What's in the Bag? 11-2-2023

Ever wonder what lurks in the bottom of all those massive toy bags you see people carting around at parties? What is part of someone's kinky kit? We want you to share some of your favorite toys with us! Maybe you'll inspire someone to get that flogger they've been eyeing, or those claws they were unsure about. What's in your toy bag?

Name:

Esjay

How long have you been a CSPC member?

Almost 2 years!

What's your favorite CSPC party?

PPMT 2.0 or Myself

What's your favorite non-kink hobby?

I'm a circus artist! Aerials and Dragon Dreaming, specifically 🤩

[IMAGE TOY 1 - CLOTHSPINS]

I love my massive set of wooden clothespins! This is simply a small sampling! They are delightful to use on myself or on others. I love the level of pinch they provide when I use them on myself, but I especially love the look on a play partner's face when I first whip them out! They be small, but they be mighty — few things make me as giddy as when I find new tender spots on my play partner with these bad boys. I particularly love creating rings of magnified sensitivity with them. As one can imagine, they are perfect around a nipple. As of where I found them? Well...t'was a random closet in my grandmother's home, to be honest!

[IMAGE TOY 2 - FLOGGER]

This flogger is still pretty new to me, but I already adore it! It's very thuddy and creates the most delicious sounds. The heft to it feels particularly good to use. I got this off of Etsy from seller GoodStuff100. I'm yet to use a flogger I didn't enjoy using, but this one takes the cake as it is my favorite color!

[IMAGE TOY 3 - PINK VIBE]

This toy is called Thrust by Bellesa! I adore rabbits, but this little friend is something special. The clit stimulation part and the insertable part both have a range of vibration/movement patterns to choose from. This toy does all the work for me, which I very much appreciate!

Want your favorite toys to be featured in a future newsletter? Fill out our Google form!

If you have any questions, please contact Marissa at newsletter@thecspc.org.

Broaden Your Mind - 11.2.23

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 the first issue each month. If you have an event suggestion, please email Marissa at newsletter@thecspc.org and it might make it into our next issue!

November 6

Board Gayme Night at Stoup (free | in person)

A weekly meetup for the LGBTQIA+ community hosted by Seattle Gaymers.

November 8

SLSC: RopeLab (donation encouraged | in person)

SLSC RopeLab is a collaborative men’s rope bondage community for experienced rope riggers to workshop and practice rope techniques. This is a space for gay and bisexual men, transmen, and other male presenting people to participate in ropework peer-learning skillshare.

November 11

Sex Positive World: Pleasure Bound ($11–55 | in person)

Join Jamie and Lady Vivus for one or both workshops starting with: Awesome Pleasure, a workshop on how to ask for what you want and say no to what you don't! Then learn the ins and outs of getting started with rope bondage in Bedroom Bondage!

November 11

SEA-PAH: Best in Show ($20 suggested | in person)

Best in Show is a charity competition show, where contestants will be put through multiple rounds of grueling challenges to test their mettle and see who will take home the title! This year, our pups will be paired with members of Seattle Men in Leather who will act as their handlers for the night.

November 12

Abbey Arts: The Not-Creepy Gathering for People Who Want to Fall in Love ($10–30 | in person)

This structured indoor event is not about scrolling and swiping and making snap decisions based solely on physical appearance. This event is about being open enough to see each other's humanity.

November 19

Sex Positive World: Sexy Intersections ($0–25 | online)

This class helps us all think about the many power dynamics that affect us when we interact in sex positive community. This is a core class in SPW for all of us wanting to learn more about how we show up/speak up/receive feedback from others when we share space together.

November 25

Olmstead: Burlesque in the Flamingo Room ($20–120 | in person)

Fat Bottom Productions brings you the best burlesque at the best venue on the Hill! Our venue gets you up close and personal with incredible performers from across the Pacific Northwest.

December 3

Sex Positive World: Practice, Practice, Practice ($0–10 | online)

There’s so much we learn in workshops that we may not have time to fully integrate or get comfortable with at the time, so we want to give you all a chance to practice some of these skills at your own pace.

December 3

Sex Positive World: Erotic Blueprints ($0–25 | online)

Do you know what your Erotic Blueprint™ is? It's the unique map to your arousal! Haven't heard of these blueprints? Don't worry, it's a new discovery in sexuality. There are 5 types: Energetic, Sensual, Sexual, Kinky, & Shapeshifter. Each blueprint has very specific turn-ons, turn-offs, superpowers, and challenges.

Sex Trivia 10-19-23

Get ready to spice up your inbox with our new Sex Trivia segment! We're here to tickle your brain with some tantalizing intellectual treats. In each biweekly newsletter, we'll erect your curiosity with some sizzling trivia questions. The catch? You'll have to wait until the next newsletter for us to announce the winner! “I see you shiver with antici…pation!” The more you play, the more chances you have to score some fabulous prizes down the road. Enjoy playing!

Question #1

Oil-based lubes can be used for all of the following things EXCEPT?

A. Pure silicone-based sex toys

B. Latex barriers (most condoms and safer-sex barriers)

C. Bare bodies without contraceptives/barriers/sex toys

D. Toys with metal, glass, or ceramic

Question #2

The first female condoms, reputed to have been used over 2,000 years ago in Ancient Greece, were made of what?

A. Snake skin

B. Lamb intestine

C. Goat's bladder

D. Seaweed

Question #3

Which of the following are aphrodisiacs?

A. Artichokes

B. Chocolate

C. Chili peppers

D. A and B

E. All of the above

Question #4

What is the record number of orgasms in one hour?

A. 7

B. 32

C. 67

D. 138

Question #5

Which of these animals have sex for pleasure (you can choose multiple)?

A. Bonobos

B. Rhinos

C. Crows

D. Penguins

E. Salmon

Bonus!

What questions do YOU have about sex? Is there anything you're itching to know more about?

Submit your trivia responses via our Google form here!

Prize

The first person to submit their response and answer all questions correctly will win two tickets to a future “Sex Trivia Night” at Stoup Brewing on Capitol Hill. Winner will be announced in the subsequent newsletter.

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

If anyone wants to try their hand at the full sex trivia, the next event is happening at Stoup Brewing in Capitol Hill on November 1! Buy tickets HERE! Sex Trivia began in 2022 as a way to provide a fun space to learn about sex, and to support comprehensive and queer-centered sexuality education. A portion of each ticket will be donated to a selected nonprofit organization whose mission aligns with our values of access, equity, and reproductive justice.

Who are our brilliant trivia masters?

Naomi Price-Lazarus (she/her) is a sexuality educator, event facilitator, and dance party host. Naomi is the Founder of Papaya Project, a Seattle-based non-profit organization that offers comprehensive sexuality education and community-building events to youth and adults. With a queer-centered and pleasure-focused approach, Papaya Project aims to destigmatize and expand understandings of identity, sexuality, bodily autonomy, and pleasure. Naomi also creates and sells art that celebrates sexual anatomy and pleasure (@PapayaProjectOrg). Naomi spends her free time playing sports, baking cookies, and traveling around the world.

Breona Mendoza (she/her) is a queer sex educator, sex therapist, author, and avid supporter of self-love in all respects of the word. Her book, Clitaurus Chronicles, is a sex education story that uses art and metaphor to convey important lessons around communication, consent, and pleasure. She owns and operates a therapy practice called Colorful Therapy where she works with youth and adults to build relationships skills, self-love, and liberation. She spends the rest of her time cultivating a sex-positive community, eating absurd amounts of peanut butter, finding excuses to play dress up, and contemplating ingenious ways to empower people to become more comfortable and loving with their parts. Follow her @ClitaurusChronicles.

Honor system

We know that Google is a convenient and helpful tool, but please look upon this as an intellectual challenge; something fun and educational to help us learn and grow within the sex-positive and kink communities. Please don't look up the answers and respond simply to win stuff.

If you have any questions, please contact Marissa at newsletter@thecspc.org.

Consent Corner 23.13

By Emma Atkinson

Hello lovely readers! Kisses and hugs all around, and all of them consensual, of course. I'm back from traveling to France and double air kissing many French folx, as they do — so much magnificent art to see and so little time. Count me convinced that seeing art live and in person is several orders of magnitude greater than seeing reproductions.

Bumbershoot Festival at Seattle Center this year featured a poster with the word "consent" written down the left side and an explanation of what each letter represents in the land of consent. It was kind of awesome to see consent reminders as one experienced the many wonders of the festival. And, we're going to consider how each consent concept affects our lives and our experiences.

So, let's start with the letter C, which means to check yourself and your friends before you wreck someone's night. Isn't there a line in a song with the advice to check yourself before you wreck yourself? Thich Nhat Hahn suggests that one might have on one's wall the question, "Are you sure?" I'm thinking that it can't hurt to stop whatever one is up to, especially at highly emotional times, and take a good look around.

Have you ever been swept up in some hysteria of the moment only to think, in hindsight, how you might have made better choices? Who of us hasn't let our better judgment take a back seat to the lure of something or someone? As an added benefit, when you stop to look around, you have the chance to express your gratitude, as needed.

Homework: At some random time, check out yourself and your friends. What did you find? Let us know at: info@thecspc.org.

"Be excellent to each other." —Bill and Ted

"Be sexcellent to each other." —Emma

Consent Advocacy Training for Volunteers

We are excited to announce a new training opportunity! As part of our ongoing work to update and expand our consent policy and practice, we have partnered with Consent Academy to create an exclusive Consent Advocacy workshop, just for CSPC volunteers!

This two-part, six-hour course will cover:

• The expectations and basics of the Consent Advocate role

• Communication and active listening skills

• Working with trauma and people caught in acute trauma reactions

• Consent-Focused Psychological First Aid

• Bystander intervention and de-escalation skills

• Supporting those involved in a consent incident

Yours to keep:

• Consent Advocate handout and presentation slides

This workshop is intended for those currently volunteering in one or more of the following capacities: Event Coordinator, Monitor, Event Host or Champion, Orientation Leader, DG Host, Tech Host, Team Captain, Discord Mod, Tasting Top, or Board Member. It is a requirement for volunteers who wish to become part of the upcoming Consent Advocate Team. Click here for more information on becoming a Consent Advocate.

This workshop is being offered at a reduced rate. For the same price as attending a CSPC event, ($25-35), this workshop offers information and skills applicable in everyday life, opens the door to enriching volunteer opportunities, and entitles you to add this Consent Academy training to your résumé. There will be a limited number of scholarships available.

Who: active volunteers (max. 35 participants)

What: six-hour workshop

When: Saturday November 11th and 18th, 1-4pm (this is a two-part workshop)

Where: online

Why: to be considered for the Consent Advocate Team and/or to expand your understanding and ability to create and maintain consent culture within our community

How: registration information coming soon

If you have questions or are unavailable on these dates, contact Skitty at HRdirector@thecspc.org. The next opportunity for this training will be in early 2024.

CSPC Communications Team Volunteering

As our organization and local community continues to grow, so does our Communications Team. We are looking for additional volunteers to assist in maintaining our social media presence! See below for volunteer descriptions and information on how to apply.

Social Media CoordinatorS

Responsibilities:

• Lead the Social Media Volunteers and present department reports to Communications Director at the Communications Team meeting

• Monitor the CSPC social media platforms (Facebook, FetLife, Instagram) on a daily basis in tandem with the Communications Director; reply to comments, questions, and messages

• Work with Social Media Volunteers to create unique content on a regular basis using the images and text copy provided or create your own images and adapt text from other CSPC sources to promote the mission of the CSPC, attract followers, and engage with our community

• Use the social media platforms to connect with organizations and individuals who align with our mission

• Regularly attend online Communications Team meetings (currently 6-7pm PDT every second Monday)

Qualifications:

• Active membership with the CSPC

• Completed volunteer orientation (can be done at the start of volunteering)

• Familiarity with navigating Facebook, FetLife, and Instagram

• Comfortable having your social media account associated with the CSPC

• Willingness to engage with others on social media

• Competence using an image editor of your choosing (Gimp, Photoshop, etc.)

Social Media Volunteers

Responsibilities:

• Scroll through the CSPC posts and news feeds on a regular basis

• Report any unusual, inflammatory, or discriminatory posts or comments to a Social Media Coordinator

• Report incorrect information including dates, times, or invalid links to a Social Media Coordinator

• Engage with our posts, as you are comfortable, by liking or commenting

• Create and submit sex-positive and kink-friendly content that complies with the specific platform’s Community Guidelines to a Social Media Coordinator

• Suggest new ways the CSPC can interact with the community through social media

• Optional - Regularly attend online Communications Team meetings (currently 6-7pm PDT every second Monday)

Qualifications:

• Be an active member of the CSPC

• Have completed the volunteer orientation

• Actively browse social media on a regular basis

• Comfortable having your social media account associated with the CSPC

Contact: Email communicationsdirector@thecspc.org to apply for a volunteer position.

New party announcement! Femmes On Top

Ready to celebrate feminine power in all its forms? We have a party for you! Femmes On Top, a new party for femme Dominants and all their fans, is coming soon on October 28. This BDSM-focused party is perfect for Mistresses, Dommes, fem Tops, and all their submissives, admirers, and reverent followers. It's spooky season, so come in your most bewitching outfit! Costumes are encouraged but not required, and fetishwear is always welcome.

Femmes On Top features a social-only hour from 8-9pm on the upstairs floor of the venue with an optional icebreaker game for attendees, while play is welcome downstairs all night from 8pm to midnight. A pickup play board and special flagging supplies will be available for folks who want to make new connections.

This queer-friendly party welcomes attendees of all genders and sexual orientations; trans and gender non-conforming attendees are especially encouraged to attend.

What's in the bag? featuring Marissa

Ever wonder what lurks in the bottom of all those massive toy bags you see people carting around at parties? What is part of someone's kinky kit? We want you to share some of your favorite toys with us! Maybe you'll inspire someone to get that flogger they've been eyeing, or those claws they were unsure about. What's in your toy bag?

Name:

Marissa (she/her)

How long have you been a CSPC member?

Just over one year! Hi all, I'm also the newsletter editor, so I figured I'd be the test dummy for this new article!

What's your favorite CSPC party?

PPMT for sure!

What's your favorite non-kink hobby?

Yoga? Soccer? Knitting? Reading. All those things and more.

"I LOVE this flogger. In my attempts to find non-leather floggers, I stumbled upon JuniperJennShop on Etsy, and she makes her floggers from vinyl and you can modify the colors and handles and fall shape/size and it's the best thing. I've always been an all-the-colors person, so the black floggers I see everywhere don't appeal much to me."

"I don't use these quickie cuffs nearly as often as I should, but they're just so brilliant. I have a small size, so they fit limited hands/wrists (perhaps I need to get the larger size too!). But just pop them on, instant cuffs!"

"Seriously…you can't really go wrong with a great wand. I feel like I don't even need to explain why this is a favorite. Like, duh. It was really hard to only pick three items, sheesh."

Want your favorite toys to be featured in a future newsletter? Send an email to Marissa at newsletter@thecspc.org and we'll get talking!

Broaden Your Mind - 10.5.23

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 the first issue each month. If you have an event suggestion, please email Marissa at newsletter@thecspc.org and it might make it into our next issue!

October 6–7

A Metamodern Prometheus ($1–50 | in person)

A literary burlesque about the creation of Frankenstein

October 6–7

Northwest Film Forum: Sex Demon ($7–14 | in person)

Last screened theatrically in 1981 and never released on home video, Sex Demon is a crucial—yet long-lost—piece of queer horror history that’s been preserved in 2K from a recently discovered 16mm release print.

October 8

Consent Academy: Consent, Neurodiversity, and Kink ($20–40 | online)

This discussion-focused workshop is designed to help folks of all neurotypes better understand and communicate with their neurodivergent partners and play partners. The workshop will give an overview of what neurodiversity is and why the neurodiversity paradigm is important. It will also cover how the systemic oppression of neurodivergent people can create barriers to consent and will address strategies for promoting trauma-informed and accessible spaces.

October 8

Sex Positive World: Cultural Spa: Healing Inherited Wounds ($0–30 | online)

This workshop is centered around trauma-informed practices that equip us with the skills necessary to address embodiment of traumatic experiences.

October 12–29

Seattle Queer Film Festival ($50+ | in person and virtual)

The 28th Annual Seattle Queer Film Festival runs October 12-22 (in-person) and October 22-29 (virtual) in venues in Capitol Hill and Columbia City, with virtual reach including Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. Our theme for this year’s festival is “Queer Joy Is Cinematic”, while we also explore what ‘queer joy’ means to all members of our community, recognizing we must fight and exist in equal measure.

October 13

Kremwerk: Hyper-ween ($11.33 | in person)

We're throwing a spine-chilling party 4 u spinning emerging hyperpop, synthpop, nightcore, and whatever-the-fuck-core is next. HYPER is and will always be a queer party guaranteed to transform any space into an immaterial world, so we’re going to slay the haunted house down BOOts this year one last time.

October 15

Sex-Positive World: Awesome Boundaries ($0–25 | online)

Whether you’ve been taught to go against your own boundaries in order to please others or to push hard for what you want, or a mix of both, this on-line workshop is a place to explore together how we each got to where we are today with boundaries and how to get to a better place in how we set and receive boundaries.

October 21

Pan Eros: Seduction: Monstrous ($55 | in person)

It’s time for Seattle’s sexiest Halloween party! Gallery Erato is preparing to host Seduction: Monstrous—a night of music, dancing, ambient performances, and the hottest costumes to make it out of the bedroom await you!

October 22

SEA-PAH: Suicide Awareness Walk (free | in person)

The Out of the Darkness Community Walk is a journey of remembrance, hope, and support. It unites our communities and provides an opportunity to acknowledge the ways in which suicide and mental health conditions have affected our lives and the lives of those we love and care about.

October 22

Sex Positive World: The Pleasure Talk ($0–25 | online)

Join us for an interactive workshop on creating safer sex and more pleasurable connections through awesome communication!

October 26

Papaya Project: Seattle Sexuality Professionals Meet-up (free | in person)

Are you a Sexuality Educator, Counselor, Therapist, or other sexuality-related professional living in Seattle? Do you want to connect with other people in your field, brainstorm future collaborations, or just have a space to collectively decompress? Join us for this monthly community meet-up!

October 26

Pan Eros: Creepy, Crawly Lap Dance ($42 | in person)

Creepy Crawly Lap Dance explores the spine chilling side of lap dancing just in time for Halloween! Ghouls, gals, and guys will learn a short choreography to take with them or use individual moves in whatever order makes you feel good. Lap dance pairs will have the option of only one person learning the moves, or to switch and allow both participants to learn.

November 1

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

Join us for a fun, educational night of sex trivia and to fundraise for comprehensive sexuality education!