Talking About the Taboo: 2nd Annual CSPH Conference

CSPH Second Annual Conference

October 10th, 2010

1:00-5:00 PM

Yes, folks, it’s that time of year again, The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health welcomes you to our second annual conference, “Talking About the Taboo: Discussing Difficult Issues in Human Sexuality.”

For the first time ever, The CSPH will provide sexuality education to adults in a safe and open environment. By bringing together all aspects of sexuality, the pleasure, education, advocacy and medical worlds, we hope to take subjects that are traditionally “taboo” and elucidate them, showing that the taboo can be fun, interesting and educational and most importantly, able to be discussed in thoughtful, provoking ways.

Schedule:
1:00-1:30 Investigate the groups present at The CSPH
1:30-1:35 CSPH welcomes you
1:40-2:30 Expert Panel Discussion
2:30-2:40 Investigate the booths (participate in our games)
2:45-3:30 Small group presentations
3:45-4:25 Second small group presentations
4:45 Winners announced
5:00 Annual event ends

Talk to an Expert:

“Talking About the Taboo” will feature many sexuality experts willing to share with you their work in the field of sexuality. From medical providers, rape crisis counselors, to dominatrixes, you are sure to find someone to teach you something new! Listen to our panel, take a small group class or chat it up with our experts throughout the event.

Hear our Panel:
This year’s conference brings us some of the most noteworthy participants in the realm of sexuality. Be sure to stick around for what is sure to be an informative and lively panel addressing current issues surrounding sexuality.

Our guest panelists will include: Dr. Charlie Glickman, Princess Kali, Audacia Ray, Sinclair Sexsmith, Dr. Logan Levkoff and Anita Hoffer!

Take a Workshop:

After the panel, participants will be privy to attend small 40 minute workshops held in two blocks at The Grant Building.

“Sex-Positivity & Sexual Authenticity”- Charlie Glickman

Sex-positivity is a term that a lot of people use, but it’s not always clear what it means. When sexual diversity exists alongside plenty of messages that say that only some things count as sex (while the rest are foreplay, at best), how do you figure out what works for you? Charlie Glickman PhD will talk about the ways that erotophobia continue to influence our culture and our individual decisions, as well as some of the things we can do to tap into our authentic sexual selves to discover the amazing pleasure that awaits.

“Loving My Enemy?: Effective Activism in Hostile Environments“- Logan Levkoff

Does it ever make sense to be a sex positive spokesperson in a highly antagonist forum? Sex educator (and frequent Fox News guest), Logan Levkoff, says yes. In this workshop she will talk why being an unpopular voice is important, and how to stay on point (and calm) when you really want to scream.

“F*cking with Gender“- Sinclair Sexsmith

Sinclair Sexsmith explores gender expression, identities, labels, transcending the mutually exclusive binaries, queer culture, and hot sweaty sex. We’ll explore how our culture values sex, how to get what we want out of relationships, how to turn up the heat on our own sex drive, and how to communicate better with our lovers. We’ll play with concepts of how gender identity and sexual identity intersect, butch/femme roles as a language of desire, how labels can be restrictive or liberating, whether gender is a fetish or a kink, and how to have more dirty queer sex.

“Media Tactics, or How to Do Sexuality Activism Without Looking Like a Jerk”- Audacia Ray

Unless you live in a totally sex positive bubble, you see news items and media representations every day that make you angry. In this session we will discuss tactics for speaking out about sexuality in our culture, with an emphasis on online media. Topics include: best practices for participating and building relationships in online communities, being right versus being effective, and when to fight and when to walk awayAudacia Ray

Teaching On Our Backs: Creating Best Practices for Gynecological Teaching Associates-ScrewSmart

Ever wonder how medical providers learn to do the sensitive procedure of a pelvic exam? Join us to experience an abridged training session and get an up close look at the Gynecological Teaching Associate (GTA) profession. While this profession has been around for almost 40 years, presenters Manser and Alvarez propose research into GTA best practices to keep the field vital and progressive. Come join the conversation about an important step in training medical providers to offer patient-centered, sexually savvy care.

Play with a Toy:

Check out our vendors, who will be showing off the latest and greatest in sexual aids. These top of the line, 100% safe toys and products can help to enhance your sex life in many ways.

Investigate the Health and Advocacy Groups:

The CSPH is proud to host numerous local and national organizations like Rhode Island Crisis Assistance Center, Sexuality and Aging Consortium, NELA, Miriam Hospital, Kink Academy, and 16 more!

Introducing “Put Your Money Where The Fun Is”:
Win high-quality sex toys from great companies like Fun Factory, Crystal Delights, Fascinations, Wondrous House of Chicks, Tantus, JimmyJane, Njoy, Aloe Cadabra and Sportsheets! We will be having a silent donations station for these toys. The highest donor will win the prize!

Special Bonus:
Providence Pin-Up will be present taking photos of individuals who are interested in vamping it up in front of the camera. If you’re looking for a pin-up experience, get dressed in your finest and strike a pose you can display in your living room.

And, if you are interested in being on the radio, Kink on Tap will be holding a special live taping of the event!

Free Parking, Suggested Donation: 5.00 for college students, 10.00 for non-students

Exciting new development! Every participant can choose to take home a quality, new on the market lubricant named Aloe Cadabra.

Aloe Cadabra first personal lubricant that’s all natural and contains 95% organic aloe vera. Aloe vera? Isn’t that what’s used to soothe and moisturize dry hands? Exactly. But guess what? Hands aren’t the only thing aloe’s good for.

natural aloe lubricant

Contains Vitamin E to soothe and nourish while lubricating

Certified organic ingredient

Condom compatible

Edible

Supports body’s natural healing process by carrying vitamins and nutrients to skin

Anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal.

The CSPH has no intention to censor discussion, and we welcome open, honest communication with individuals as long as it is done in a respectful manner. If we feel that participants are trying to provoke others or are appearing hostile, we reserve the eject individuals as we see fit.

Please note: While this is an open event for the adult population and we encourage learning, no recordings or photos may take place without The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health’s prior permission.

About the Speakers:

Anita Hoffer- Anita Hoffer is a sexuality educator focusing on the sexuality concerns of aging women. Her impressive background includes stints as an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School for over 25 years, Director of Research in Urology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, educator to health care providers on women’s sexual concerns, volunteer with Planned Parenthood, and sexuality coach. More information on Anita’s work can be found on http://www.sexualityandaging.com/members/anita-hoffer/

Audacia Ray is a media maker and advocate who is based in New York City. Audacia is the Program Officer for Online Communications and Campaigns at the International Women’s Health Coalition. She consults on information and communications technologies for the Global Network of Sex Work Projects. As a co-founder of advocacy organizationSex Work Awareness, Audacia leads annual media training workshops and is providing technical support for a research study investigating the use of content filters on public library and college computers with Internet access. Audacia also hosts a monthly storytelling series, The Red Umbrella Diaries, where people who have worked in the sex trade gather to share stories and document their experiences.

Audacia is the author of Naked on the Internet: Hookups, Downloads, and Cashing In on Internet Sexploration and has written and edited a variety of blogs about sexuality and culture, including her personal blog Waking Vixen, which launched in 2004. Audacia is a former sex worker who was an executive editor at the Utne Reader award-winning$pread magazine for three years. She has shot and edited a variety of videos and video podcasts, including Naked City TV, a fifteen episode documentary video show that she produced for the Village Voice in 2008. Audacia developed a syllabus and taught as an adjunct professor of Human Sexuality at Rutgers University for three semesters. Audacia has a BA from Eugene Lang College at the New School and a MA from Columbia University.

Dr. Charlie Glickman- Charlie Glickman, PhD is the Education Program Manager at Good Vibrations, the premier clean, well lighted place to buy sex toys. He is also a professor of human sexuality and blogger on all sorts of sex topics. He teaches workshops on queer issues, sexual practices, polyamory, BDSM, sex & shame, sex-positivity and adult education. You can read his writing at www.charlieglickman.com

Dr. Logan Levkoff- Logan Levkoff, PhD is an outspoken advocate for sex positivity. She is an AASECT certified sex educator and has a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality, Marriage and Family Life Education from New York University. She is the author of “Third Base Ain’t What it Used to Be: What Your Kids are Learning About Sex Today and How to Teach Them to Become Sexually Healthy Adults” as well as countless other articles for varied news sources. Her appearances in the media have helped to bring attention to sex positive education. For more information, visit:www.loganlevkoff.comor on Twitter @LoganLevkoff

Princess Kali- After almost a decade exploring creative sexuality, lifestyle and professional Dominatrix Princess Kali launched the KinkAcademy.com website to share her passion for making all things kinky more understood and more accessible. Intent on making “pervert” a compliment, she spends her days reaching out to individuals and couples all over the world with her playful philosophy of “pleasantly perverted” sex education. You can follow Princess Kali on Twitter @KinkAcademy

Sinclair Sexsmith- brings an exciting and unique perspective on sexuality and literature as the author of an award-winning online project, the Sugarbutch Chronicles at www.sugarbutch.net, which explores her personal life and relationships as a self-described “chivalrous kinky writer, queer butch top, feminist educator.” Mr. Sexsmith’s writing has been featured on various websites and anthologies, including “Best Lesbian Erotica.” More information on her work at www.mrsexsmith.com or on Twitter @mrsexsmith

Kira Manser (Screw Smart) traces her sex education roots from Miko, a feminist run sex shop in Providence, to her current position at The Velvet Lily, a sex shop in Philly. Besides being a retail goddess, she’s worked as a high school peer sex educator and in legal sex-work. Currently, she can be found working on a dual masters program in social work and education in human sexuality at Widener University. She brings home the bacon working as a Gynecological Teaching Associate.

Rebecca Alvarez (Screw Smart) emerged as a fledgling sex educator in 2004 with the women owned-and-run sex shop Babeland in New York City. She has also shared her well-informed perverted side with the Indypendent newspaper, the Sex Herald, the Penn Sexpert site and the Instant Pleasure WDNR radio show. In 2009, she co-founded ScrewSmart, a Philadelphia-based sex education collaborative. Currently, she works as a Gynecological Teaching Associate and a facilitator for the American Medical Student Association’s Sexual Health Scholar’s program while earning her dual masters degree in Social Work and Education in Human Sexuality at Widener University.

Special thanks to Chachi, the nationally known (while residing in Pawtucket) Hip Hop artist and owner of Beat Box Studio for loaning us our sound equipment so all our participants can hear every last sex positive word.

Sponsors Include:

Thanks to Tantus Toys, The Wonderous Vulva Puppet, Fun Factory, Fascinations, Jimmy Jane, Providence Pin Up, Crystal Delights, Njoy, Kink Academy and Sportsheets.