I went to this last year and was, generally, pleased by the content. It was nice to go to a conference that was more than 101 in a variety of areas. http://www.leatherreign.org

If you missed Leather Reign last year, you missed the start of a great addition to the Seattle area BDSM community. They are still lining up presenters for 2008 but so far our confirmed presenters include Fifth Angel, Robert Rubel, Lee Harrington, Robyn Friedman, Scott Smith, Coral Mallow, and master Bob and slave jan.

Leather Reign is intended to address three core areas;

1) Why we do what we do, what is in it for us? – This may involve some technique, but the focus will be on why it is done instead of how. Last year master Skip presented his Thunder Kiss workshop which is an excellent example of this type of class.

2) Dominance and Submission/Mastery and Slavery/Service topics – These topics will include subjects such as the way relationships are structured, the calling to a BDSM role, the formalities of service etc.

3) How-to at the 201 level and above – These will include different forms of edge play, advanced techniques, or creative forms of BDSM.

This is gonna be juicy…

 

The following event facinates me. As an avid fucker and lover of butches, I find myself in strange situations ay times. Navigating language and physical space can be pretty challenging. This is compounded by the fact that I am a non-switching top/dominant who will surrender sexually to the talents of an individual with skills.

What are your experiences with the politics of penetration?

Invited Public Lecture Sponsored by the Critical Studies in Sexuality (http://www2.arts.ubc.ca/sexuality/) program & Access and Diversity Co-sponsored by Pride UBC, the Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies, and the Centre for the Study of the Internationalization of Curriculum Studies

The “P” Word: Trans Men, Stone Butches and the Politics of Penetration
Dr. Bobby Noble, York University

Wednesday Feb. 14th., 4:30-6pm
Room 110 HENRY ANGUS BUILDING
2053 MAIN MALL University of British Columbia

Bobby Noble (PhD, York University) is an Assistant Professor in the Sexuality Studies program, housed in the School of Women’s Studies, at York University (Toronto). Bobby is the author of Sons of the Movement: FtMs Risking Incoherence in a Post-Queer Cultural Landscape (Women’s Press, 2006); the also recently published monograph Masculinities Without Men? (University of British Columbia Press, Winter 2004), listed as a Choice Outstanding Title, 2004; co-editor of The Drag King Anthology, a 2004 Lambda Literary Finalist (Harrington Press 2003).

How to get there: http://www.maps.ubc.ca/

 

Going to Gender Odyssey last year was incredibly. I had planned to go with my partner/charge and ended up going on my own. Thinking that I was still going to have a WONDERFUL time regardless, I packed my shortest skirts and deepest cut tops along with some of my highest heels.

How eye-opening. 400 transmen plus SOFFAs. And you know what? I was hard pressed to get a second glance. Talk about lonely. But that’s a different post.
Continue reading »

 

So.

I just came back from Leather Reign and my brain is FUCKING full. I really wish there had been folks form the boards present.

The conference was primarily Theory based (*wet*) as opposed to technique. While many of the classes were of a 101 nature, thre were some damed good sessions andd a lot of great presenters.

My weekend was all about Catherine Gross. http://www.bdsmclasses.com/home.htm

Friday night my escort and I joined a couple of LD members in a private class with Catherine. Very interestingway to start the conference. Wode ranging and extremely personal.

Saturday I attended M/s Philosophies. Sunday I attended Contracts, Collars andd Commitents as well as Service Movement.

LOTS to think about. And it has again sparked my hunger for a theory-based conference in Vancouver and for more conversation in general. It underscored what I have said for sometime now, which is that I am in this for the long haul. This is not a hobby.

More later. I have a dinner party to attend in about 15 minutes.

 

I’ve come across a lot of great links lately. I thought this might be a great opportunity to gather them all in one place and perhaps their synopsis (as opposed to the whole thing).

From various online conversations I’ve participated in:

    http://www.world-trust.org/videos/visible.html Please note the page includes a video clip. Suitable for those in North America. By the way everyone in it pretty much is white, talking about being white. Here is the director’s interview. A racialized woman. http://www.kpfa.org/archives/index.php?arch=13010Whiteness as a construct of power? Robert Jensen has interesting things to say about that. http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/%7Erjensen/articles_race.html

    In 1986, Ricky Sherover-Marcuse stood in front of 85 women of many races and said all in one breath “Some of you are not sure that you’re racist. You are. We all are. Being racist is like being sexist. Think you’re not sexist because you’re a woman? Let me give you an example: Think of the kind of woman that you hate. Did you get an image? That’s sexism in action, because there’s no such thing as as a “kind” of woman.” Ricky Sherover-Marcuse’s incredible work is online at http://www.unlearningracism.org/writings

    This supports of the notion of whiteness as a social construct: http://racetraitor.org/

    The blog of filmmaker Thirza Cuthand who describes herself as a “halfbreed dyke”, among other things. Her largely autobiographical short films deal a lot in issues of intersecting sites of marginalization. http://fitofpique.blogspot.com/

    Personal commentary from ALICIA BANKS – Radio Producer, Talk Show Host, DJ, Columnist called GAY RACISM: WHITE LIES/BLACK SLANDER http://www.geocities.com/ambwww/GAY-RACISM.htm

    A conference – FACING RACE 2007: Define Justice, Make Change http://www.arc.org/content/view/499/

    NARCC is committed to being a national, community-based, member-driven network that provides a strong, recognized, effective and influential national voice against racism, racialization and all other forms of related discrimination in Canada. http://www.narcc.ca/about/index.html

    Resources for Change is a clearing-house for anti-discrimination education resources and is designed for educators and individuals committed to making positive change. http://www.accesstomedia.org/rfc/

    What is Critical Whiteness Studies? Almost since opening its doors two years ago, the Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society (CDMS) has hosted the monthly meeting of the Critical Study of Whiteness Group. That multiracial group of professors, students and community members has exemplified interdisciplinary scholarship, bringing together small numbers of artists, psychologists, educators, historians, legal scholars, librarians, literary critics, students of media and film, ethnic studies specialists, Americanists, and architects to generously and vigorously critique works in progress. http://cdms.ds.uiuc.edu/Critical%20White…ntroduction.htm

    The Audre Lorde Project is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit and Transgender People of Color center for community organizing, focusing on the New York City area. http://www.alp.org/

    An article on FTMs and whiteness – “I Will Always Be Your Daughter. I Will Always Be Your Son.” An Interview with Juma Blythe Essie by Ellen Marie Hinchcliffe. The issues around transgendered identities continue to gain more awareness in our society, but often the experience of transforming the body and the complexity of gender is being expressed through the eyes of white folks. Like most unexamined experiences by white people, these encounters are usually presented without acknowledging race. Juma Blythe Essie is a 30-year-old black man, writer, filmmaker and auto mechanic living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His take on being transgendered, black, and male pushes the conversation in a much-needed direction. http://www.clamormagazine.org/issues/38/gender.php

    Making A Difference
    http://www.ywca.org/site/pp.asp?c=lkJZJdO4F&b=132098
    Suggestions for actions that you can take to add your energy to promoting ethnic diversity and interracial harmony. Everyone can do something. For more information contact racialjustice@ywcamadison.org.

    What a blog!
    http://allywork.solidaritydesign.net/
    Includes a reading list, posts and an “Erase Racism Carnival” wich is a collection of blog posts dedicated to creating a world free of racism. The Carnival is published around the 20th of every month.

 

A young dyke, well, younger than me and relatively new to the scene was talking the other day about how community elders SHOULD be mentoring new/younger members for all kinds of reasons. You know, history transmission, knowledge transfer, skill sharing etc.

I had an instant oil/water reaction. Which is to say I felt like applauding and kicking her in the ass at the same time. There’s nothing like tossing a few “shoulds” in the air. Hell, anyone who knows me, knows that I am prone to shaking the bee jar myself.

*shakes head*
Continue reading »

 

Leslie Feinberg
The Maggie Benston lecture series at the SFU
Women’s Studies Department 30th Anniversary

broadcasts on Shaw TV channel 4
( lower mainland only )
Saturday April 22, 2006
@ 3:30 pm, 11:00 pm*, and 12:00 am ( midnight )
*normally @ 10 pm – moved to 11 pm this week for Hockey playoffs

Feinberg is well-known in the U.S. and many other parts of the world as an activist who works to help forge a strong bond between the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities. As a trade unionist, anti-racist and socialist, Feinberg also organizes to build strong bonds of unity between these struggles and those of movements in defense of oppressed nationalities, women, disabled, and the working class movement as a whole. Feinberg has worked for more than 25 years in defense of the sovereignty, self-determination and treaty rights of Native nations and for freedom of political prisoners in the U.S. Leslie is an internationalist and has been part of the anti-Pentagon movement since the U.S. war against Vietnam.

Leslie Feinberg’s Publications:

2000 Stone Butch Blues : Triangle Classic Edition
1998 Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue (Beacon Press)
1997 Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman (paperback, Beacon)
1996 Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to RuPaul (Beacon Press)
Stone Butch Blues (Firebrand Books)

 

I recently found out about the 2007 Fiert? Canada Pride / Region 7 conference. A meeting of International Pride organizations. http://www.vancouverpride.ca/fcp/

And after continuing to dig around (who knew there was a Pride Celebration in Iquauit!? http://www.iqaluitpride.ca/) the decisions the board made around trade marking made even more sense to me. This wasn’t a decision being made by one community but a global movement that is seemingly well organized and growing. I’m glad that the power of the name is being retained within the community. I’d fucking SCREAM if Pride Pepsi was sold on shelves or at events.

And after digging around a bit more I discovered that there is going to be a community reception, so I headed out to meet the international queers.

Fierte Canada Pride / Region 7 Conference Community Reception
Friday, March 30

Meet representatives from Prides from across Canada and hear Senator Larry Campbell present the welcome address at 6pm. Appetizers will be served.

Price: $5 suggested donation
Venue: The Oasis
Address: 1230 Thurlow St (@ Davie St)

It was lovely. Missed Larry Campbell speakign however *shrug*

Met A___ and A___ on the street as I was headed over. I’ll let here tell you about the urine sample test tube races in the Oasis.It’s really too bad they didn’t join us on the excursion. It was GOOD FUN.

A group went to a place called Samba with a bunch of the delegates. All you can eat meat in 10 different flavours plus a salad bar. WHOA!

Then it was off to lick with a pile of the female delegates. There was a Burlesque show, we got in for half price and got out first drinlk free. I flirted up an AMAZING storm. And ended up being pretty dirty with a VERY cute boi I’ve seen around but not met.YUM!

Today, me and my hangover crashed the conference. I went to the Gender session. Lukas Walther was talking about Trans inclusion and outreach.

Good times. The international conference is being hosted here in Vancouver next year. They expect 3000 people! It is being run by a newly formed NFP That includes members of the Pride Board. Apparently ther is lots of room to join.

 

I’ve been thinking A LOT about how there are lots of workshops at lots of conferences dealing with BDSM 101, 201, 301, etc. But I have never seen anything about modified BDSM practices. And that is not only from the stand point of those who are aging, but for those who have temporary, long term or permanent disabilities/conditions which might impact play.

For this reason I continue to advocate that there be more sharing, workshopping, etc of lifestyle dynamics. Cause a person may not be able to take a flogging, they can still say “Thank you Daddy”, or “Ma’am may I please…” etc.

So I may not wear leather (or a corset) but I still hope to be kinky as hell in mind and spirit even if my body is not willing or able.

 

Leather Daddy and the Femme by Carole Queen

Leather Daddy and the Femme by Carol Queen

Have to say… I really love the gender-fuck hottness of “The Leather Daddy and the Femme.” by Carol Queen.

Part of what is interesting is that the “femme” picks up the “Daddy” in a gay men’s leather bar while dressed as the male alter ego “Randy”. That’s how it starts and there are a number of incredible scenes contained within.

I almost rubbed my pussy raw reading that book…

 

I was having a conversation with a friend about the Old Guard and New Guard recently.

Then I found a piece of writing by Viola Johnson:
http://www.iron-rose.com/vijohnson/docs/blic1197.htm

EXCERPT:

The sexually free leather adults of the 90′s are a very different breed than what my generation was. When I came out into leather I was content to learn by the standards of the previous generation. Don’t get me wrong, I am proud to be Old Guard. Their hands on mentoring taught me skills, history, pride and honor. But todays generation isn’t playing by Old Guard rules. As a matter of fact, they are making up new rules as they go along.

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