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 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!


January 5 (recurring Fridays)

Kremwerk: Hot Heels - RuPaul’s Drag Race Viewing Party (free | in person)

Rev up your engines for RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 with Seattle's preferred pick of poisons, the fabulously lethal Viper Fengz! 


January 9

Pan Eros Foundation: Erotic Movement After Trauma ($23 | in person)

Connecting to or finding the erotic self can be profound, especially after living through trauma. Trauma can pull us far away from this part of ourselves, and leave us yearning to feel connected to our bodies, but deeply afraid to traverse that work. This workshop is intended to help you find safe and supportive ways to connect to your erotic self in a professional and compassionate container.


January 10

The 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! A portion of each ticket will be donated to ROOTS Young Adult Shelter. Founded in 1999, ROOTS (Rising out of the Shadows) was Seattle’s first overnight shelter designed to meet the unique needs of homeless young adults ages 18-25 years old.


January 13

Theatre Off Jackson: Sunday Night Shuga Shaq ($45–285 | 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!


January 16

The Papaya Project: Seattle Sexuality Professionals Meetup (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 special meet-up, where we will discuss sexuality and spirituality.


January 18

The Consent Academy: Foundations of Consent (free | online)

We all need to be able to talk about consent and how to build consent culture. Most of us have learned that 'no means no' and 'yes means yes', but consent goes way beyond that. Join us for a conversation about the foundations of consent so you can practice consent more in all aspects of your daily life.


January 19

Sex Positive World: Naughty Playoffs ($0–20 | online)

Test your Naughty knowledge via our Trivia-Jeopardy special. Featuring questions on sexy interactions with Culture, Money, BDSM/Kink, Literature and Science, join us as we embark upon this journey through Sex Positivity.


January 20

SEA-PAH: A Capitol Hill Queer History Walking Tour ($10–15 | in person)

Are you a Seattle area transplant and interested in learning more about the City's queer history? Or are you a native and have a fascination with local knowledge? SEA-PAH presents a Capital Hill Queer History Walking Tour where we'll go around one of our favorite neighborhoods learning about its history.


January 21

Sex Positive World: Worldwide Orientation ($0–25 | online)

Come get oriented to more Sex Positive World in a fun, safe, and welcoming environment! You will be greeted by the leadership of Sex Positive World at the beginning of this meet up and also spend time with leadership supporting events in your own area of the world.


January 24 (through April 3)

The 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.


January 27

Pan Eros Foundation: Sounding 101 ($30 | in person)

This workshop will start off with a presentation highlighting the various aspects of male urethral sounding: materials, sterilization, techniques, sexual benefits, health risks to consider, and overall safety precautions. After the presentation there will be a live sounding demonstration. The demonstration will show methods for gradually increasing thicker sounds while simultaneously stimulating the penis edging the model closer to orgasm. Disclaimer: There will be full male nudity, live demonstration of urethral sounding that may involve ejaculation.


January 28

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!

News from the Board: Masking Policy Changing February 1, 2024

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic in 2020, the CSPC’s Board has been working to protect our community from the deadly impact of this virus while continuing to meet our mission to “create spaces to celebrate, develop, and explore sexuality and sensuality among a diverse, supportive community.”

We were among the first to close our doors at the beginning of the pandemic, and we are among the last to shift from mandatory to voluntary masking at in-person events. Throughout this time, we have carefully followed the data and advice from the scientific community and public health officials, making difficult choices in consultation with our membership and our organization’s value of inclusion, especially for marginalized communities.

In August 2022, we determined that mandatory N95/KN95 masking was a stronger preventive measure than requiring vaccination with a formula that had not kept pace with viral mutation, and we changed our policies accordingly, effective October 2022.

We heard from many—former, current, and potential members—that our masking policy prevented their volunteering and participation with the CSPC community. Folx raised valid concerns about mandatory masking: allergic responses to masking materials, increased incidence of asthma and panic attacks, difficulty with communication for hearing impaired folx who read lips, and for neurodivergent folx who need additional non-verbal social cues. Communication challenges also increase the risk of consent violations, as both clear negotiation and response to a safeword may be compromised. At that time, the Board determined that there were other community spaces to welcome those members, and we needed to maintain a space that was safer for our immunocompromised members who had no other options.

When the State of Washington announced that the last masking mandates would be lifted in April 2023, the Board revisited this policy once again. We conducted a month-long survey, hosted a town hall meeting, and reviewed the current data and public policy; the details of that stage of our process are here. The membership’s voice was split, and so was the Board’s vote: 4-3 in favor of keeping mandatory masking, with a statement that we would revisit the policy again in September 2023.

In September, the Board felt that we should wait and see how the fall virus season went before making any changes, and we agreed to reconsider the question in February 2024. While there was an expected spike in respiratory infections of multiple kinds this fall, vaccine boosters formulated to address the most current strain of mutated virus are widely available, rapid and PCR testing is widely available, and our growing knowledge about the virus and proven methods of taking care of ourselves and each other have helped dramatically reduce the intensity and mortality of infections. We also witnessed health care providers briefly reinstate mandatory masking at their facilities during this spike, then return to voluntary masking as the wave of infections diminished, which provided a useful model for potential future response to short-term higher risk conditions.

The Board has continued to hear from members and volunteers who are unhappy with the mandatory masking policy for the reasons shared above and others, including issues with being cast in the role of enforcer as a volunteer and with being interrupted and questioned about masking in-scene as an event attendee. The impossibility of equal enforcement by very different individual volunteers with respect to what constitutes a “scene” in the experience of very different individual members is another concern.

Consequently, the Board reconsidered the mandatory masking policy at the December 2023 Board meeting for potential implementation February 1, 2024. The motion below was shared in the newsletter, on the blog, and on Discord a week prior to the meeting to solicit additional feedback to be considered alongside all the other comments and data gathered to that point.

Motion on Masking Policy Changes:

I move that the CSPC transition from its policy of mandatory masking with a KN95 or equivalent mask except when actively eating, drinking, or using one's mouth in a scene to optional masking in keeping with each individual's risk profile. KN95 masks will continue to be provided for use as desired, but volunteers will no longer enforce the mandatory masking policy. This policy change will be effective as of February 1, 2024, to allow members to purchase tickets with full knowledge of and consent to the new policy prior to implementation; all events prior to that date will still be under the current mandatory masking policy.

This change is aligned with current public health measures in effect in the State of Washington. The Board reserves the right and responsibility to revisit this decision as changing public health conditions require. We continue to recommend vaccination, voluntary masking, and regular hand washing/sanitizing to reduce the spread of infectious diseases including COVID, flu, and RSV. The CSPC is also pursuing options to improve ventilation and air quality at Gallery Erato to further protect our community at our events.

Attendee comment was invited after the motion was made and before the vote took place. Eight members spoke against the motion; six spoke in favor of it at the meeting. Multiple Board members shared their reasoning as well. This motion passed 9-1 to make masking optional in keeping with each individual’s risk profile. The recording of the December 2023 Board meeting is available here. Members and volunteers were also encouraged to contact the Events Director at EventsDirector@theCSPC.org to discuss Championing events with mandatory masking as desired.

There is still a lot that all of us as individual members can do to improve safety and help take care of our community while respecting each others’ autonomy. As of February 1, 2024, the CSPC’s public health mitigation protocols include:

  • Highly encouraged: wearing N95/KN95 or equivalent masks at indoor events. Members must use their own risk assessment and consideration for the safety of our community in their decisions about masking. The CSPC will continue to provide N95/KN95 masks free of charge to help prevent the spread of airborne illness.

  • Highly encouraged: vaccination (including recent COVID booster, flu, RSV, Mpox, pneumonia, and any other vaccine appropriate for your age and health risks). 

  • Highly encouraged: self-screening before attending events (rapid COVID tests, check for fever or other symptoms). Free tests delivered to your home address are available here. We don’t have the space to conduct testing on site, so please test at home. 

  • If you aren’t feeling well, stay home or wear a mask even if your test is negative. We are still offering a coupon code for a future party for folx who stay home due to illness if you email us prior to the start of the event.

  • Ventilation that pulls fresh outdoor air through the entire venue, and multiple air purification devices (three per floor) that will fully circulate and filter the air in the space once an hour using HEPA filters that trap 99.97% of particles down to 0.1 microns, plus sanitizing UV-C light to further reduce airborne virus, bacteria, and mold spores.

  • Cap of 140 tickets sold per event, so that along with event volunteer staffing we stay well within an occupancy of 164, which is the fire code for the venue.

  • Laundry professionally washed and sanitized, equipment disinfectant available on site so members can clean equipment before and after use, and sheets required between naked skin and furniture to help prevent contact-spread illness.

  • Barrier-method safer sex supplies and lube provided free (and use encouraged!) to help prevent sexually transmitted infection.

  • Highly encouraged: exchange full information regarding risk factors during negotiation, so that everybody can consent to activities with the information they need to assess their comfort with the attendant risks. This is the “I” in F.R.I.E.S.

We hope that this will help us all do the right things and keep one another safe. We understand the disappointment and frustration of our immunocompromised members and those with immunocompromised loved ones, and we acknowledge that this change will impact the accessibility of CSPC events for you. We encourage you to work with the Board and our community to create spaces that will continue to meet your needs so that we can provide truly inclusive spaces for ALL our members. The Board cannot do this work alone; we count on our fellow members to create the events and services they would like to see, as we provide guidance and support for your efforts.

We continue to monitor 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!

With care, we can all help keep our community safer so that we can continue to meet together for sexy good times.

Stay safe, stay sexy,

--The CSPC Board

Consent Corner 23.17

Emma Atkinson

Hello my lovelies, and warm holiday greetings to you and yours! Here’s hoping we all have the happiest and most consent-filled holiday season ever.

We’ve been considering the Bumbershoot model of C.O.N.S.E.N.T, conveniently using each letter of the word. Today’s letter is S. See something weird? Speak up. Reach out to venue staff for support.

At an event, you’ll probably encounter people, situations, and activities that are new for you. Yay you! You’ll probably have some questions, and event volunteers are glad to answer them. They’re there to help — that’s their job! Remember that they’re on duty and looking out for everyone’s well-being, including yours, so please be respectful of their time.

Weirdness often abounds when the community gathers, and one person’s label of “weird” is someone else’s lived experience. We try not to “yuck” someone else’s “yum” as much as possible.

We all need to look out for each other, though, so please speak up to someone official if you’re feeling uncomfortable. Let them put your mind at ease, knowing that event volunteers will take your concerns seriously. We all thank you for helping us make the community as safe and nurturing as possible.

Homework: Enjoy the holiday season, and get out there and practice your consent skills! Share your successes with us at: info@thecspc.org.

“Be excellent to each other.” —Bill and Ted

“Be sexcellent to each other.” —Emma

What's In the Bag?

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:

Ambrose McNibble

How long have you been a CSPC member?

I think I joined in 2000. I’m member #175.

What's your favorite CSPC party?

I haven’t attended in a decade but Grind was always good.

What's your favorite non-kink hobby?

Technology

This is Half-A-Cow and Son of Half-A-Cow. I made both of them. The handles are Elm from a 100-year old tree that grew in Bend, Oregon. Both have lead-loaded handles to attempt balance.

Right flogger:

Half-A-Cow is

  • 46 inches long

  • has 58 falls each three-quarter inch by 31 inches

  • weighs 7.4 lbs

This is the biggest flogger most people have ever seen.

Left flogger:

Son of Half-A-Cow is

  • 32.5 inches long

  • has 45 falls each one-half inch by 19 inches

  • weighs 2.2 lbs

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.

All In!: All Out 2023! New Year’s Eve Event!

Beat out 2023 and fuck in 2024! Come celebrate New Year’s Eve by participating in your favorite kinky and sexy activity!

All In is an event for everyone!

Bondage or spanking or sex? It is All In! Flogging or biting or foot worship? It is All In!

If you want to do a scene you have never done, or you want to do an old favorite, is it All In!

Wear your finest latex, your worn leathers, your coziest onesie, or wear nothing, it is All In!

If it is allowed within the rules of the CSPC then it is All In!

New member orientation will start at 7:00 sharp, and the event will start at 8:00. We will be partying up until 12:30 a.m. for this event, so you can enter the New Year partaking in whatever kinky thing your sexy mind can come up with!

If you have questions, please email us at allin@thecspc.org! To stay up to date as well as discuss play plans, rides, scene ideas, or any other mischievous debauchery, check out and join our FetLife Group!

Want to come? Purchase your tickets online!

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Community Matters

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COMMUNITY MATTERS

By Eirikah Delaunay

The CSPC’s December Board Meeting is coming up next week from 7:00-9:00 pm on Wednesday, 12/13/2023! Everyone is welcome to attend. This month, the Board will be sharing our usual reports and an update on the efforts toward increasing transparency in incident reporting and reconsidering the CSPC’s mandatory masking policy.

During our last reconsideration of the masking policy, we announced that our next review of this policy would take place in February 2024. Changing policies related to events requires a minimum of 30 days notice of the change in order to make sure that our policies are clearly stated in all ticketing links. This practice is intended to allow fully informed member consent to the policies in effect prior to purchasing a ticket. Therefore, the Board will address this issue with a discussion and vote on a motion related to changing our policy to optional masking at events at our meeting this month.

Motion on Masking Policy Changes:

I move that the CSPC transition from its policy of mandatory masking with a KN95 or equivalent mask except when actively eating, drinking, or using one's mouth in a scene to optional masking in keeping with each individual's risk profile. KN95 masks will continue to be provided for use as desired, but volunteers will no longer enforce the mandatory masking policy. This policy change will be effective as of February 1, 2024, to allow members to purchase tickets with full knowledge of and consent to the new policy prior to implementation; all events prior to that date will still be under the current mandatory masking policy.

This change is aligned with current public health measures in effect in the State of Washington. The Board reserves the right and responsibility to revisit this decision as changing public health conditions require. We continue to recommend vaccination, voluntary masking, and regular hand washing/sanitizing to reduce the spread of infectious diseases including COVID, flu, and RSV. The CSPC is also pursuing options to improve ventilation and air quality at Gallery Erato to further protect our community at our events.

This is an important decision that affects all CSPC members. If you have something to say on this matter, please email board@thecspc.org and/or attend the online Board Meeting on Wednesday December 13, from 7-9pm. All emails related to the masking policy will be considered by Board Members as they prepare to vote at this meeting. Emails will not be replied to individually but rather discussed generally before and at the Board Meeting. After the introduction of the motion, members will be invited to share their thoughts (2-3 minute time limit per person, depending on the number of folx who wish to speak) prior to the Board’s vote.

What do you have to say? Click here for information on how to join us next week via Zoom!

Consent Corner 23.16

bY Emma Atkinson

Hello, my lovelies! Warm wishes for a wonderfully consent-filled holiday season.

Awesome future volunteer opportunity alert: The CSPC is creating a new volunteer position for parties: the Consent Advocate. The Consent Academy offered an amazing course on Zoom over two weekends last month and taught us a lot about what a Consent Advocate does and doesn’t do to create a safer and supportive environment. Too cool!

Keep an eye out in 2024 for information on this position from our HR Director and consider becoming a Consent Advocate volunteer and support the loving community that we all want to be a part of. And, when you see a Consent Advocate at a party, please say hello and thank them for all they do for us!

Homework: It’s the holiday season, so please be as kind as possible to yourself and others. Remember to let your light shine. And, every day is a good day to express your gratitude — just saying.

“Be excellent to each other.” —Bill and Ted

“Be sexcellent to each other.” —Emma

Sex Trivia Answers - 12-7-2023

Hello you smart, sexy humans!

As promised, here are the answers for the sex trivia that we ran in the November 16 issue. A huge thanks to our trivia masters, Naomi Price-Lazarus and Breona Mendoza! We can't wait to see what questions you bring us next time. And a friendly reminder to join the Papaya Project for in-person sex trivia on December 13th!

Question #1

All of these were common treatments for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) during ancient times EXCEPT?

A. Applying fresh ginger to the anus or vagina

Question #2

Which of the following is NOT a kinky behavior done by these deep sea creatures?

D. Octopus males enjoy asphyxiation during mating

Question #3

What percent of partnered LGBTQ adults said they met their match using online dating?

C. 24%

Question #4

What hand motion stimulates both the G-spot and the P-spot?

Come-hither motion

Question #5

At what age can humans start experiencing erections?

A. In utero

The winner is…

Unfortunately, nobody got all the answers correct! (It's harder than it seems, isn't it?) But that just means there will be another opportunity for prizes next time! Sex trivia runs in the second newsletter each month, so you'll have another chance starting on December 21. Keep it smart and sexy!

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

Broaden Your Mind - 12.7.23

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!

December 9

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

In this class, you’ll learn how to decrease conflict and increase intimacy by making agreements that honor both personal autonomy and interpersonal connection. We will cover how to identify underlying needs, why agreements are more effective than rules, why things like “sunset” clauses can reduce resentment, and what you can do when an agreement is broken.

December 9

Toys 5: A Dungeon Party ($13–40 | in person)

Toys 5 is a dungeon party for men and for people who have lived experience as men. When you first enter the Toys party you'll walk through the exhibition of men-in-art (curated especially for the month of December). In this same area, we'll have several kinky tops who will be offering brief (10-15 minute) tastings in their areas of expertise.

December 13

Sex Trivia ($10–20 | in person)

Join us for a fun, educational night of sex trivia and to fundraise for comprehensive sexuality education! A portion of each ticket will be donated to the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC). KCSARC is an independent nonprofit serving survivors and their families throughout King County and engaging communities in building a world without sexual assault.

December 14

Revelry – A Night of Drag and Other Shenanigans ($35–55 | in person)

Help us ring (and sing!) in the holidays with a variety show featuring drag, music, dance, and campy surprises. Bid on fun items in our “Naughty & Nice” silent auction, have your picture taken with Santa, and participate in one of our opt-in games. Cash bar and concessions will be available throughout the night. This event is come-as-you-are casual, but festive attire is highly encouraged!

December 15

The Moth StorySLAM: Confession ($15 | in person)

Prepare a five-minute story about big reveals to dark secrets. Tumultuous affairs bubbling up to surface with gossip or devastating accidents in which broken heirlooms and treasures must be revealed. Anonymous tips on perpetrators and obvious scoundrels admitting to their wrong-doings. Stories also welcome about secret admirers finally getting the courage to spill the beans!

December 17

SEA-PAH Walkies to Wild Lanterns ($37 | in person)

It's that time of year and we are headed to Woodland Park Zoo's nighttime holiday light show and festival, Wild Lanterns! So grab your leash, your mittens, and a cup of cocoa, and let's head to the zoo! Make sure to buy your tickets for the 5pm slot if you want to walk with the group. We will meet at the penguin parking lot between 4:30-4:45 before heading inside.

March 9

Seattle Fetish Ball ($117–234 | in person)

We’re giving you a heads up, because tickets are on sale now! Beyond BDSM, the Seattle Fetish Ball is a celebration of eroticism, sensuality, and freedom of expression. Let loose, dress daringly, and embrace your inner kink in a safe, consensual, and respectful environment. Whether you're a seasoned fetish enthusiast or curious to explore, this is the perfect place to indulge your desires and let your inhibitions go.