Events that I do not enjoy for the same reasons you don’t.

Dragon*Con. Frolicon. Swingers’ parties. Sex-focused events that were not sex-positive, and centered a heteronormative, male-dominated version of sexuality. Events that made me feel icky and objectified and petulant. Events that could potentially be fun if all the creepy guys weren’t always fucking things up.

Anthony

and there’s nothing wrong with a little kink, either.

I have to say I’m getting pretty annoyed w/ all the comments that express this sentiment. Nowhere have I ever said there was anything wrong w/ kink, and anyone who knows me even very casually just from reading my blog, would know that I definitely do not feel that way. I can’t help but think folks might be projecting some of their own issues onto what I wrote, since nowhere have I ever asserted that kink itself is the problem.

Having said that, I have a comment or two to say.

I can understand the feelings of Amber that that the stated goals that she brought out for Sex 2.0 may have been morphed a bit, and that the feminist aspects have been pushed a bit to the background in favor of the more sexual aspects….but isn’t that usually what happens with growth?? The success of the first Sex 2.0 inevitably attracts new people with mew perspectives, and thusly, conflicts inevitably arise when visions conflict with each other.

I will give a great deal of props to Match and all the other planners for doing such a bang-up job of preparation for this upcooming “un-conference”….and would hope that people would hold their fire until the event actually happens.

I must say, though, that part of the nature of free-wheeling structures is that there will be a bit less control of the objectives…that is one of the things that come with less-structured “un-conferences”. If some folk here do feel that the event is becoming a bit too “kink”-centered and less “feminist”-centered, then perhaps they should have exercised a bit more message control at the beginning of the planning if they felt that strongly. (This is not directed at anyone in general, especially not Amber; this is just me making a general point.)

I’m with Regina on this one…..let the conference happen and let the planners and participants and the topics discussed speak for themselves. Given the depth and diversity and awesomeness of the participants, I’d say that feminism (at least, the “sex positive” type…sorry, Ren, but I still like the term) is more than adequately represented….and there’s nothing wrong with a little kink, either.

Just an outsider’s opinion…take it as you will.

Anthony

BTW: side note to figleaf: Being one of those “extremists” who voted for Ralph Nader in 2000, Gloria la Riva in 2004, and Cynthia McKinney in 2008 because my Libertarian Left principles simply won’t allow me to vote for a conservative/”centrist” Democrat who does not repesent me well, you will pardon me if I take a bit umbrage to your depection of us as “spoilers”. I don’t disrespect your support of Obama; please don’t disrespect my political choices. Besides, Al Gore WON that election even with Nader on the ballot; the Supreme Court and Katherine Harris and the Brooks Brother Rioters are the ones responsible for taking it away. (Well..that, and Joe Lieberman, and Gore tacking to the Right.)

Sorry for that brief thread jack…just had to get that off my chest.