Chicago Event: Film Screening June 12th

SEX WORKERS OUTREACH PROJECT-CHICAGO PRESENTS- An intriguing exploration of the Asian massage parlor industry in Providence, RI “HAPPY ENDINGS?” in support of SWOP-Chicago

presented by Clarisse Thorn and hosted by the Leather Archives & Museum

Film Screening and Post-Screening Discussion

Friday, June 12, 7PM Leather Archives & Museum

6418 N. Greenview (at Devon) Chicago, IL 60626 (773) 761-9200

$5-10 suggested donation to SWOP-Chicago

Rhode Island: the only state where prostitution is decriminalized. It had been over 25 years since five prostitutes sued the state of Rhode Island for selective prosecution and prostitution laws were removed from the books, when documentarians Tara Hurley and Nick Marcoux turned their cameras on the underbelly of “The Renaissance City”.

Watch the drama unfold in Asian massage parlors across Providence as Mayor David Ciccilline pushes to close the prostitution “loophole”. Follow Heather, a Korean immigrant, over two years as she manages the massage parlor. Learn about the women who work in the spas. Hear from the police who arrest them. Watch the fight for and against the legislation. The film includes subtitled interviews with Korean women who work in the spas, clients who frequent the spas, police, politicians from 1980 and today, local news footage, local radio call-in shows, and “voiced” reviews from internet escort review boards. Read more, watch the trailer, and see clips from the film at [ http://happyendingsdoc.com/ ].

Just recently — May 2009 — prostitution is in the process of being criminalized again in Rhode Island. Come out, watch the documentary, and talk about it afterwards. What do you think about sex work? Is the change in Rhode Island law fair or unfair? Delicious snacks will be served, and discussion will follow! This is a benefit for the Sex Workers Outreach Project, and we’re requesting a $5-10 donation from attendees.

To learn more about the Chicago chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project: [ http://www.swop-chicago.org] Thanks to our host the Leather Archives and Museum, preserving the history of alternative sexuality: [ http://www.leatherarchives.org/ ] S

creening facilitated by Clarisse Thorn, sex-positive activist and curator of the Sex+++ Film Series: [ http://clarissethorn.wordpress.com/ ] “HAPPY ENDINGS?” [ http://happyendingsdoc.com/ ] — www.SWOP-Chicago.org

 

Masturbate-a-thon

No, not here, sadly. Where else? San Francisco.

And as much as I love to hate the Bay Area’s woo-woo silliness, there’s a part of me that’s just plain jealous that they can have Masturbate-a-thons all willy-nilly. Can you imagine one of those in the Midwest? Oh my. Where are my smelling salts? Unless I’m missing something, and everyone is at some super-awesome masturbate-a-thon that I wasn’t invited to.

Anyway. Here’s an article about it, with pics, if you have those smelling salts handy. My personal fave is the smug quote from the masturbating guy who hates SF Weekly because it’s “too snarky.” How about we trade you some of our Midwest snark for some of your Bay Area woo-woo?

-Eden

 

3rd Annual Masturbation Month Haiku Contest!!

Send us haikus on
Self-love and masturbation
Top 10 on our blog!

Prizes for the top 3!!

1st prize:
$25 Gift Certificate to Early to Bed
Large bottle of Sliquid Organic lube
Early to Bed Tee shirt of your choice
& The Big Book of Masturbation

2nd prize:
Small bottle of Sliquid Organic lube
& The Big Book of Masturbation

3rd prize:
The Big Book of Masturbation

Entries due May 31st. Limit 5 haiku per person. Email to eden(at)early2bed(dot)com or drop ‘em off at the store! Be sure to include contact information and a pen name, if desired.

 

Sex Positive Meet up in Chicago!

From our friends at the Polyamory Weekly webite/podcast:

The meeting of the first Chicago Pleasure Salon will be Tuesday, April 7th, Villain’s at 649 S Clark St, Chicago, 6:00-10:00 p.m.

If you’re sex positive and want to meet other SP types, come on out!

xoxo,

searah

 

FREE Women and Kink event! Co-presented with the Leather Archives!

This event is at early to bed • 5232 N Sheridan

 

Sex Positive Movies In Chicago!

I am thrilled that someone started a sex-positive film series In Chicago (even if my stupid schedule makes it hard for me to get to any of the screenings!). You must come out for the next on, this Tuesday the 24th! I have seen both these movies ad highly recommend them!

SEX POSITIVE
pro-SEX, pro-QUEER, pro-KINK

a free documentary film series for people who like sex
curated by Clarisse Thorn

Come out and join us for our fifth sex-positive documentary and discussion!  This is a two-theme night: “Orgasmic Women: 13 Selfloving Divas” and “Doin’ It: Sex, Disability and Videotape” will be screening for free at Hull-House Museum on Tuesday, March 24th, 7PM.  We’ll serve delicious snacks and brilliant conversation!  All are welcome — whether you’re a free speech advocate, an AIDS worker, a progressive pastor, a sexuality activist, a radical feminist, a sex worker, a pornographer, skeptical about our politics and aims, or just someone who likes talking about sex!  Sexy prizes awarded at every screening.  RSVP by calling 312.413.5353.

Please note that cameras are not allowed at these screenings — in particular, pictures of the audience are not allowed.

Please also note: “ORGASMIC WOMEN” INCLUDES EXPLICIT FOOTAGE.

ABOUT THE FILMS

FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCE!  Filmmaker Marianna Beck will be attending the screening and discussion group for “Orgasmic Women: 13 Selfloving Divas”!  In this film, Betty Dodson — renowned expert in female masturbation — hosts a celebration of female sexuality by interviewing thirteen women of varying age, race, and body type.  All thirteen women discuss and then demonstrate their own personal masturbation techniques and methods for achieving orgasm.

We’ll precede “Orgasmic Women” with “Doin’ It: Sex, Disability and Videotape”.  The Empowered Fe Fes — a peer group of young women aged 16 to 24 with different disabilities — have struck again with an insightful investigation into the truths about sex and disability.  Here, the Fe Fes educate themselves about sex from many angles by talking with activists and scholars. The viewer tags along on a date between a woman with a disability and her able-bodied boyfriend, exploring relationship issues of dating with a disability over a candle-lit dinner.

These screenings are courtesy of Marianna Beck: [ http://www.saic.edu/people/Beck_Marianna.html ] and Beyondmedia Education: [ http://www.beyondmedia.org/ ].

xoxo,

Searah

 

Sex Workers Outreach Project Benefit!

 

Scarleteen needs your help!

Heather Corinna, purveyor of Scarleteen.com and sex educator extraordinaire is holding a couple of fundraisers for Scarleteen and needs your help! Sez Heather:

This month its particularly critical because we have a donor who is willing to match funds up to 3K. [And because of] our new affiliation with The Center for Sex and Culture, we now have borrowed 501c3 status. That means a whole bunch of things, but the two big ones for us during these fundraisers are a) that should draw larger donors who want a fat tax-writeoff, and b) that also means that for anyone who works for a company that does matching funds for charities, this is a way those folks can double (or, in this month, quadruple!) their donation to us now… We also have a blog entry up on the current fundraiser and a page for our new campaign to try and get young adults to help.

Check it out! This is a great cause and a couple easy ways to help!

 

Yes Means Yes!

Join The Public Square at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum for a conversation with writer, performer, and activist Jaclyn Friedman, editor of the brand-new book: Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape. This anthology attempts to connect the dots between the shaming and co-option of female sexuality in culture and some of the ways rape is allowed and encouraged to function, and has been called “a book that could change the world,” by award-winning social theorist, media critic and gender expert Dr. Jean Kilbourne.

This event will take place on Thursday, February 19 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Jane Addams Hull-House Museum (800 S Halsted St, Chicago). This program is free and open to the public. Reservations are required and can be made at events(at)prairie(dot)org or at 312.422.5580. Light refreshments will be served. This program is sponsored by The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council, in partnership with the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, and Gender and Women Studies at UIC.

Jaclyn Friedman is a writer, performer and activist, whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including the Lambda Award-nominated transgender anthology Pinned Down By Pronouns and the cultural commentary blog PopPolitics.com. Her opinion column “Where Your Mouth Is” was a popular monthly feature in the magazine Sojourner: The Women’s Forum, and she later produced a podcast of the same name. Friedman holds an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College and has received a 2001 Cambridge Poetry Award, a 2004 Sommerville Arts Council Artist Grant, and a recent fellowship from the Vermont Studio Center.

ABOUT THE PUBLIC SQUARE The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council, fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social and political issues with an emphasis on social justice. Programs promote participatory democracy by creating space for public conversations. More information about The Public Square is available at www.prairie.org/publicsquare.

 

Sex Positive Film Screening!

SEX POSITIVE
pro-SEX, pro-QUEER, pro-KINK
a free documentary film series for people who like sex
curated by Clarisse Thorn
sponsored by Early to Bed

Explore sexuality in a new way by joining us for a series of films
about positive sexuality and sexual identity.  This free documentary
series will create a new space to discuss sex, culture, and sexual
fun!  Each film will be accompanied by delicious snacks and followed
by relevant conversation.

The series premiere — Tuesday, January 27th at 7PM — will feature the
acclaimed documentary “Kinsey” (not the feature film with Liam
Neeson).  After that, we’ll spice up every second and fourth Tuesday
by screening another documentary with a positive, informative spin on
human sexuality.  The series will showcase diverse experiences,
orientations, and choices — planned films cover bisexuality, S&M,
polyamory, transpeople, homosexuality, heterosexuality, the history of
sex, and so much more.  The full proposed film list is available here.

We want you to come to these screenings — whether you’re a free
speech advocate, an AIDS worker, a progressive pastor, a sexuality
activist, a radical feminist, a student, or just someone who likes
talking about sex, all are welcome.  Sexy prizes will be given for
regular attendance!

Please note that cameras and other recording devices are not allowed
at these screenings. Screenings held at:

Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
800 South Halsted
312.413.5353