the Zoom link!

Not yet a volunteer, but want to get in on the action? Join the volunteer corps today! Just complete the on-demand online volunteer orientation and submit the volunteer application located on the Volunteering webpage. It’s that simple! The more parties we host, the more volunteers we need to keep things running smoothly. The CSPC is a fully volunteer-led, volunteer-run non-profit organization created by our members for our members. Become a volunteer and help chart the CSPC’s future!

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News from the Board: Considering Event Price Increase

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The topic of a potential increase in event ticket prices was raised at the February Board meeting. This increase would be the first in over six years, and the decision is not an easy one. While our costs for venue rental, laundry, safer sex supplies, event refreshments, and accessibility items have all increased due to inflation, many of our members are struggling to make ends meet as well.

In order to keep CSPC events as accessible as possible while ensuring sustainability for the organization, we are proposing to implement a tiered pricing system where members self-select the price of their own tickets upon registration. The three possible levels would be $25 for a “discounted” ticket, $30 for a “standard” ticket, or $35 for a “benefactor” ticket. 

This would allow members who cannot afford an increase to continue to select the lower $25 price currently in effect, while adding higher priced tickets as “standard,” plus “benefactor” level tickets that balance out the “discounted” tickets. We will track the numbers of tickets sold at each level and member feedback, and will analyze these prior to any future increases.

May would be the earliest we could reasonably have this take effect, as we are already selling tickets for our March and April events. The Board is planning to vote on this proposal at the March Board meeting. 

We are currently soliciting community feedback on this proposal. Please share your thoughts via email at feedback@thecspc.org or complete a feedback form available on our homepage. We also invite community members to join us at the March 8 Board meeting to contribute your thoughts and ideas to the conversation. We are a community for our members, by our members–your voice matters as we make decisions that impact the future of the organization.

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Intoxicants Prevent Informed Consent

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At the Center for Sex Positive Culture, we do not allow the use of intoxicants of any kind, and we do not allow intoxicated people to enter or play at our events. These policies are followed strictly, and if we have reason to believe that you are intoxicated, you may be denied entry to or required to leave an event. Depending on the situation, you might also lose your membership entirely. The general rule of thumb we use is, if you cannot not safely operate a motor vehicle, you cannot enter our events.

But why?

There are a number of good reasons for this policy. First, being impaired reduces your capacity to consent to the kind of delicious fun that happens at our events. We don’t want somebody sobering up to discover they had a lot of fun that they would normally *not* have chosen to engage in. This is the stuff that consent incidents are made of.

Second, being impaired reduces your ability to gauge and monitor the consent of other people you meet and potentially play with. To put this more bluntly, having your beer goggles (or blunt goggles) on can make you come across as pushy to a person you’re interested in playing with, while you may be under the illusion that the conversation is going just fine. Being intoxicated has a tendency to create drama (another thing that we ask people to keep out of our spaces).

Third, the kind of activities many of us engage in at the CSPC can already create a potent mix of chemicals that are often described as intoxicating, if not transcendent. You can feel like you’re flying, but you should do so safely. It is unwise to mix these stimuli with other intoxicants, especially if you’re new to BDSM play and kink.

Fourth, some of the activities we do here require your coordination to be at its best. You are far more likely to accidentally strike or cut someone when you are impaired, and that will create a bad evening for both parties.

Fifth, intoxicants interfere with your ability to self-assess things like pain, numbness, tingling, etc. For many kinds of play, being able to keep tabs on your condition and report it to the person you’re playing with is critical. You want good memories from your evening of fun, not an unintended scar or nerve damage.

Finally, we lack the volunteer staff to assist you if you accidentally take too much of something, or the mix of substances and play turns out to be too much in combination. At best we would have to ask you to leave an event, and your fun is over for the evening. At worst, we might need to shut down the event so that an ambulance can come to get you, and everybody’s fun is over for the evening.

These are just some of the reasons that we adhere to this policy. What you do in your own time and in other spaces is most certainly your business, but we do ask you to keep all intoxicants out of our spaces and not attend if you find yourself intoxicated. You can always email us if you’ve accidentally taken too much of something, and we’ll happily move your ticket to another event at which you can come and take part while sober.

Stay safe and stay sexy,

The CSPC Board

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F*cking Fabulous Fall Fundraiser: Wrap Up & Community Treats!

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Huge gratitude from the CSPC Board and our community for your participation in the 2022 F*cking Fabulous Fall Fundraiser! Your donated items and winning bids raised $4,912 to support CSPC programming—well OVER our goal of $4,444! You ROCK!

Thanks to those of you who volunteered your time and energy to set up and manage the online auction, those of you who donated your services and your stuff, those of you who helped generate higher donations by bidding on those treasures, and those of you who supported the CSPC with your winning bids. We couldn't have done this without ALL of you!

Winning bidders were contacted directly via email to process their donations and make arrangements for receiving their items. To ease the disappointment the rest of us are feeling, here are a few follow-up opportunities:

  • As a special thank you to our community for all the ways you contribute to making the CSPC the welcoming, sexy space it is, Board member (and item donor) Eirikah is offering a coupon for 25% off any sex & relationship coaching intensive or package with Desire Alchemy. Just use coupon code CSPCFFFF at the time of booking on her website!

  • If you missed out on a particular item, be sure to check the item description for an email address or business website of the item donor to reach out and make a direct purchase. Items are still visible on the auction website.

Thank you again for all the ways you contribute to the CSPC community! 

As always, contact the CSPC with any questions at info@thecspc.org.

Stay safe, stay sexy, and have a happy holiday season!

The CSPC Board

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Community Matters: New Events Director and Volunteer Training

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At the December 2022 Board meeting, the Board president read a letter from Sakari regretfully sharing that she is stepping down from the Board effective immediately in order to take some time for recovery from recent health concerns. The CSPC Board would like to express our gratitude to Sakari for her years of service on the Board of Directors and as Events Director this past year. Under Sakari’s leadership in Events, we successfully returned to hosting in-person events and more than doubled the number of events (in-person and online) available for our community every month. We are sorry to lose her energy and dedication on the Board, but we look forward to seeing her continued participation in our community after some well-deserved rest and healing. 

We are delighted to announce that Jadzia has agreed to step into the role of Events Director for the CSPC. While Jadzia is one of our newest Board members, she is a powerhouse who also serves as EC Team Lead, Tasting Top Lead, and a member of the Champion team for three parties–All In, LaQueer, and Sense & Sensuality–among the many ways she supports the CSPC community as a volunteer. We can’t wait to see what the next year holds in Events! Got great ideas about Events? Share them using our feedback form here or email Jadzia at EventsDirector@theCSPC.org!

We want YOU to be the next rockstar volunteer! Join us on January 26, 2023, from 7-9 p.m., for our next volunteer training. Monitor training will run from 7-8 p.m. and Registration training will run 8-9 p.m. Registration is open now–log into Volgistics and register for the training on January 26 to get the Zoom link!

Not yet a volunteer, but want to get in on the action? Join the volunteer corps today! Just complete the on-demand online volunteer orientation and submit the volunteer application located on the Volunteering webpage. It’s that simple! The more parties we host, the more volunteers we need to keep things running smoothly. The CSPC is a fully volunteer-led, volunteer-run non-profit organization created by our members for our members. Become a volunteer and help chart the CSPC’s future!

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Let's Get F*cking Fabulous!

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The F*cking Fabulous Fall Fundraiser is off to a blazing hot start! Our online auction is filled with items donated by our community members–services and stuff that you just can’t find anywhere else! This is the perfect opportunity to do a little holiday shopping with all the money going to support your own sex-positive community. And don’t forget to treat yourself!

Check out the unique “stuff” like a handcrafted amethyst choker with two pairs of matching earrings, a four foot tall original painting representing the CSPC’s founder, Allena Gabosch (see the “secret links” on the auction site for full-length, unedited images!), two sexy Liberator lounges, a Pride-themed X-Box controller, first-peek CSPC swag, a black leather kilt, or your very own Sybian for a ride you’ll never forget.

Maybe a one-of-a-kind “service” is just the thing for you or your dear ones: coffee with a Femdom, a tarot reading to carry you into the new year, lunch for four (salad, soup, and dessert) cooked from Allena’s favorite recipes, a private fire play class, editorial services to make your communications sparkle, blade sharpening, lunch with the Board President, or a double Dom date night that takes your breath away. (Services do not include genital touch or two-way nudity in compliance with CSPC policies and local law regarding exchanging money (via auction) for sex acts.)

All proceeds go to support the CSPC and our community. This is the most fun you’ll have donating to a nonprofit organization this season! Join us for the bidding extravaganza at the F*cking Fabulous Fall Fundraiser and get a little something special with your year-end giving. Bidding ends at noon on Friday, December 9. We’re just over half way to our fundraising goal–help us reach the magic number of $4,444!

Want to contribute but auctions just aren’t your jam? Donate today! The spirit of the F*cking Fabulous Fall Fundraiser is coming together as a community to share our resources and skills to support the CSPC. Huge thanks to all our volunteers and donors–those who donated items, those who purchase them, and those who donate. Your contributions make our community f*cking fabulous!

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Monkeypox Community Vaccination Event!

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Monkeypox Community Vaccination Event @ Gallery Erato (in collaboration with The Center for Sex Positive Culture and Pan Eros Foundation)

Date: Monday, 12/19

Clinic hours: 4 pm  - 7 pm

Location: Gallery Erato, 309 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 (located in Pioneer Square)

Transit: between the University Street and International District Link stations, near the First Hill Street car, and many bus lines

Accessibility: Clinic building is ADA accessible and contains gender neutral restrooms.

Who can get vaccinated? Folks who meet current JYNNEOS eligibility criteria

Vaccination is free; no health insurance or photo ID required.

Register for an appointment HERE; only limited walk-ups available.

  • Please note that preregistering for an appointment only guarantees that you will receive a vaccine; it does not guarantee the exact time at which you will receive your vaccine.

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Community Matters: Increased Ticket Cap!

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We are delighted to announce that the CSPC Board voted at our November meeting to increase the cap on tickets sold for our events at Gallery Erato from 120 to 140 tickets sold beginning January 1, 2023. With this increase, we will be back at full capacity for our venue–and more community members at events means more fun! 

We regularly get emails from folx who missed out on sold out parties, and we’re so grateful that your willingness to take care of each other by wearing N95/KN95 or equivalent masks at events, rapid testing before attending parties, staying home whenever you’re sick, and getting vaccinated when possible has created a space where we feel safe welcoming more of our community into our space.

As of January 1, 2023, the CSPC’s COVID mitigation protocols include:

  • Required: wearing N95/KN95 or equivalent masks at indoor events except when actively eating, drinking, or participating in a scene.

  • Cap of 140 tickets sold per event.

  • Highly encouraged: vaccination and rapid testing before attending events.

  • Laundry professionally washed and sanitized.

  • Equipment disinfectant on site so members can clean equipment before and after use.

  • We are also still offering tickets to a future party for folx who stay home due to illness–thank you for helping keep our community healthy!

We continue to monitor the public health conditions, and we will announce any future changes to our protocols before tickets where those protocols would be in force go on sale. It’s important to us that everyone makes their personal health-related decisions with all the information available. Informed consent matters!

We can’t wait to see (more of) you enjoying the hotness of our community!

Stay safe, stay sexy,

The CSPC Board