Positive Sex Education from Norwescon Part 1
By Lady Star Hawk
I attended Norwescon 38, it is a science fiction and fantasy convention for artists, writers, and all the fans of what Norwescon is all about. Believe it or not there are generations now that have attended this event, children of all ages enjoy dressing up in costumes that often times they makes themselves. This is my 5th time attending and it never gets tiring, each year it is something different. This Norwescon 38 Writer Guest of Honor was George R.R. Martin; Game of Thrones was a big draw this year for costumes.
Along with all the costumes there are workshops about various subjects of importance. Since I tend to write about anything that is positive and educational that revolves around our sexuality, I figured some of these workshops would be great to include, this will be in two parts since there is so much to share about Norwescon.
~Superhero Costuming For an Un-heroic Body
Let’s face it — most of us are not built like the son of Krypton or Odin but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to emulate our heroes. We examine design choices, fabric selection and construction techniques that flatter and work with what you’ve got to make you look super cool or super villainous~
I thought this one was great because it teaches how to work with the bodies we have, being positive about our bodies in a fun way. I am very aware of the importance of finding fabric that works for various body types. I have been working on improving my body for health reasons and I am proud to say that I have lost over 60 pounds in past 8 months. The only thing is when you go to put on your costumes from the previous years; they do not fit as well. I have included pictures of my costumes of this year and by next year I will have a whole new set of them.
The next 2 workshops were basically about being safe, sane, and consensual in all things at the convention. I personally find that these workshops are great for those who had never experienced this kind of convention nor have any idea of what does go on behind some of those closed doors or private parties. I do think everyone should have a clear understanding of what it means to be involved in this kind of environment.
~How to Get Laid At a Con
How to hook up and be safe, tips on enhancing your communication skills, safer sex advice, grooming tips, and etiquette suggestions of things to NEVER EVER do or say to keep you from being that creep others avoid. And who knows — today’s hook-up might be tomorrows happily-ever-after. Funny stories from past con’s and serious advice, for 18+ only, please~
~Creating Safe Space in a Sexually Charged Atmosphere
Norwescon draws a huge crowd with diverse interests. Some of those interests are very adult, creating of sexually charged spaces. Every time you create such a space, you create a draw for predators. It isn’t reasonable to demand that adults not play as adults, so how do we make our space safe~
I am big on equality in all areas of our society including art, comics, movies etc. Some of the workshops touched on different factors in today writing and art such feminism in fandom.
~Feminism in Fandom
The face of feminism has changed over the decades, from the suffrage struggles of the first wave, the women’s liberation movement of the second wave, and the intersectionality of the third wave. Women are well-represented in local fandom, but a lot of fan media is still a boys’ club. And then there are the comic book heroines with their improbable poses and battle lingerie… What does all this say about the future of feminism? And how do we inspire the next generation of girls to love the same genres we do? How do we overcome issues like the Bechdel test~
The last one I am going to touch on for this month is about disabilities. Whether we can see a disability or not, it does affect us on a sexual level as well, I personally have chronic pain all the time and trust me it affects my sexual pleasure. People with disabilities are not invisible neither should they be treated as if they are. I believe when we can talk about such things in a positive safe way, we can be heard and perhaps on some level we can make a difference.
~Invisible Disabilities
Not every disability is apparent at a glance, nor is anyone’s personal health anyone else’s business. From mental illness to chronic disease to a variety of syndromes and impairments too lengthy to list, we’ll discuss the difficulties of living with chronic health conditions, the stigmas
associated, what progress has
(or hasn’t) been made in reforming
public perception, and strategies on
getting other people to mind their
own blasted business~
~