First Concepts for Sexfest 2013- By David Torrey

By David Torrey

Provisional information on proposed Chicago’s SexFest 2013 (CSF13):

Project organizer: The Deviant Minds NFP, Amanda Torrey, Executive Director

Proposed Event timeframe: Starting on APRIL 5 – 15, 2013.

Idea/Concept: An inclusive citywide collaboration of universities, organizations, businesses and interested individuals who feel that honoring diverse expressions of human sexuality and the full spectrum of gender identification is important. Education, advocacy and celebration will be equally crucial components of this five week event focused on sacred sexuality; e.g. creative, loving synergy between people as well as the planet Earth which sustains us. This festival and symposium is about elevating consciousness using a sex positive perspective … “Evolution not revolution” in the most constructive, expansive way possible.

Genesis: The idea originated during a Deviant Minds Salon podcast in February 2012 with sexual activist and performance artist Annie Sprinkle who said she wanted to find a Chicago university host for her EcoSexuality movement workshops and various “marriages” to different aspects of the Earth. Annie has taken the ancient concept of Earth as our Mother, to a sexy place where Earth is a Lover and Partner. For example, enacting a Chicago “wedding” to Midwestern produced grain, symbolizes how we literally become ~One~ with the food our planet provides.

Chronology: Very encouraging initial responses to the idea from a wide variety of sources (Northwestern University, Hull House Museum director Lisa Junkin, Leather Archives and Museum director Rick Storer, etc.) led to networking an equally broad group of supportive people and communities, both local to Chicago and across the United States. The first formal public introduction was 5/27/12 at Queertopia during the Chicago SexFest & Symposium 2013 roundtable. A meeting with interested parties from the Loyola University faculty spearheaded by Pamela Caughie occured May 30th and succeeded in connecting us with key people there.

Ultimately, our goal is to invite university participation which should be student driven that would utilize appropriate campus groups. Specific topics/events could be hosted by schools that feel drawn to them by perhaps incorporating college sponsored “Sex Weeks.” Scope is critical. Broad representation is desirable, but a smaller focus that is theme based is better than a large everything-for-everybody event. Cultural, linguistic and geographic diversity is good, so spread the festival throughout Chicago. No central site/host for CSF13. With this in mind cross pollination could also be very valuable. Facilitate different subcultures/groups to mix in venues that they are not normally found in. Promote the three P’s … presentations, performance and parties. Empower participating groups to self-fund their own event contributions to keep festival costs reasonable. Sponsor a fee-based Vendor Market. Host a Slutwalk in Andersonville in collaboration with local businesses. Find people at the Art Institute interested in creating a SexFest booklet, possibly including festival coupons. Incorporate a Health Fair in tandem with Romance under the Stars dining and dancing. Depending on the final timeline Include already existing events like University Sex Weeks, Early To Bed presentations, BDSM club programming, SINsations in Leather, IML, LRA’s Fetish Ball, and Shibaricon.

Models to consider: *Satellite* … Lots of different venues that are coordinated by the steering committee, but relatively autonomous. CSF13 coordinates and advertises their efforts. *Central Site* … One venue ideally located, with multiple resources for the festival. *Folsom Street Fair* … a central bonding event or spectacle that has related offshoots. *NCSF* … The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom has effectively represented what we believe in. They use an advocacy format that is more subtle than the three P’s. We could adapt any proven model from the wonderful annual Chicago Humanities Festival to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, both of which were inspirations for CSF13. Sexual Suffrage was an early theme we considered based on the notion that the 1893 World’s Fair was instrumental in women finding their voice and place in the world and eventually getting the right to vote. The Chicago Humanities Festival embraces everyone in a way that helps people understand humanistic ideals.  Finding one’s voice/place and humanistic principles are both part of what we’d like to promote.  Ideally this would eventually create a *Hybrid* … a combination of these ideas over a specific period of time, say five weeks.