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Discussion Forums - Workshops

This is where various suggestions were made for workshops at BiCon. Only one snapshot of the list of posts and a few of the posts themselves are at archive.org, so only the titles remain for some - including one obvious bit of spam - and others aren't in the following summary:

Topics	Replies	Author	Last Post
Naturist Space	4	gbswales	Tue Feb 24, 2004 11:29 pm
Coming out	3	Roxy641	Sat Feb 21, 2004 3:38 am
Fun and Games Type Workshops	2	2	Wed Feb 18, 2004 4:46 pm
Politics and Activism	6	softfruit	Wed Feb 18, 2004 4:22 pm
I post my photos (nude) at	1	Guest	Mon Feb 16, 2004 10:32 am
youth issues	1	queer youth alliance	Thu Feb 05, 2004 1:17 pm
Polyamory	0	Grant	Wed Feb 04, 2004 11:44 am
Spirituality	6	softfruit	Sun Feb 01, 2004 2:34 am
Biology for bisexuals	6	Grant	Fri Jan 30, 2004 10:51 pm
Running a great BiCon; rules, guidelines and suggestions	4	Grant	Fri Jan 30, 2004 2:24 pm
Sex in spectrums, grids, balances, venn diagrams...	2	Saxey	Fri Jan 30, 2004 2:08 pm
Learning to strip	2	Grant	Mon Jan 26, 2004 11:41 pm
Massage	1	hijiki	Tue Jan 20, 2004 10:20 pm
Self Defence	1	softfruit	Mon Jan 19, 2004 6:34 pm
Care in our community	1	Loz	Fri Jan 16, 2004 10:49 am
Session tracking and day allocation	5	Loz	Thu Jan 15, 2004 3:05 pm
SM	1	softfruit	Wed Jan 14, 2004 5:00 pm
Self Harm	4	Cat aka voodoopussy	Wed Jan 14, 2004 4:18 pm
Theory and Research	3	Loz	Wed Jan 07, 2004 4:38 pm
Juggling	2	softfruit	Tue Jan 06, 2004 10:17 am
Drag Kings and Queens	0	Loz	Mon Jan 05, 2004 1:01 pm Loz
First timers	2	Cat aka voodoopussy	Wed Dec 24, 2003 12:05 am

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Sex in spectrums, grids, balances, venn diagrams... - Saxey - Mon Jan 19, 2004 4:19 pm

I'd like to offer a workshop on different models of sexual and gender identity.

It'd be partly informative (I'd bring along info on the Kinsey scale, the Klein grid, and as many other scales, "tests" and historical models I can find) and partly fun and creative - people could be let loose with big pens to hack out a representation of their own sexual/gender identity.

I'm interested partly because being "bi" is often a label of convenience, compressing a lot of different behaviours and emotions into one label for the sake of clarity/politics - it would be interesting and fun to explore the possibilities a bit, and see how far people find each model of classification to be a help or a hinderance.

So - firstly, does it sound fun?

Secondly - does anyone have any useful sex and/or gender identity scales, terminologies, models, systems, quizzes, tests - drawn from anywhere but including psychology, sociology, religion, theory, medicine, LGBT culture, personal experience etc. - that I can scrounge?

(I will, within a certain amount of playfulness, try to be respectful of the context of the information - not present it all in a "Here's something from Islam, here's something from the back of a crisp packet, here's some glitter and a big pen" buffet).

Everything sounds rather marvellous so far - looking forward to seeing more of all this...

(reply) - Loz - Wed Jan 21, 2004 12:39 pm

(I will, within a certain amount of playfulness, try to be respectful of the context of the information - not present it all in a "Here's something from Islam, here's something from the back of a crisp packet, here's some glitter and a big pen" buffet).

That's a shame, I'd love to see the back of crisp packet sexuality scale : )

laurence

P.S.

a. I think this will be a fab workshop

b. Saxey what scales etc do you have access to, could you list them or something.

Cheers

(reply) A great idea - mericet - Fri Jan 30, 2004 2:08 pm

I think that idea is a lot of fun - I would certainly go to this workshop.

Here's an idea I just had about this:

I think one could visualize sexuality/gender to be a bit like a 3D co-ordinate system.

There are 3 axes -

One axis for your sexual preference as a scale similar to Kinsey,

another axis for your physical attributes - from masculine at one end, to androgenous in the middle through to feminine. Here I'm talking about whole body structure rather than genitalia only.

The third axis would be for sexual identity. This is independent from physical gender but measures one's idea as to what gender they feel they should be.

SO an andregenous bisexial transgender would very likely be in the middle of all axes, at the origin (0,0,0)

Also what could be fun, if people (anonymously) were to rate themselves on the 3 axes this might generate an interesting 3d scatter diagram.

I don't claim to be an expert in this field, and may have accidentally stepped on people's toes with this. If so then I apologise and will listen to any criticism.

(reply) - megbarker - Tue Mar 16, 2004 11:51 am

I'll go to this. Sounds excellent.

Learning to strip - Grant - Thu Jan 22, 2004 9:36 am

I know someone who taught a class in London on how to do striptease. The class didn't involve nudity and was popular with women who just wanted to do it for fun at home as well as those trying to make a career of it.

Would you like me to contact her to see if she would be interested in doing a class at BiCon?

Grant

(reply) - Marcus - Thu Jan 22, 2004 10:07 am

If you do, can you ask her if men can come too? (Wink image)

(reply) - softfruit - Mon Jan 26, 2004 11:41 pm

I feel sure it would be worth enquiring, Grant.

Running a great BiCon: rules, guidelines and suggestions - Grant - Tue Jan 27, 2004 9:59 am

I propose a session on the BiCon guidelines.

I think the current document contains important expressions of our community's desires and needs. However, I feel there is confusion over what the document is for and some conflict between different aims.

I'd like to repeal the current document and replace it with three, or one split into several sections:

1) Must - In order to be called a BiCon, an event must meet this minimal set of rules.

2) Recommended - BiCon should meet all of these guidelines to be a good one, but are not bound to do so.

3) Suggested - Good ideas from previous BiCons, suggestions that would help make a BiCon the best ever. Organisers can use these and/or come up with their own creative ideas.

Section 3 and possibly 2 could be part of a best practice document / hypertext instead.

Grant

(reply) - barakta - Tue Jan 27, 2004 7:58 pm

I will add to Grant's thing that we could link the special needs databank into that because I am not currently sure where we stand with regards to that. How accessible is BiCon required to be, how accessible is BiCon desirable to be and what would be nice if we can get it.

Natalya - disability/accesibility person

(reply) Hmmmmm... - aegidian - Thu Jan 29, 2004 10:04 pm

I tend to agree, the guidelines (which AFAIR,have no official home) have suffered from feature-creep over the decades, and need a thorough going over. However, I fear opening them up for debate will take the lid off of a terrible can of worms.

For example: would this be a session presenting stuff for decision to a plenary, or would it be a plenary session in itself.

If the first then you'll have to beware the 'We need to debate this in a plenary" people. If the second then you'll have to beware the "We need to have a brainstorming/think tank workshop first" people.

Either way it's likely to feature heated discussion.

Think hard about how you intend to manage the debates over the details of whatever you produce. Look at the experience of 2003's 'Decision making session/plenary', David M was responsible for that (AFAIR) and he might have some advice on this.

WRT to the databank, changelog, and other fine ideas that are suggested. You should also think about who implements these and how. Eventually, it's likely to come down to the one person who actually cares enough about the issues to implement and execute the ideas themselves. No matter how fine the idea, if there is no one to implement it, it won't happen.

Good luck!

(reply) To correct a couple of things... - Purplerabbits - Fri Jan 30, 2004 2:18 pm

  I tend to agree, the guidelines (which AFAIR,have no official home) have suffered from feature-creep over the decades

The Guidelines only started in 1998, so it's hardly decades Smile Their official home is here, but what they don't have is an offical person whose job it is to change them, so I don't think the amendments from 2003 have been folded in. As far as I know 2003 was the only BiCon to make official changes at a plenary, but I may be wrong...

(reply) Re: To correct a couple of things... - aegidian - Fri Jan 30, 2004 2:24 pm

Purplerabbits wrote:

  As far as I know 2003 was the only BiCon to make official changes at a plenary, but I may be wrong...

I recall Ian's trying to change them (wrt to the ongoing BiCon organisation debate) at 2002, but that attempt being rejected.

Naturist Space - gbswales - Sun Feb 01, 2004 12:07 pm

Some previous BiCons have managed to set aside a discreet room as a naturist space for one or two sessions - any chance of this in Manchester.

It doesnt need to be a formal workshop just a space where those so inclined (and first timers) can relax and chill out for an hour or two

(reply) - softfruit - Sun Feb 01, 2004 6:15 pm

There was one at the last Manchester BiCon and I have a specific space in mind for such a space this one.

(reply) - snagglepat - Mon Feb 09, 2004 4:06 pm

I'm happy to have my name down as a co-ordinator/question answerer for this one, if that's needed yet.

(reply) - bilad2204 - Tue Feb 24, 2004 11:29 pm

Glad 2 note ur interest! Very Happy I suggested & ran the original naturist w/shop in Mcr 200? & as long as enough support, very much hope to do so again! Smile as long as it remains safe,friendly & non-sexual space!

Out of interest, would welcome feedback ie ways 2 develop previous format &/or encourage curious 1st timers etc. We previously had snax,soft music & did massage & body painting-any other suggestions??

youth issues - queer youth alliance - Sun Feb 01, 2004 9:02 pm

we would like to come with a youthy contingent but costs are daunting as we are totally unfunded.. is there room for a youth issues workshop or a youth space? (Very Happy image) queeryouth.org.uk email address deleted

(reply) - Grant - Thu Feb 05, 2004 1:17 pm

I'm hoping to contact local universities, 6th form and further and higher education colleges in my area (Leicestershire) to let them know about BiCon. Perhaps others will do the same in other bits of the country / world.
Can I get some more flyers please, and are there plans for posters?
Grant