* SOCIETY FOR HUMAN SEXUALITY FAQ * Last Modified on August 9, 1996 The latest version of this FAQ is available on the Society for Human Sexuality WWW page at http://weber.u.washington.edu/~sfpse/ WHAT IS THE SOCIETY FOR HUMAN SEXUALITY? The Society for Human Sexuality is a Registered Student Organization at the University of Washington (Seattle), and has been in existence since March 2, 1995. The official purpose of SHS is "to support the understanding and expression of human sexuality, and to promote education about and acceptance of all sexual orientations as well as all consensual and safe sexual practices." Our faculty advisor is Dr. Lois McDermott, who teaches PSYCH 210 and PSYCH 101 at UW. Generally, we believe that erotic exploration can be beautiful, pleasurable, enriching, and even spiritual. We believe that our diverse sexualities are worthy of honor, joy, learning, and sharing. WHAT DOES SHS DO? * We sponsor workshops and lectures, both formal and informal, on a variety of healthy and diverse forms of human sexual expression. * We host one electronic mailing list (with about 400 subscribers) for open discussion of human sexuality, and another electronic mailing list for announcements of sex-positive events in the Seattle area. For instructions on subscribing, send an e-mail message to [email protected] with "info shs" as the sole body of the message (leaving out the quotes). * We host monthly Erotic Reading Circles. These are gatherings (usually at one of our homes) to read portions of erotic stories to each other and socialize. * We maintain an office space in the UW HUB (Room SB-33), which allows us to hold office hours to visit with students and the general public, and to provide a space for our donated print library of books and magazines. * We hold periodic dance parties, sex parties, social outings to plays, social outings to various local sex-positive events, and movie nights. * We maintain a well-known WWW site on the internet committed to presenting quality information on human sexuality. WHAT TOPICS AND SPEAKERS HAS SHS PRESENTED SO FAR? Topics considered by Society for Human Sexuality in the form of hands- on workshops and lectures have included Tantric sex, SM, erotic art, sex work, sex toys, safer sex, practical exhibitionism, sacred whoredom, erotic body piercing, male multiple orgasms, erotic writing, erotic dancing, anal fisting, rope bondage, play piercing, CBT, and fire play. We have sponsored lectures by such luminaries as Carol Queen, Joani Blank, Jay Wiseman, Lady Green, Carol Leigh, Laura Antoniou, and Cecilia Tan. Please see our WWW page for a complete chronology of events we have put on so far, and for listings of upcoming events. HOW CAN I CONTACT THE SOCIETY FOR HUMAN SEXUALITY? You may use any of the following means. E-mail sent directly or sent through the SHS WWW page goes only to the SHS president, and is considered confidential unless you state otherwise. E-Mail: [email protected] WWW: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~sfpse/ Mail: University of Washington Society for Human Sexuality SAO 141 Box 352238 Seattle, WA 98195 WHO MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE SOCIETY FOR HUMAN SEXUALITY? Anyone over the age of 18. Participation in our Society is open to University of Washington students and non-students equally, and you do not need to be an SHS member in order to attend our events. Among the people active in our organization, about half are non-students and ages range from 18 to 55. About half of our regular attendees self-identify as straight, about half as queer. Participation and leadership in SHS is open to all. We hope that you'll want to attend our events, and maybe get involved and instigate some of your own! DOES SHS HAVE A WWW PAGE? Yes. In fact, the Society for Human Sexuality WWW page at http://weber.u.washington.edu/~sfpse/ has become the largest source of information on human sexuality available on-line. It contains over 23 megabytes of informational text files on all aspects of sexuality, event listings for SHS and the Seattle area and local/national resource guides, and more information about SHS. No passwords are necessary to use this WWW page, and complete access is completely free. We strongly urge you to try it out, and we can even provide you with a brochure that will help you get on the internet (even if you don't have any money or a computer!) so you will be able to use it. Write to us if you need a copy of this brochure. WHAT ABOUT MONEY? We charge no annual dues. Instead, there are generally admission fees for our formal public events. We also encourage people to donate money to us as the mood strikes them. If you wish to donate money to Society for Human Sexuality, you may send checks (written out to Society for Human Sexuality) to our regular mailing address. Please note that registered student organizations at UW are legally forbidden from being run for personal profit. ALL of our participants are volunteers, and ALL of the money donated to us or taken at the door at events is used to rent space for more lectures, make photocopies, pay transcription fees for lectures, etc. WHAT'S THIS BUSINESS ABOUT DISK SETS AND PRINTED VOLUMES? People who donate $40 or more to us may receive sets of 3.5" computer disks containing the entire 23 megabyte sexuality library held on our WWW page. The files are provided in an easy-to-install and easy-to- read format. If you wish to receive these disks, then include a note with your $40 donation specifying whether you want DOS or MAC format, telling us where to send the disks, assuring us that you're over the age of 18, and assuring us that owning and reading sexually explicit material is not illegal in your area. If you do not own a computer, you may request (instead of the disk sets) a printed, 130 page spiral bound book containing a selection of the most important documents on our WWW page. WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF SHS IN SEATTLE? Before the year 2000, there may be two Societies for Human Sexuality in Seattle: one at the University of Washington, serving UW students with basic information on safer sex, contraception, and more common forms of sexual expression, and another serving and comprised of the general Seattle sex-positive community. The non-UW affiliated version of SHS will be much more free to sponsor ongoing hands-on events and possibly national symposia. ARE THERE OTHER CHAPTERS OF SHS AROUND THE COUNTRY? There is one other chapter of SHS, located at UC/Berkeley. The contact for that chapter is Reka, and her e-mail address is [email protected]. You are free to set up local chapters of SHS wherever you may live. SHS chapters are autonomous, and do not necessarily need to be attached to a University. Check our WWW page or send us e-mail if you are interested in starting one. * GENERAL QUESTIONS * WHERE CAN I GET AN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION ABOUT SEX? The Society for Human Sexuality WWW page at http://weber.u.washington.edu/~sfpse/ may have the answers you need. If it does not, then you could try San Francisco Sex Information at (415) 989-7374 or Seattle Sex Information at (206) 328-7711. Both of these phone hotlines are anonymous, sex-positive, and free; they are also staffed by trained, knowledgeable people. You might also try reading a book such as The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex by Cathy Winks and Anne Semans. If you believe that you may have been exposed to an STD or are in need of contraception, you should call a health clinic such as Planned Parenthood (1-800-230-PLAN). HOW MAY I DISTRIBUTE THIS FAQ LIST FOR SHS? You may distribute this FAQ list in any way, shape, or form that you choose, provided that no money is charged for it and that it remains unaltered and intact. Permission for posting to Usenet, posting to WWW pages, and e-mailing is explicitly granted. * QUESTIONS ABOUT SHS ON-CAMPUS EVENTS * WHAT EVENTS ARE HELD ON-CAMPUS? Society for Human Sexuality holds some events on-campus at the University of Washington HUB, and some events off-campus at a variety of locations. Off-campus events can be much more explicit, informal, or "hands-on" than on-campus events, but on-campus settings are generally more appropriate for visiting lecturers and for events directed at college audiences. However, on-campus events typically have more rules associated with them due to existing UW regulations, which is why this portion of our FAQ list was put together. MAY THOSE WITHOUT UW ID ATTEND EVENTS IN THE UW HUB? In general, yes. For events held in the UW HUB, general University rules and traditions (which apply to ALL student groups) are as follows: 1. Those with UW ID may be let in right away. 2. Those without UW ID may be let in right away if they are accompanied by someone with UW ID. 3. Those who can't be admitted right away may be admitted just before the event begins, space permitting. We generally book large spaces for our on-campus events, and have so far never had to turn someone away due to lack of UW ID. For off campus events, these rules do not apply, and we do not check for student ID's of any kind. WHERE DO I GET TICKETS FOR EVENTS? Unless otherwise noted, we do not sell tickets for our events in advance. For events in the UW HUB, you may purchase your tickets as early as 15 minutes before the start of the event and as late as 15 minutes after the start of the event at the HUB Ticket Office, which is located to the right of the main information desk on the first floor of the HUB. During this time period, you must purchase your tickets at the HUB Ticket Office, as we are not allowed to sell them at the door of the event. If you arrive at our event after the HUB Ticket Office closes and seating for the event is still available, you may enter and pay your admission fee to any of the SHS officers who may be attending the event. These rules only apply to events in the UW HUB. For events held elsewhere, there is generally either no fee or someone to take your money at the door of the room where the event is being held. HOW DO I GET TO THE UW HUB? Let's assume that you're traveling on I5. Take the NE 45th Street exit, which is found to the north of the Ship Canal Bridge that crosses Lake Washington. Proceed east on NE 45th Street until you reach 17th Ave NE. Then turn to the right, onto campus. If the parking toll booth is staffed, you should request parking in or near lot N22 as that is closest to the HUB (you should also request a campus map from the toll booth operator if you don't have one already). Follow the road you are on south into campus until you reach Stevens Way. They turn to the left and continue on Stevens Way until you reach the HUB, which will be on your right. It is directly across the street from the Engineering Library. You can call (206) 543-2100 for general University information, and (206) 553-3000 for info on Metro bus lines. Both numbers are answered 24 hours a day. WHAT ABOUT ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE DISABLED? To request disability accommodations for events in the UW HUB, contact the UW ADA Coordinator ten days in advance: 543-6450 (voice), 543-6452 (TDD), 685-3885 (FAX), or [email protected] (E-mail). Also, if you are disabled, you are guaranteed access to parking lot N22, which is nearest to the UW HUB. As many of the SHS events which are held off-campus are held in private homes and apartments, we cannot necessarily guarantee disability access for off-campus events in the same way we can for on-campus events; send us e-mail if you have any questions on this matter. HAPPY LOVING! * END OF SHS FAQ *