Broadening Diversity of Age at KinkForAll
maymay
specifically with age-related diversity. Since it appears many people
have strong opinions about how creating a more diverse age range of
participants at a KinkForAll event should be done, if at all, I
thought it wise to split this into a new thread.
On Oct 9, 2009, at 1:50 PM, Philip wrote:[1]
> We often say that what we do begins with consent. Children cannot
> consent. A minor at a kink event is a non-consenting participant
> regardless of his or her perceived maturity.
Let's remember that we are legally obliged not to ban minors at
KinkForAll Washington DC.[2] Therefore, I think it behooves us to
consider the possibility that they will be present.
I'm unsure how bringing up consent in a sexual context has anything to
do with this discussion. Can you explain why you think that is relevant?
> Sex education for kids is important. Growing up I learned about all
> the bad things that happen when you have sex. It would have been
> wonderful to have also learned about all the good things.
Seconded. What do you think are some ways we can highlight these
benefits, which may perhaps come in handy if people begin asking us
why a KinkForAll event is open to minors?
You mentioned Megan Andelloux's trouble dealing with the Rhode Island
local legislature.[3] Since you're familiar with that story (I'm not),
can you identify any tactics she has used that we might also be able
to use to paint an appropriately education-oriented picture of what
kinds of sexual information, and let's not forget other information, a
KinkForAll event contains?
> But Kink for Kids as part of Kink for All? Only if you want to be on
> the 11 o'clock news with "Teaches kids kinky sex" under your face.
I would be willing to be that person and appear on the that show, if
people on this list feel like they would feel more comfortable
discussing this issue, which you have said is "important", Phillip, if
we had a spokesperson.
Cheers,
-maymay
Blog: http://maybemaimed.com
Community: http://KinkForAll.org
Volunteering: http://ConversioVirium.org/author/maymay
EXTERNAL REFERENCES:
[0] http://groups.google.com/group/kinkforall/browse_thread/thread/2ae6551aadde16ce
[1] http://groups.google.com/group/kinkforall/browse_thread/thread/2ae6551aadde16ce/666c4777f26e65c7#msg_691060dfbe3be466
[2] http://groups.google.com/group/kinkforall/browse_thread/thread/abfbaf13d9d11b09/004787c75ddc0466#msg_22d5b65b0d27d08a
[3] http://www.pawtuckettimes.com/content/view/98365/1/
Philip
The email your reference doesn't say that KFA is legally obliged not
to ban minors at KFADC. It says that anyone who uses the facilities
has to make sure that the event is open to the public. The person who
wrote the letter obviously assumed that "open to the public" meant
that KFADC could not 'ban' [quotes in the original] minors from the
event. I would say that's a novel reading of the requirement. My
reading of "open to the public" is that an organization using the
facilities cannot limit it to particular groups of people such as men,
women, people of color, etc.
In fact, the writer of the letter you cite goes on to say "Because of
the nature of the event and based on the information you’ve provided,
like you, we cannot know whether or not groups or individuals will
have a negative reaction upon learning of your event, nor are we able
to speculate how that will evolve, should it happen." The letter
writer is not giving you legal advice, and he is emphatically NOT
giving you legal cover.
I cite consent because I assume that people at KFADC will talk about
sex and having sex. It strikes me as safer to limit the audience of
those discussions to those who can participate in the activity. If a
parent wants to teach his kid to mix drinks at home. that's a family
matter; if you're hosting an event called Bartending For All, you
could reasonably expect people to ask you why you're looking to invite
people who can't drink to the event.
Teaching kids about sex _is_ important. The problem is that people
tend to be very suspicious of anything at the intersection of minors
and sex. I'm not convinced that that's a place where KFA should be
involved. I _am_ convinced that -- aside from my own children -- it's
not a place where I want to be involved.
As for Megan Andelloux's tactics about painting an "appropriately
education-oriented picture" of what she does? She stresses that this
is education for adults.
maymay
Whether or not minors should or should not be welcomed and part of a
KinkForAll event is not what this thread is about. This thread is
about how to create an environment where any human of any age can be a
productive member of the KinkForAll community. My personal interest is
in people legally considered seniors and people legally considered
minors. That's where my questions focus. I would consider anything
else, such as questions challenging the legitimacy of such people's
participation, to be off-topic. Those questions have already been
raised, are valid questions, and thus belong in another thread. :)
On Oct 9, 2009, at 4:06 PM, Philip wrote:
> The email your reference doesn't say that KFA is legally obliged not
> to ban minors at KFADC. It says that anyone who uses the facilities
> has to make sure that the event is open to the public.
Actually, "open to the public" specifically means, as cited from our
legal agreement to use the Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School as a venue
for KFADC with the CUPF, "the User must keep the program or activity
open to the public as required by State law, and must not discriminate
on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national
origin, age, sex, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation. "
Note that discrimination based on age is expressly an unallowable
breach of our venue contract.
Here is the relevant email on this list where our legal agreement with
the CUPF for KinkForAll Washington DC is cited:
Please note also that this thread is not about KinkForAll Washington
DC in specific. It is instead about, as stated earlier, how to create
an environment (across the KinkForAll community generally) where any
human of any age can be a productive member.
> Teaching kids about sex _is_ important. The problem is that people
> tend to be very suspicious of anything at the intersection of minors
> and sex. I'm not convinced that that's a place where KFA should be
> involved. I _am_ convinced that -- aside from my own children -- it's
> not a place where I want to be involved.
People tend to be very suspicious about KinkForAll as a concept that
can succeed at all without more rigid organization. We've proven that
it can. :) If I limited myself to only doing the things people were
not suspicious of…well, I wouldn't have done very many interesting
things in my life. What you choose to do with regards to your activity
at a KinkForAll event is your prerogative.
In the mean time, since we are legally obliged not to ban minors from
KinkForAll Washington DC, I think it makes sense to assume that some
*might* be present either at that event or possibly at another
KinkForAll unconference with similar legal requirements to admit
minors to public venues. Therefore it behooves us to think about how
to make such people feel just as welcome as someone who is older, or a
different race, or has different questions about sex, and so on. You
know, diversity and all that.
Here are some ideas I've come up with after chatting about what we
might do with Emma (from http://followsthesun.com ):
* Let's reach out to Planned Parenthood and ask them to involve their
peer educators in KinkForAll generally (and in KFADC if possible,
too). As quoted from the Planned Parenthood web site,[0] peer
educators are: "high school teens who participate in 40 hours of
training in sexual health. After they complete their training, they
act as contacts in their schools – giving information on sexual health
topics and other teen issues. They also do presentations on
abstinence, contraception, and HIV. Teens meet with their coordinator
weekly." These peer educators sound like great people, ones that can
make other high schoolers feel comfortable.
* Reach out to sex ed programs both in a school setting and out of a
school setting and encourage them to be a part of KinkForAll as well.
One is SIECUS, a NYC-based organization with offices in Washington,
D.C,[1] who have done a lot of work in regards to public schooling.
From their DC profile web page:[2] "The Chancellor of District of
Columbia Public Schools is charged with ensuring that sexuality
education is taught in schools and that students have a minimum
proficiency in this area."
* Reach out to youth advocacy groups in general, regardless of their
connection to sexual education programs. For example, AdvocatesForYouth.org
, and FreeChild.org.
* Reach out to policy makers such as former Surgeon General of the
United States Jocelyn Elders who has been a strong public sexual
education proponent.[3]
I intend to begin stepping through this list as early as tomorrow. If
anyone is interested in doing so as well, please let me know via this
thread so we can better coordinate ourselves. :) Similarly, if anyone
else has additional ideas, please share them with all of us listening.
Cheers,
-maymay
Blog: http://maybemaimed.com
Community: http://KinkForAll.org
Volunteering: http://ConversioVirium.org/author/maymay
EXTERNAL REFERNECES:
[0] http://www.plannedparenthood.org/midsouthmi/peer-education-21384.htm
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexuality_Information_and_Education_Council_of_the_United_States
[2] http://www.siecus.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&parentID=487&grandparentID=478&pageId=865
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joycelyn_Elders
at...@atrus.org
...
> KinkForAll Washington DC, I think it makes sense to assume that some
> *might* be present either at that event or possibly at another
> KinkForAll unconference with similar legal requirements to admit
> minors to public venues. Therefore it behooves us to think about how
> to make such people feel just as welcome as someone who is older, or a
> different race, or has different questions about sex, and so on. You
> know, diversity and all that.
> Here are some ideas I've come up with after chatting about what we
> might do with Emma (from http://followsthesun.com ):
>
> * Let's reach out to Planned Parenthood and ask them to involve their
> peer educators in KinkForAll generally (and in KFADC if possible,
> too).
> school setting and encourage them to be a part of KinkForAll as well.
> connection to sexual education programs. For example, AdvocatesForYouth.org
> , and FreeChild.org.
> * Reach out to policy makers such as former Surgeon General of the
> United States Jocelyn Elders who has been a strong public sexual
> education proponent.
It seems like the sort of thing that would upset people. It would be upsetting to those who want to protect children from information about sex and sexuality and, by being perceived as some form of pedophilia/hebephilia/ephebophilia, people who fear children will be sexually assaulted. These upset people could result in harassment for all attendees, attempts to have the event canceled outright, or have adult attendees charged with crimes. (Note that the response I received from the CUPF focused on the "sex offenders" clause of my contract, and seemed mildly encouraging relocating the event)
Some people on this list have voiced discomfort at the presence of younger people being present. So, it seems like we'd be trying to make one group comfortable at the expense of another group (that's been the overwhelming majority at previous events).
I think that having KinkForAll DC at a high school and open to minors is a sizable step in itself. So far, I've gone ahead with this because I think it can be done without causing more trouble than I'm willing to deal with. I'd appreciate it if you didn't make this more difficult than it already is.
I understand that you feel very strongly about the (lack of) access that minors have to information about sex and sexuality. You're more than welcome to discuss it, and present on it.
Thanks,
-Nikolas
maymay
> I'm worried that you may be going from "making minors feel welcome"
> to "encouraging minors to participate".
Nikolas, et. al.,
When I shared my intentions with regards to contacting organizations
that have connections to youth rights and advocacy groups, I did so in
order to let everyone know that I want to make people aware of
KinkForAll's existence. That's all; just let them know we're here and
that they're welcome to be here, too, if they want to participate.
A KinkForAll event has already changed the lives of a number of
people. Several of them have privately told me how grateful they are
that we exist. It warmed my heart.
When I was an adolescent, it would have changed my life for the better
to know that I had the option to come to a place where people
discussed sexuality freely, where I didn't need to hide behind the
glow of my computer screen in a dark room to get information about
sex, bisexuality, and everything else that sexuality touches. I was a
closeted teenager. Today, most teens and younger people are similarly
closeted.
I was afraid to hit the "I am over 18 years of age" button when I
wasn't and yet I did so anyway. I remember learning about the public
BDSM scene in New York when I was 10 and wishing I could go. I
couldn't, and I waited for 8 years—consciously waiting for *8 years.*
I finally went out to the public BDSM scene when I was 18, and I was
terrified.
The places where I ended up were not, in fact, places where I think I
would have been safe as a minor. Indeed, I question how safe I was as
an "adult" there, and hesitate to return to some of those places to
this day.
KinkForAll, however, *is* a place I think that, had it existed and I
knew about it when I was a teenager, I would have come out to because
it is public, because it is safe, because it is *not eroticized.*
> I understand that you feel very strongly about the (lack of) access
> that minors have to information about sex and sexuality. You're more
> than welcome to discuss it, and present on it.
I feel very strongly about accessibility to young people because it
was very recently when I *was* banned from sexuality communities for
being too young—an inherent characteristic I was powerless to change.
I wanted to learn about sexuality from people who were willing to
*talk about it* with me, not engage in it with me. I wanted to learn
more about myself so much that I devoured every resource I could get
my hands on—not an easy feat considering how censored everything is,
especially where younger people are concerned. Finding information
about sexuality online very literally saved my young, questioning, and
very isolated life.
I fully believe that I would have been a suicide case had it not been
for the miniscule amount of information about sexuality that told me I
was not alone, that told me there were people I could speak with, that
told me I could reach out to people who cared a damn about what I was
feeling, and who could share their own feelings and opinions with me.
I needed someone to do that for me when I was 12, and I NEVER got it.
I never got it because I was not allowed to talk about it. My schools,
my teachers, my parents, and even my trusted adult friends *would not
talk to me* about it. They must have been afraid of the very things I
sense people on this list are afraid of. And that fear almost killed me.
The Internet and the access to information about sex that it gave me,
limited and impersonal as it was, literally *saved my life.* I don't
want any other child to go through the isolation and uncertainty I
felt about my own sexuality that I did at that age. I would, and I
very well might one day, give my life to make sure that doesn't happen
to anyone else again.
You can bet on my presenting at KinkForAll Washington DC about this
topic.
> It seems like the sort of thing that would upset people.
Allowing cameras at KinkForAll events upset a lot of people, too. We
still did it, and I believe we're better off for it. Do you (or does
anyone here?) believe that if something will "upset people" it should
not be permitted at KinkForAll?
> I think that having KinkForAll DC at a high school and open to
> minors is a sizable step in itself. So far, I've gone ahead with
> this because I think it can be done without causing more trouble
> than I'm willing to deal with. I'd appreciate it if you didn't make
> this more difficult than it already is.
I hear you. Really, I do. You have my word that I will do everything
in my power to make sure that you are safe, and KinkForAll Washington
DC is a safe place that does not impinge on the freedoms of anyone,
regardless of who they are.
Specifically, I will *not recruit* anyone based on age, orientation,
race, religion, or any specific characteristic, to be a part of
KinkForAll. All I want to do is let people know we exist, and let them
make their own choice about whether or not they want to be a part of it.
Because when I was young, it would have helped me. But not if I never
knew that it was happening.
Sarah Taub
----- Original Message -----From: maymaySent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 9:38 PMSubject: [KinkForAll] Re: Broadening Diversity of Age at KinkForAll
[most of post snipped]
maymay
> Hi maymay --
>
> Thank you for sharing your personal story of being a minor and
> desperately needing information that you could not get. I feel
> moved by your sharing, and would like to talk with you more about
> your experiences, but will contact you about that off-list.
Hi Sarah,
Feel free to contact me anytime. You have my email address. My main
phone number is (323) 963-4827 (or perhaps more memorably, 323-9-
MEITAR).
> I personally empathize with your experience, and also have some
> fears around the repercussions of having minors at presentations
> that describe sexual activities.
I understand why things could be scary, but I feel even more
frightened by the idea that I might chicken out of doing what I think
is right because I got too scared to do it. I think that it's my duty
to humanity to keep doing good things. I care a *lot* about young
people because once upon a time not so long ago, I was young.
I hope I never forget what it was like to be so thoroughly
disenfranchised due to my age. I started a web development business
when I was 16 (in the year 2000) and I was passed over for work
countless times because potential (adult) clients thought there was
"no way" someone my age could possibly know how to build a web site,
something that now—less than a decade later—lots of people are
unsurprised that many teens can do *better* than adults. In 2nd grade,
I created a better way for myself to learn than any school has ever
offered me to this day and I was told I didn't know what I was doing
because I "couldn't understand the importance of school" and "needed
adults" to tell me "what [I'd] need to know later in life." As if
somehow the school curriculum could see the future or had any idea at
all that today I'd make a living writing, consulting for, and creating
social media outlets, things that didn't even exist 3 years ago.
I'm sorry to harp on my personal history in this thread since that was
really not the point, but I feel that knowing these things might help
the folks who are reading my emails and feeling nervous about my
actions understand why I'm doing the things I'm doing now, and perhaps
might make them think twice before coming to conclusions about me, or
people of a certain age in general.
Food for thought: there's a word for minors who are legally able to
make their own choices: it's 'emancipated.'[0] Which is to say that
most minors are *not* emancipated. This word might sound familiar,
since it's in the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed African-
American slaves from the legal control of their owners across the
United States.[1]
> I wonder if SMYAL would be a good resource for KinkForAllDC and vice
> versa -- the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League,
> www.smyal.org. From their website:
>
> "The Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL) is the only
> Washington, DC metro area service organization solely dedicated to
> supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning
> (LGBTQ) youth. Founded in 1984, SMYAL is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit
> organization.Our mission is to promote and support self-confident,
> healthy, productive lives for LGBTQ youth ages 13-21 as they journey
> from adolescence into adulthood. "
>
> I imagine that they have confronted the issues around discussing
> sexuality with minors and have reached a balance that works for
> them. I bet they could advise KFA on how to proceed. There's
> contact info at their website, if someone wants to connect with them.
>
> Maybe they would enjoy sending people to KFA. Or maybe they would
> enjoy having support in creating an unconference for people they are
> involved with.
>
> warm wishes, Sarah
This is a fantastic suggestion, and precisely the sort of thing I was
looking for when I started this thread. Thank you so much for making
me aware of this organization. I will add them to my list of people I
will make aware of KinkForAll's existence.
Cheers,
-maymay
Blog: http://maybemaimed.com
Community: http://KinkForAll.org
Volunteering: http://ConversioVirium.org/author/maymay
EXTERNAL REFERENCES:
[0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_of_minors
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_Proclamation
maymay
Last night, I wrote to Planned Parenthood, SIECUS, and the FreeChild
project. I'm awaiting responses, but in the mean time will share each
of those emails, in full, below. Nikolas, I cribbed a little from your
fantastic emails to NCSF and SMYAL. Thanks for sharing those emails
with the list so we could see them.
I also composed a formal press release with regards to KinkForAll
Washington DC. I do *not* intend to send the press release to media
outlets like newspapers. I composed it because I think it will simply
be helpful to have something like this at some point. I also feel that
it can become a very useful shared resource for KinkForAll generally,
since now that we have one press release it is far less effort to
create more. I also used the press release in the emails I sent. I
would encourage anyone who wants to spread the word about KFADC to do
so, possibly by copying and pasting the press release in your messages.
The emails I sent are as follows.
The email I sent to Planned Parenthood is as follows, with some
headers removed.
> Subject: Free public sexuality education conference comes to
> Washington, D.C. area High School
> From: "Mr. Meitar Moscovitz" <mei...@gmail.com>
> Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:29:53 -0700
> To: ppm-ed...@ppmaryland.org,
> teenc...@ppmaryland.org
>
> To the community and teen education staff of Planned Parenthood,
>
> I am writing to let you know about a sexuality education conference
> that is planned for November 21st at Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School.
> The conference is free and open to the public, and features ad-hoc
> presentations and discussions about sexuality, sex education, gender,
> sexual freedom, and sexual health. The event is one in an ongoing
> series called "KinkForAll unconferences." Prior events held in New
> York City and Boston have had strong participation from various
> sexuality-related communities, including LGBT, polyamory, leather, and
> feminist circles. More information about these unconferences can be
> found at http://wiki.kinkforall.org.
>
> The venue for our event, Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School, was chosen
> for its accessibility to public transit and central location, but it
> also has the side effect of making the presence of youth likely. Other
> organizers and I are thus heavily invested in making sure that our
> unconference is a safe and comfortable place for young adults to be. I
> am writing to you because I believe that Planned Parenthood has a
> fantastic track record in discussing sexuality-related issues with
> youth, and I am hopeful that you will be able to provide some advice.
>
> In particular, I recently learned of Planned Parenthood's Peer
> Education program. This inspirational program leads me to believe that
> Planned Parenthood peer educators are uniquely qualified to help
> create a safe and comfortable environment for teens in which sexuality
> issues can be freely discussed. As our event in Bethesda Chevy-Chase
> High School is open to the public, we would welcome the participation
> of these knowledgeable teenage individuals. Indeed, we would welcome
> the participation of any of Planned Parenthood's staff or community. I
> am particularly interested in the peer educators' ability to
> contribute, as stated on the program's website, "presentations on
> abstinence, contraception, and HIV," at the event itself, should any
> be interested in sharing their knowledge with us.
>
> As I am not an expert in youth education, and as some people have
> raised concerns over the potential presence of minors in a setting
> that discusses sexuality, I am wondering if you have developed any
> relevant guidelines that our event might be able to make prominent to
> participants in order to allay fears and maintain a productive,
> educational, and safe environment for everyone involved.
>
> Additionally, I'm also wondering if you have recommendations of who
> else I may be able to send these questions to and/or others I should
> contact who you feel would benefit from being made aware of this
> upcoming sexuality conference's existence. Below, for more
> information, please find our event's press release, or view it on our
> website at
>
> http://kinkforall.org/?p=75
>
> Thank you so much for your time. Please feel free to contact me
> directly by replying to this email or by calling (323) 963-4827.
>
> Sincerely,
> -Meitar Moscovitz
> Personal: http://maymay.net
> Professional: http://MeitarMoscovitz.com
The email I sent to the FreeChild project is as follows:
> Subject: Free public sexuality education conference comes to
> Washington, D.C. area High School
> From: "Mr. Meitar Moscovitz" <mei...@gmail.com>
> Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:51:59 -0700
> To: in...@freechild.org
>
> To Adam Fletcher and whomever else it may concern at the Freechild
> project,
>
> I am writing to let you know about a sexuality education conference
> that is planned for November 21st at Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School.
> The conference is free and open to the public, and features ad-hoc
> presentations and discussions about sexuality, sex education, gender,
> sexual freedom, and sexual health. The event is part of an ongoing
> series called "KinkForAll unconferences." Prior events in New York
> City and Boston have had strong participation from various sexuality-
> related communities, including LGBT, polyamory, leather, and feminist
> circles. More information about these unconferences can be found at http://wiki.kinkforall.org
> .
>
> The venue for our event, Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School, was chosen
> for its accessibility to public transit and central location, but it
> also has the side effect of making the presence of youth likely.
> Myself and many other organizers are thus heavily invested in making
> sure that the unconference is a safe and comfortable place for young
> adults to be in. I am writing to you because I have been made aware
> that the FreeChild project has uniquely valuable resources in regards
> to interacting with youth in a respectful manner.
>
> In particular, although our event is "open to the public," many in our
> communities have voiced strong concern over the presence of minors and
> some have gone so far as to wish to restrict the presence of youth
> citing "inappropriateness" and fears that access to sexuality
> information could be traumatic. I believe these are well-intentioned
> people, but am struggling to explain why I feel that their desire to
> censor information from minors is adultist behavior. As the FreeChild
> project is the foremost authority I am aware of in the field of youth
> rights advocacy, I am wondering if you have developed any guidelines
> our event can use to make sure young people are treated with respect
> and find themselves in an environment they feel safe and comfortable.
>
> I believe we are committed to maintaining a productive, educational,
> and safe environment for everyone involved. However, especially when
> it comes to issues of sexuality, many otherwise unbiased individuals
> seem to want to exclude youth. What tools might I be able to use to
> allay fears and continue to focus on inclusivity and respect for
> younger people?
>
> Additionally, I'm also wondering if you have recommendations of who
> else I may be able to send these questions to and/or others I should
> contact who you feel would benefit from being made aware of this
> upcoming sexuality conference's existence. Below, for more
> information, please find our event's press release, or view it on our
> website at
>
> http://kinkforall.org/?p=75
>
> Thank you so much for your time. Please feel free to contact me
> directly by replying to this email or by calling (323) 963-4827.
>
> Sincerely,
> -Meitar Moscovitz
> Personal: http://maymay.net
> Professional: http://MeitarMoscovitz.com
The message I sent to SIECUS is as follows, submitted to them from
their online "contact" web form:[0]
> To whom it may concern at SIECUS,
>
> I am writing to let you know about a sexuality education conference
> that is planned for November 21st at Bethesda Chevy-Chase High
> School. The conference is free and open to the public, and features
> ad-hoc presentations and discussions about sexuality, sex education,
> gender, sexual freedom, and sexual health. Prior events, called
> "KinkForAll unconferences," in New York City and Boston have had
> strong participation from various sexuality-related communities,
> including LGBT, polyamory, leather, and feminist circles. More
> information about these unconferences can be found at http://wiki.kinkforall.org
> .
>
> The venue for our event, Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School, was
> chosen for its accessibility to public transit and central location,
> but it also has the side effect of making the presence of youth
> likely. Many other organizers and I are thus heavily invested in
> making sure that the unconference is a safe and comfortable place
> for young adults to be in. I am contacting you because I have been
> made aware of SIECUS's comprehensive sexuality education program for
> young adults, and I am hopeful that you will be able to provide some
> advice.
>
> As I am not an expert in youth education, and as some people have
> raised concerns over the potential presence of minors in a setting
> that discusses sexuality education, I am wondering if you have
> developed any relevant guidelines that our event might be able to
> make prominent to participants in order to allay fears and maintain
> a productive, educational, and safe environment for everyone involved.
>
> Additionally, I'm also wondering if you have recommendations of who
> else I may be able to send these questions to and/or others I should
> contact who you feel would benefit from being made aware of this
> upcoming sexuality conference's existence. Below, for more
> information, please find our event's press release, or view it on
> our website at
>
> http://kinkforall.org/?p=75
>
> Thank you so much for your time. Please feel free to contact me
> directly by sending an email to bitetheappleback
> +kinkf...@gmail.com or by calling (323) 963-4827.
>
> Sincerely,
> -Meitar Moscovitz
> Personal: http://maymay.net
> Professional: http://MeitarMoscovitz.com
I will, of course, share whatever correspondence is relevant with the
list as we move forward.
Cheers,
-maymay
Blog: http://maybemaimed.com
Community: http://KinkForAll.org
Volunteering: http://ConversioVirium.org/author/maymay
EXTERNAL REFERENCES:
[0] http://www.siecus.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=495&parentID=472
maymay
Earlier today, after being prompted to do so by my conversation with
SIECUS Information Coordinator Mr. Maxwell Ciardullo,[0] I have sent
emails to the Woodhull Foundation generally as well as my personal
contacts within that organization, and also to the National Youth
Advocacy Coalition (NYAC).
The email I sent to the Woodhull Foundation is as follows (some
headers removed):
> Subject: Free public sexuality education conference comes to
> Washington, D.C. area
> From: "Mr. Meitar Moscovitz" <mei...@gmail.com>
> Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:34:03 -0700
> To: in...@woodhullfoundation.org
>
> To the community and staff of The Woodhull Foundation,
>
> I am writing to let you know about a sexuality education conference
> that is planned for November 21st in the Washington, D.C. area and to
> seek legal and other advice which I have been informed your
> organization excels at providing. The conference is free and open to
> the public, and features ad-hoc presentations and discussions about
> sexuality, sex education, gender, sexual freedom, and sexual health.
> The event is one in an ongoing series called "KinkForAll
> unconferences." Prior events held in New York City and Boston have had
> strong participation from various sexuality-related communities,
> including LGBT, polyamory, leather, and feminist circles. More
> information about these unconferences can be found at http://wiki.kinkforall.org
> .
>
> We had secured a venue for our event at Bethesda Chevy-Chase High
> School, which was chosen for its accessibility to public transit and
> central location, but it also had the side effect of making the
> presence of youth likely. Other organizers and I were and still are
> thus heavily invested in making sure that our unconference is a safe
> and comfortable place for young adults to be. Unfortunately, when the
> Montgomery County school district heard that our venue was secured,
> they made legal and political motions to prevent us from using the
> public facility. As a result, we are seeking an alternative venue
> rather than risk legal battles that distract from our goal of creating
> a freely accessible, public sexuality unconference. I am writing to
> you because, after a conversation with SIECUS Information Coordinator
> Mr. Maxwell Ciardullo, I was made aware that the Woodhull Foundation
> could provide us with suggestions or recommendations in the event that
> our attempts to use public facilities for our public sexuality-related
> events are prevented again.
>
> From what we can discern from the events of the past few days and the
> loss of our original venue, one of the things people are concerned
> about is that in an ad-hoc and public environment such as our
> unconference, the presence of minors is potentially likely. Indeed, we
> are rightfully prohibited from banning minors at our unconference due
> to our venue agreement with the Community Use of Public Facilities
> (CUPF). While I personally believe that it is important not to
> restrict access to sexuality information to anyone, including youth,
> this is clearly a sensitive topic.
>
> As I am not an expert in youth education, and as some people have
> raised concerns over the potential presence of minors in a setting
> that discusses sexuality, I am wondering if you have developed any
> relevant guidelines that our event might be able to make prominent to
> participants in order to allay fears and maintain a productive,
> educational, and safe environment for everyone involved.
>
> Additionally, I'm also wondering if you have recommendations of who
> else I may be able to send these questions to and/or others I should
> contact who you feel would benefit from being made aware of this
> upcoming sexuality conference's existence. Below, for more
> information, please find our event's original press release, which is
> slightly out of date now that we have been forced to change venues, or
> view it on our website at
>
> http://kinkforall.org/?p=75
>
> Thank you so much for your time. Please feel free to contact me
> directly by replying to this email or by calling (323) 963-4827.
>
> Sincerely,
> -Meitar Moscovitz
> Personal: http://maymay.net
> Professional: http://MeitarMoscovitz.com
The email I sent to NYAC is as follows (again, some headers removed):
> Subject: Free public sexuality education conference comes to
> Washington, D.C. area
> From: "Mr. Meitar Moscovitz" <mei...@gmail.com>
> Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:44:46 -0700
> To: ny...@nyacyouth.org
>
> To the community and staff of the National Youth Advocacy Coalition,
>
> I am writing to let you know about a sexuality education conference
> that is planned for November 21st in the Washington, D.C. area and to
> seek advice which I have been informed your organization excels at
> providing. The conference is free and open to the public, and features
> ad-hoc presentations and discussions about sexuality, sex education,
> gender, sexual freedom, and sexual health. The event is part of an
> ongoing series called "KinkForAll unconferences." Prior events in New
> York City and Boston have had strong participation from various
> sexuality-related communities, including LGBT, polyamory, leather, and
> feminist circles. More information about these unconferences can be
> found at http://wiki.kinkforall.org.
>
> We had secured a venue for our event at Bethesda Chevy-Chase High
> School, which was chosen for its accessibility to public transit and
> central location, but it also has the side effect of making the
> presence of youth likely. Myself and many other organizers were and
> are thus heavily invested in making sure that the unconference is a
> safe and comfortable place for young adults to be in. Unfortunately,
> when the Montgomery County school district heard that our venue was
> secured, they took legal and political motions to prevent us from
> using the public facility. As a result, we are seeking an alternative
> venue rather than risk legal battles that distract from our goal of
> creating a freely accessible, public sexuality unconference. I am
> writing to you because, after a conversation that I had with SIECUS
> Information Coordinator Mr. Maxwell Ciardullo, I have been made
> aware that NYAC has uniquely valuable resources in regards to
> interacting with youth in a respectful manner and may be able to
> provide helpful counsel to us in the event that our attempts to secure
> another venue is prevented by people who are concerned about the
> inclusion of young adults at an educational sexuality unconference.
>
> In particular, although our event is "open to the public," many in our
> communities have voiced strong concern over the presence of minors and
> some have gone so far as to wish to restrict the presence of youth
> citing "inappropriateness" and fears that access to sexuality
> information could be traumatic. I believe these are well-intentioned
> people, but am struggling to explain why I feel that their desire to
> censor information from minors is adultist behavior. As NYAC is a
> well-
> known authority in the field of youth advocacy, I am wondering if you
> have developed any guidelines our event can use to make sure young
> people are treated with respect and find themselves in an environment
> they feel safe, comfortable, and able to freely participate with their
> important voice.
>
> I believe we are committed to maintaining a productive, educational,
> and safe environment for everyone involved. However, especially when
> it comes to issues of sexuality, many otherwise unbiased individuals
> seem to want to exclude youth. What tools might I be able to use to
> allay fears and continue to focus on inclusivity and respect for
> younger people?
>
> Additionally, I'm also wondering if you have recommendations of who
> else I may be able to send these questions to and/or others I should
> contact who you feel would benefit from being made aware of this
> upcoming sexuality conference's existence. Below, for more
> information, please find our event's press release, which is slightly
> out of date now that we have been forced to change venues, or view it
> on our website at
>
> http://kinkforall.org/?p=75
>
> Thank you so much for your time. Please feel free to contact me
> directly by replying to this email or by calling (323) 963-4827.
>
> Sincerely,
> -Meitar Moscovitz
> Personal: http://maymay.net
> Professional: http://MeitarMoscovitz.com
Hopefully I will hear back from one of these organizations shortly. In
the mean time, I am going to continue to reach out to people whom I
believe may be helpful. Suggestions for where to find such
organizations, or pointers to contact information for them and their
leadership, is highly appreciated, as is any additional information
regarding these topics. (I'm doing a lot of research, but I'm sure
some of you have already done this research or have this knowledge, so
if you are willing and able, please don't hesitate to share it with
the rest of us.)
Cheers,
-maymay
Blog: http://maybemaimed.com
Talk show: http://KinkOnTap.com
Community: http://KinkForAll.org
Volunteering: http://ConversioVirium.org/author/maymay
EXTERNAL REFERENCES:
[0] http://groups.google.com/group/kinkforall/browse_thread/thread/22853a9dc1f73131#msg_9a582b89aebab858