Southwest Love Fest 2024
Workshops
April 12th - 14th, 2024 at the Ramada by Wyndham, Tucson, AZ
Registration starts at 8:30am each day, Fri - Sun workshops start 9:30am. After 6p dinner, see our Evening Events options. Sunday closing ceremony ends at 2pm.
Friday Workshops
Opening Ceremony
Mikaela de la Myco (she/they)
9:30 AM | Riverpark Ballroom
First we'll be welcomed by SWLF Co-Creator Sara Bachman-Williams and go over conference orientation. Then Mikaela de la Myco will support the opening ceremony as a moment to begin the process of healing, exploration and connection we will embark on over the weekend. We will open with the directions, circle question and share a song to carry us. There will be land acknowledgement and a water offering.
Mikaela de la Myco comes from a blended ancestry. Her ancestors come from southern italy, the caribbean and mexico and she uplifts their perspectives in the space of entheogens. In her everyday life, Mikaela serves as a mother, an educator, a folk herbalist, a community organizer and entheogen facilitator in occupied Kumeyaay & Luiseno territory, also known as San Diego, CA. She cares for all people with ancestral healing ways and holds special focus in serving small-businesses, cooperatives, non-monogamous people, psychedelic families, femmes and people seeking full-spectrum herbal womb care. She has collaborated as an educator and activist with hundreds of companies and organizations within the sacred earth medicine space and is well known as a maternal caretaker in the community. Her platforms, Mama de la Myco and the mushWOMB generate educational content that weaves the tapestry of medicine woman, psychedelic mother and sacred hoe. In all her creations, Mikaela de la Myco has made the commitment to rematriate entheogens by advocating for ethics and womb to tomb psychedelic literacy. Her most recent movement, Mothers of the Mushroom is an open source research and resources project meant to further permission the world into remembering that psychedelics are for families.
Mononormativity's Impact on Non-Monogamy (CEU)
Marla (they/them)
11:15 AM | Riverpark Ballroom
Mononormativity is a paradigm that highlights monogamy as the expected and ‘correct’ form of partnership in Western colonial societies. In this workshop, participants will be invited to investigate the ways that people who are engaged in non-monogamy (NM) are required to deconstruct and divest themselves of mononormativity’s impact on their relationship dynamics. Together we will explore how expectations of partnership are impacted by this paradigm, and how we can approach unlearning mononormative programming from a place of compassion and understanding.
Marla MSW, RSW (they/them) is a White, Queer, gender-defiant, neurodynamic, counsellor, and educator who has been practicing polyamory since 2005. They have been offering non-monogamy (NM) workshops and consultations in academic and professional settings as of 2009. Based in Toronto (Canada), their therapy practice centers the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ and NM identities and relationships. In 2020, as alternative relationship structures were expanding into mainstream popularity, Marla introduced @polyamarla as an accessible, anti-oppressive, intersectional resource on social media. PolyaMarla has since grown into a team effort that offers education, training, and consultation for those who are practicing, or interested in understanding NM for personal and professional development. You can find Marla on Instagram, TikTok, & Clapper @polyamarla, or check out their educational programming through polyamarla.com
ARC - How to Compassionately Say "No" to Your Partners
Evita "Lavitaloca" Sawyers
11:15 AM | Cactus 1
A common pitfall many nonmogamous persons face is how to say "no" to requests made by their partners in nonmonogamy. Requests made by partners to cancel plans with other partners, requests to grant access to text exchanges or other correspondence with other partners, requests to break up with other partners or to limit how they interact with other partners, for example. Often, people will say "yes" to things they don't truly wish to do in an attempt to keep the peace, because they are afraid to lose someone important to them if they say no, or because they don't know how to say "no, I'm unwilling to do that".
In this workshop, Evita Lavitaloca Sawyers will demonstrate a process she developed for helping people gain the tools to compassionately say "no" to their partners in a way that honors their own autonomy and also provide care for the parts of their partners that are making those requests because, deep down, they are struggling with the fear that they are going to lose their partner and trying to regain a sense of security in the relationship.
Evita “Lavitaloca” Sawyers is a black, queer, femme, ethical non-monogamy coach, speaker, educator, and author. She is the creator of “Today’s Polyamory Reminder,” which has inspired over 50,000 followers. She is the author of the newly released "A Polyamory Devotional-365 Daily Reflections for the Consensually Nonmonogamous".
Evita is also the subject of the groundbreaking polyamorous documentary “Poly-Love”. In her coaching and education, she specializes in navigating the transition from monogamy to non-monogamy, coping with jealousy, and articulating difficult emotions in healthy ways. She is appreciated for her candid shares about her own personal journey with nonmonogamy and her frank yet balanced and empathetic approach.
Managing and Working through Jealousy: A Presentation and Discussion
Moogle Macabre (she/they)
11:15 AM | Cactus 3
Being ethically non-monogamous lets us experience so many wonderful emotions! But it also can bring out difficult emotions like jealousy. While not everyone experiences it, many of us do and if you do, this discussion is for you! We will start by going over jealousy, reasons why we feel it, envy vs. jealousy, and some management tools. The last portion of this will turn into an open discussion and Q&A to help share our own experiences, advice, and get general support. Being jealous is OKAY and we're here to help you get through it!
Moogle Macabre (she/they) is a presenter and adult educator for Polyamory and BDSM/Kink. They've been polyamorous and part of the BDSM/Kink community for over a decade. They served on the board of TNG-AZ (The Next Generation of Kink) for over 8 years and have been presenting on polyamory and various BDSM/Kink topics for even longer.
They identify as black and disabled, polyamorous and kinky, queer and neurodivergent, as well as goth and geeky. They live with and manage a large polyamorous household and are the mother of an amazing neurodivergent NB kiddo. They're also an advocate for LGBTQAI+, mental health, and neurodivergent individuals. This is their 5th year back, and they're honored to be presenting again!
Let’s Talk About Sacred Sexuality for Queer & Trans People
Bex Mui (she/her)
11:15 AM | Sabino
“The body is not to be prayed for, it is to be prayed to.”
~ Sonya Renee Taylor
We are living in a world designed to cut us off from our connection to our bodies, especially for people in the LGBTQIA+ community. Let’s come together to investigate what is blocking our connection flow, what sex-negative, shame-forward messages we’re ready to throw away, and how we can take action towards cultivating a positive and nourishing practice of sensuality and desire. The facilitator will share considerations for incorporating sacred sexuality into your spiritual rituals, guide participants in a healing, energetic meditation, and invite participants' questions about this all-too quieted topic.
Bex Mui, M. Ed, (she/her) is a biracial, Chinese & Polish, first generation, queer witch, certified energy worker, and spiritual organizer. In 2021, Bex founded House of Our Queer, dedicated to enhancing the spiritual health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community, and wrote House Of Our Queer: Healing, Reframing, and Reclaiming Your Spiritual Practice.
Bex worked in national LGBTQ+ advocacy from 2016-2021, where she was featured on CBS News for LGBTQ-Inclusive Sexual Health Advocacy and on the podcast Third Space for Queer and Trans Affirming Mental and Sexual Health Advocacy. Through House Of Our Queer, Bex hosts virtual and in-person workshops focused on ritual and reflection for self-growth. As a life-long educator, Bex brings her expertise in co-creating brave learning spaces and blending healing modalities, from Tarot cards to reclaimed religious roots, to meet the needs of her communities.
Swipe Right Through the Decades
Heather Franck (she/her)
12:45 PM | Cactus 1
Join us for a fun time analyzing how dating has changed over the years. We will start by playing a group version of the 1965 Mystery Date Game. Yes, there will be a winner, and yes there will be a themed prize! With a guided group discussion, we will create our own personalized timeline of dating in America from the 1960s to modern day - from using a rotary phone to ask out a swell gall to using tinder to send solicited dick pics. This workshop is inclusive of all sexual orientations, so be ready to laugh and learn with LGBTQAI+ folks and allies.
A thrice returning presenter, Heather Franck is an artist best known for her books, Polyamory is Sketchy and Poly Bullet Journal. She co-leads polyQ, a social and support network for queers in polyamory. Heather has presented at Poly Living in Philadelphia, RelateCon, Atlanta Poly Weekend, and genderevolution. She is passionate about LGBTQ visibility and educational outreach. Heather practices hierarchical polyamory in Idaho with her primary partner and is going steady with a Dewey Decimal Dyke.
Releasing Control: Cultivating Secure Connection (CEU)
Nick/Nicole T. Castro, MA (they/them) + Emily Graham (they/them)
2:45 PM | Riverpark Ballroom
In so many ways, we are taught to control each other and situations as a means of gaining a perceived sense of safety. We try to use control to feel connected to each other, but this ultimately inhibits secure connection. In this interactive workshop, we will reconceptualize control across levels of experience from personal (codependence) to systemic (neoliberal myths), as well as explore practical skills around boundaries (vs expectations vs rules vs agreements). By identifying our own attempts to control, we can discover how to move away from this misguided attempt to connect and back into alignment with secure and sustainable ways to be in relationship. Each participant will also receive a Found Family Discussion Guide and Integration Exercises to take home.
Nick/Nicole T. Castro, MA (they/them) is a genderqueer, bisexual, biracial, polyam trans queerling who brings a lens of embodiment and mindfulness to study violence-used-as-communication. As a relational communication expert with RADTalk.org, Nick helps individuals and groups align their intention & their impact in the world. They seek to make the revolution sustainable through co-created spaces that invite and teach people how to practice new, nonviolent forms of self-expression across their relationships and community organizing. In her rest time, she enjoys podcasts, practices Tai Chi, and rides motorcycles.
@liberated.relationship @RAD.Talk
Emily, or Em, (they/them) is a nonbinary, queer, polyamorous, white, neurodivergent, abolitionist therapist. Emily has a passion for learning and creating a better world for everyone, especially through their work with individuals and relationships in their therapy practice. Emily is a licensed clinical social worker dedicated to anti-oppressive work and liberation.
When Em isn’t working with clients or creating badass courses, they enjoy spending their time learning, practicing tarot, foraging for mushrooms, collecting cool rocks, and snuggling with their four cats and two nesting partners.
Level up your Consent Practice: Beyond the Binary
Sam Duong Woloszynski (she/they)
2:45 PM | Cactus 3
We’ve come a long way from “no means no” to “yes means yes” consent, but don’t stop there! This workshop will help you dismantle binary enthusiastic consent into a more nuanced spectrum. This workshop will teach key concepts from the Yes-To-No Spectrum (Consent Wizardry), the Wheel of Consent (Dr. Betty Martin), and willing consent (Emily Nagoski). You’ll be invited to try somatic exercises that focus on skill-building to grow your consent practice.
Sam is a dancer, facilitator, and educator who fosters a culture of inclusion, bodily autonomy, and interdependent care. With a focus on body-mind connection and a trauma-informed lens, they hold space for somatic, experiential learning in their workshops. They’re a Certified Authentic Consent Facilitator with the Atlanta Institute of Tantra, an alumni of the Consent for Educators Program with Consent Wizardry, a partner dance instructor in their local West Coast Swing community, and a lifelong learner. Their work is informed by experiences in queer and "in-between" identities, including in bisexual, gender-expansive, queer-relating, mixed race, neurodiverse, Vietnamese-American, Spanish-speaking, and cross-cultural communities.
Navigating Partner Relationships with/as a Sex Worker
Andre Shakti (she/her)
2:45 PM | Cactus 1
*This workshop is open to both sex workers and allies alike.
Each sex worker has their own understanding of both the “sex” and the “work” aspects of their job. We use many tools for our trade, and since these tools often include sharing parts of our bodies, our brains, and our hearts with clients, we also face many challenges in our “off-the-clock” relationships. Join professional slut Andre Shakti to discuss how sex workers can achieve healthy relationship practices, as well as how those who love us and fuck us can show up for us in intimate relationships.
We’ll be discussing:
Acknowledging and mitigating feelings of shame often experienced by sex workers Acknowledging and mitigating feelings of jealousy often experienced by our partners.
“Calling in” and combating both microaggressions and macroaggressions in social, professional, & familial spaces.
Learning how to build successful communication bridges between parties.
Addressing and demystifying harmful stigma & stereotypes as they pertain to sex work and alternative relationship model.
Asserting and accepting desires and boundaries, & MORE!
Andre Shakti (she/her) is a queer—white—cisgender—polyamorous educator, activist, performer and professional slut based in Baltimore, MD. She strips, she whips, and she likes dogs more than you.
SanctuaryTheClub.com | BaltimoreDominatrix.com | IAmPoly.net | @notandreshakti (IG) | @andreshakti (X) | OnlyFans.com/AndreShakti
Playing Visibly and Invisibly: Hosting Accessible Sexual Events (CEU)
Rebecca Jay, LCSW (they/them) + Rachael Rose (she/they)
2:45 PM | Sabino
When planning inclusive sexuality events, there are a great deal of considerations to be made. How can we plan events that are joyful and sexy, while also being focused on ensuring that they are accessible? How can we ensure that events we create represent the characteristics and uphold the values of the communities we are working to create? Most importantly, why aren’t there more accessible events? Join Rachael and Rebecca, the co-founders of Glittergasm Events, LLC, a queer event company as they talk about the barriers, pitfalls, joys and triumphs of creating accessible community events.
Rebecca Jay (they/them) is a social worker, therapist, and sex educator who works predominantly with the alt-sex, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ communities. They are the co-founder of Glittergasm Events, LLC, a Philadelphia-based queer play party company. They are the co-author of the book “It’s called Polyamory” Coming Out About Your Nonmonogamous Relationships. They are a writer who addresses issues of polyamory, cancer, sex education, and mental illness. Rebecca has spoken at CatalystCon East, West, and Midwest, Poly For All Seasons, AwesomeCon, Rocky Mountain Poly Living, Atlanta Poly Weekend, InfinityCon, Sex Down South, DragonCon, and Woodhull Sexual Freedom Summit. As always, they are working on their next book.
Rachael Rose is a Certified Sex & Relationship Coach and Educator, artist, and graphic designer. She's chronically ill and disabled, queer, neurodivergent, and polyamorous. As a coach, she specializes in working with chronically ill and disabled folks, as well as those who are neurodivergent around the impact those can have on sex, relationships, and more. Rachael is also the creator of the award-winning sexuality blog Hedonish.com, the co-founder of Glittergasm Events, an event company that hosts inclusive and accessible sex-positive play parties for the LGBTQ+ community. She also runs her own small graphic design and art business, Genetic Lemon Creative Studio. Learn more at hedonish.com or on social at @hedonish, and at glittergasmevents.com.
All For One: Polyamorous Takes on Monogamous Breaks
Kevin A. Patterson, M.Ed. (he/him)
4:30 PM | Riverpark Ballroom
In a mononormative culture, the existence of multiple attractions can trigger fight-or-flight responses in both the participants and the closely-involved onlookers. Whether we are talking about a brand-new crush, a rekindled interest, or a platonic friendship that blossomed into something more, every added connection is viewed first as a rivalry, a temptation, or a betrayal. As a result, we don’t always have a clear mind on what positive, informative, or critical data the experience is giving us. Minus the rivalry, consensual non-monogamy allows us to examine that data and what it can tell us about ourselves, our partners, and the nature of our relationships.
This session will examine how much we can learn from the existence of multiple attractions (when cooler heads prevail) and how much of that info we can use to benefit our relationships, regardless of lovestyle.
Kevin Patterson is an active member of the Philadelphia polyamory community. He's been practicing ethical nonmonogamy since August of 2002 after opening up a relationship that eventually became his marriage. In April of 2015, Kevin was inspired to start Poly Role Models, an interview series for people describing their experiences with polyamory.
Poly Role Models was part of a drive and a desire to change the way our lives and communities are viewed. To continue that discussion of polyamorous representation, Kevin has extended the blog's work into the writing of the book, Love's Not Color Blind: Race and Representation in Polyamorous and Other Alternative Communities. Along with co-writer Alana Phelan, Kevin launched a sci-fi novel series, For Hire, that centers characters of color as well as other marginalized identities.
Mind Body Healing: Stress, Trauma, and the Nervous System
Sam Duong Woloszynski (she/they)
4:30 PM | Cactus 3
Elevate your self-care practice and learn about how stress and trauma are held in the body. This workshop will give you an overview of polyvagal theory, common stress/trauma responses (fight, fight, freeze, and more), and how to recognize different states of the nervous system. Trauma is so common and often misunderstood - if you don’t have trauma yourself, chances are that you know and love someone that does! You’ll learn entry-level grounding exercises for self-regulation or co-regulation that you can use to nurture more supportive relationships.
Sam is a dancer, facilitator, and educator who fosters a culture of inclusion, bodily autonomy, and interdependent care. With a focus on body-mind connection and a trauma-informed lens, they hold space for somatic, experiential learning in their workshops. They’re a Certified Authentic Consent Facilitator with the Atlanta Institute of Tantra, an alumni of the Consent for Educators Program with Consent Wizardry, a partner dance instructor in their local West Coast Swing community, and a lifelong learner. Their work is informed by experiences in queer and "in-between" identities, including in bisexual, gender-expansive, queer-relating, mixed race, neurodiverse, Vietnamese-American, Spanish-speaking, and cross-cultural communities.
Activism through Anti-Capitalist Relationships
Forest Williams (he/they)
4:30 PM | Cactus 1
The age of Empire is coming to an end. Can you feel it?
In the face of multiple ongoing global and local crises, this interactive workshop aims to inspire hope for a better world. A world rooted in trust, not control.
Together we’ll explore how relationships can be one of many avenues to facilitating personal & collective transformation.
Learn to identify how internalized imperialism sneaks its way into non-monogamous dynamics, what healing looks like, and how to take actionable steps. Be prepared to self-reflect and engage in a witchy somatic group exercise.
Forest Williams (he/they) is a queer, trans witch and relationship coach offering spiritual guidance for liberatory relationships. He most closely aligns with Solo Polyamory and Relationship Anarchy, centering his life around community rather than sexual/romantic partners.
Radical Self-Love: A Deep Dive Into the Healing Qualities of Intrapersonal Boundaries (CEU)
Liz Newsom (she/they)
4:30 PM | Sabino
In this workshop, we will explore the concept of self-love and its perception as being selfish, conceited, or even narcissistic. The workshop aims to define radical self-love and provide insights into how the participants can develop and nurture self-love. The ultimate goal is to foster deeper connections and relationships with others. The workshop will utilize experiential exercises and open discussions to enrich participants' understanding of self-love and the intrapersonal boundaries needed to create that.
Liz Newsom, LCSW, is a gender and sexuality affirming therapist in the Dallas area specializing in individuals who identify as kinky and/or consensually non-monogamous. She employs DBT, CBT, strengths based perspective, Feminist theory, EMDR & parts work to help her clients achieve their goals. She runs a private practice focused on providing a space for new therapists and social work students to learn sex positivity and inclusivity.
Additionally, she likes to find opportunities to provide community and professional education around sexuality based topics. In her free time she likes to spend time with her kids, time with partners, remodel her home & take road trips.
For more info visit: realisticexpectations.net
Affectionate Alchemy - Opening Night
Affectionate Alchemy
6:00 PM | Cactus 2
Join us for opening night of the Affectionate Alchemy art show!
Promoting local artists whose artistic expression celebrates ethical non-monogamous relationships, including LGBTQIA+ expressions of consentual love, sexuality and other non-traditional relationships; an artists who identify as such, though subject matter is otherwise directed.
Enjoy delicious food from some of Tucson's best food trucks!
Saturday Workshops
Polyamory & Life Changes = Grief
Intimacy ConAmore (they/he/she)
9:30 AM | Riverpark Ballroom
This will be a participatory conversation amongst audience members as we explore how to cope with the things that cause us to experience the grieving processes. Major life changes, both planned and unexpected can be incredibly disruptive. Grieving any life change,not just death of a loved one, while simultaneously being present in multiple relationships can be more complex than usual. We will share about managing our self-care and how to pre-plan what to do when we experience an unexpected loss or major life change that may negatively impact our emotions or existing relationships.
Intimacy ConAmore, known as @polyfreelove on various social media platforms, is a multiracial GenderQueer great-grandchild of an enslaved African-American. They identify as polyamorous, kinky, Demisexual/Asexual, Bisexual/Pansexual, and Solopoly. Open to all humans regardless of gender, sexuality, or genitalia, Intimacy values unfiltered authenticity and uninhibited connectivity with others. A parent of young black men and an experienced polyamorous/kink veteran of over 30+ years. Since 2014, Intimacy has organized local Dallas/Ft. Worth poly events, extending support and advocacy to polyamorous communities in various cities across the state. Currently, they focus on speaking about polyamory, sharing personal experiences, knowledge, and wisdom. Having presented at multiple polyamorous-focused conferences and events, Intimacy is also involved in human sexuality education and services. In their diverse roles, Intimacy works as a $exy surrogate, compassionate companion, sensuality self-love mentor, and provides private kinky education guidance sessions, emphasizing consent and boundaries.
Navigating Jealousy and Insecurity: Practical Strategies for Positive Relationships (CEU)
Rebbeca Lahann, Psy.D. (she/her)
9:30 AM | Cactus 1
Jealousy and insecurity can be tricky companions in any relationship, but in consensual non-monogamous (CNM) dynamics, they often take center stage. That's where our enlightening discussion comes in! Join Dr. Lahann, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Clinical Psychologist, as she offers practical strategies for handling these emotions, exploring ways to create a safe space for open and honest communication, discover what's really causing those nagging feelings, and how to find your inner Zen through mindfulness and self-acceptance. We'll also explore the magic of compersion, share self- soothing techniques, and reveal the power of gratitude and empathy. Expect a laid-back, supportive atmosphere where we'll share insights, tips, and real-life experiences to help you build more positive and fulfilling connections in the world of consensual non-monogamy.
Dr. Lahann is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, Clinical Psychologist, and speaker. She is focused on providing education, resources, and psychological services as the Clinical Director of Spectrum Psychology and Wellness in Gilbert. AZ. Her work specializes in individual counseling and holistic sex therapy, focusing on intersectional approaches to values-aligned living across the lifespan. She has experience working with diverse bio-psycho-social-sexual backgrounds, relational dynamics, and a broad spectrum of mental health presentations. She is a sex positive, gender, sexuality and alternative lifestyle affirming therapist, and is a member of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF)'s Kink and Polyamory Aware Professionals Directory (KAP). Dr. Lahann has been an active member of her professional community in various roles. She is Past-President of both the Arizona Psychological Association and the Arizona Psychology Training Consortium. You can find Dr. Lahann on Instagram: @DrRebbecaLahann.
Decluttering Joy and Pleasure
Sumter Freitag (they/them) + Yoseñio V Lewis (he/him)
9:30 AM | Sabino
The colonization of joy instills shame in the way we seek out/acquire/desire/display/avoid our joy, often preventing us from fully enjoying our sex/sexuality/desire/pleasure. We settle for what we’re given or qualify/justify receiving less or existing in a world of approximate joy. As well, we feel shameful for wanting more, inhibiting growth and fulfilment. While this phenomenon exists in all aspects of our lives, it blossoms in the world of desire, especially sexual desire. We accept or we reject pleasure often based on what we’ve been told is “appropriate” or “respectable” for achieving joy. Colonization challenges us to actually seek out what we want, when we want it, with whom we want it, how long we get to experience it and how to move past the rigid rules of how joy manifests in our lives. Via exercises, group discussion and individual work we’ll examine ways to combat the colonization/oppression of the beautiful view of joy and pleasure in our lives, including how the use of an augmented view of compersion, autonomy and creativity assists in overcoming the “rules” to fulfillment.
Sumter/April Sumter-Freitag Sumter is an eighth generation Black Canadian with Mi'kmaq, Cherokee and Scottish ancestry living on the unceded Territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations. Sumter identifies as queer, nonbinary, polyamorous and brings their unique insight as a filmmaker, writer and performance artist, facilitator and mentor. Sumter’s lived experience informs and inspires their social justice work which centers anti oppressive practice supporting BIPOC, Trans Two Spirit, Gender Non Binary, Disability and Sex Work communities.
Yoseñio V. Lewis is a Latino of African Descent transman who has been a social justice activist since he was 13 years old. A consultant, health educator, speaker, trainer, facilitator, writer, performer, out poly and kinky person and a spiritual hugger, Yoseñio has been a panelist and keynote speaker at numerous universities and sexuality conferences. He was one of the inaugural honorees of The Trans 100 list.
Yoseñio is a member the Columbia University Community-Collaborative Advisory Board and a member of The Association of Black Sexologists and Clinicians. Yoseñio is a Certified Restorative Justice Practitioner and has completed the Introduction to the Principles of Kingian Nonviolence. He is on the faculty for the Sex Justice Track of the National LGBTQ Task Force Creating Change Conference.
Yoseñio is a Trans Patient Educator at Stanford University. Yoseñio has been featured in several documentaries about gender identity and the trans* experience. He is the founder of Written In The Flesh Erotic Readings (an on-stage opportunity for the lifting up of People of Color voices in Erotica and Sexual Liberation). Yoseñio is also an aspiring Voice Over Artist. Yoseñio believes that there can be no art without activism and no activism without art.
How to be a Trans Ally... In Bed!
T Michael Trimm (he/him/sir) + Jace Ryden (he/him)
9:30 AM | Cactus 3
Trans+ folks need love too! Learn more about how to be a more affirming (and possibly more attractive) partner to trans+ folks... take your allyship from the streets to the sheets and beyond.
Michael is a prominent face within the Arizona and New Mexico LGBTQ+ communities. He has made a name for himself as performer Teddy Michael, has represented the Imperial Court of Arizona and the Imperial Sovereign Court of New Mexico, was featured on MTV’s ‘True Life’ in 2009 and 2015, and is an award-winning promoter and pageant owner. He is currently the Executive Director of the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico. Michael has used their platforms throughout the years to educate, fundraise, and be an outspoken activist. His passion for education is evident in the way they seek to teach others about the transgender and gender expansive community through compassion and understanding, and a willingness to open a dialogue.
Jace C. Ryden has made Arizona his home for more than twenty years. He prides himself as being an outspoken advocate for transgender, LGBTQ+, and civil rights, and has worked with numerous organisations throughout the state to raise both awareness and funds. Through his work as entertainer "Freddy Prinze Charming" Jace has used his visibility to work with organisations like The Imperial Court of Arizona, Phoenix Pride, Drag Story Hour, GLSEN, Rebel & Divine, NARAL Pro-Choice Arizona, and Arizona Trans Youth and Parents Organization (AZTYPO), and be a face of the transgender community in Phoenix.
Community Conversation: Accountability & Harm reduction
Intimacy ConAmore (they/he/she)
11:15 AM | Riverpark Ballroom
A group discussion to explore, share ideas and ask questions about community accountability. How do we keep our community safe from those who either cause harm unintentionally and refuse to be accountable or from thise who are habitual and intentional harm doers? Keeping it hush hush only makes room for future repeated harms and new survivors of said harm doers. Who do we tell, how do we handke it, how can we vet potential harm doers and how can we prevent repeat offenses.
Intimacy ConAmore, known as @polyfreelove on various social media platforms, is a multiracial GenderQueer great-grandchild of an enslaved African-American. They identify as polyamorous, kinky, Demisexual/Asexual, Bisexual/Pansexual, and Solopoly. Open to all humans regardless of gender, sexuality, or genitalia, Intimacy values unfiltered authenticity and uninhibited connectivity with others. A parent of young black men and an experienced polyamorous/kink veteran of over 30+ years. Since 2014, Intimacy has organized local Dallas/Ft. Worth poly events, extending support and advocacy to polyamorous communities in various cities across the state. Currently, they focus on speaking about polyamory, sharing personal experiences, knowledge, and wisdom. Having presented at multiple polyamorous-focused conferences and events, Intimacy is also involved in human sexuality education and services. In their diverse roles, Intimacy works as a $exy surrogate, compassionate companion, sensuality self-love mentor, and provides private kinky education guidance sessions, emphasizing consent and boundaries.
Aging, Disability, and Evolving Sexuality
Dr. Patricia Babin (she/her)
11:15 AM | Cactus 1
Attendees will learn about basic sexual functioning as it relates to understanding how the brain functions and changes given different states of arousal and need. Relationships are of course affected by changes in functioning such as you would see in disability and aging. Polyamourous couples/throuples face the same challenges and these challenges may be enhanced when there are large age differences.
Attendees will also explore how individual values shape the evolution of our sexual and intimacy journey regardless of age or disability and that these values need to be identified and respected especially as they also evolve and change in dynamic polyamorous relationships.
Dr. Babin has over 25 years of experience working in the fields of rehabilitation, health psychology, neuropsychology, and behavioral health pharmacy. She is polyamorous with a nesting partner in CA and a partner in NC. She is knowledgeable about many alternative lifestyles.
In addition, she is a pharmacist with training in how to understand the medications that you are taking and how they may be affecting libido and/or sexual performance. Having worked with clinically and culturally diverse populations, she can address health changes with aging and disability, particularly as those issues relate to sexual functioning. Her goal is to help people realize their potential whether it be “sex”, relationships, intimacy, or health concerns.
She is also obtaining her sex therapy certification and has successfully completed the Master Certified Life Coach training. Dr. Babin’s passion is helping individuals ages 12 through 99+ understand themselves better in order to make the changes they desire.
Reclaiming Joy: Unraveling the Connection Between Depression, Medications and Human Connection (CEU)
Dr. Az del Pino, DNP-PMHNP (he/they)
11:15 AM | Cactus 3
Explore the common side-effects of anti-depressants, and the balancing act of using medicine to improve your quality of life. Through this workshop, Dr. Az will help you integrate this new knowledge with real-world examples of overcoming changes in sexual desire and changes in connection to others. This will empower you to advocate for yourself and others, to receive psychiatric treatment options that improve your mental health, as well as your quality of life and human connection. Know your options, and reclaim your joy! Please note that this will have a film and photography team for posting on social media, there will be a section for those who do not consent to photography.
Dr. Az del Pino (pronunciation: A as in Apple) is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, who owns and runs a mental health clinic in Tucson, Arizona. Peacock Mental Health was born out of Dr. Az' experiences as a bi guy with ADHD, feeling stigmatized when accessing healthcare, and the experiences his gender expansive, LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent clients shared of healthcare trauma. They now specialize in medication management and affirming mental health treatment for people who identify as LGBTQIA+ and/or are neurodivergent in some way. Teaching is a passion for Dr. Az who has run guest lectures at the University of Arizona to ensure students are educated in affirming psychiatric care. They also present at therapy practices to bridge the gap between psychotherapy and medication management approaches, creating more spaces where clients have a collaborative and aligned mental health team. Dr. Az also creates and presents educational content including a module on affirming documentation for OutCare Health.
Fluid Expressions: Erotic Art Journey
Desirée Maultsby (she/her)
11:15 AM | Sabino
"Fluid Expressions" invites you on a captivating journey to awaken your imagination and delve into the world of the erotic, all within a nurturing, playful environment. Desiree will be your guide as she supports you in embracing your unique creativity, encouraging you to let go of perfection and welcome the beauty of spontaneity. As you surrender to the flow of your paintbrush, you become part of a vibrant community, where each stroke celebrates the joy of creation and the magic of intuitive art.
This workshop is more than an artistic endeavor; it's a sanctuary for freedom of expression and connection. Whether art is your lifelong passion or a newfound interest, "Fluid Expressions" offers a space to nurture your acts of creation, create meaningful bonds, and discover the endless potential of your creative essence. Join this journey of love, art, and your unique expression, and experience the exhilaration of being truly alive.
In 2018, Desirée Maultsby founded the Sacred Circle Institute, a nurturing ground for exploring the divine feminine through personal consultations, engaging workshops, and transformative retreats. Holding a Master’s in Transpersonal Psychology from Sophia University, she brings over 20 years of experience in therapeutic massage, enriched with certifications in intuitive process painting, holistic sexuality education, and more. Her journey, deeply rooted in self-healing and creative exploration, has evolved into a passionate mission to guide others in their transformative explorations, especially in the realms of play, intimacy, eros, and pleasure.
Poly Real Estate Q&A (lunch included)
David Urbaniak
12:45 PM | Outdoor Bar
Join me, David Urbaniak with Keller Williams Realty, at Southwest Love Fest! Proudly sponsoring this vibrant event, connecting hearts and homes in the spirit of togetherness. Enjoy a complimentary lunch and bring your real estate questions. Please RSVP to me via text (520) 440-9229 and let us know of any allergies and dietary restrictions - let's build dreams together!
David (he/him) has been a realtor for over 20 years and is with Keller Williams Realty. He is the proud sponsor of Southwest Love Fest for the last 6 years.
The STI Chat: Consent, Care, and Confidentiality (CEU)
Zach Budd (he/him) + Lilith Foxx (she/her)
2:45 PM | Cactus 1
In polyamorous relationships, situations like a partner testing positive for an STI can challenge the boundaries of privacy, dignity, and especially consent. This workshop delves deep into the essential practice of consent in such circumstances, equipping participants with tools and strategies to respect and honor the agency of every individual involved. Combining theoretical understanding with immersive exercises, we will explore how to balance personal autonomy with collective responsibility. Attendees will also gain insights into ways to make regular STI testing and treatment more accessible.
Zach Budd, LMSW is a self-proclaimed nerd, a sex geek, and a consent junkie. He has been actively polyamorous for at least 15 years and kinky for as long as he can remember. Zach is a consent educator, social worker, and mental health professional. He firmly believes that everyone has the right to their choice of how to “live, love and relate”. Zach lives, works, laughs, and loves in Houston, Texas where he enjoys listening to and playing music, advocating for his own and others’ self care, all things Star Trek, reading, gaming, hockey, cooking, cigars, bourbon, and is owned and loved by a spoiled rotten boxer named Jadzia. Zach is dedicated to his work in mental health and is currently working with people who identify among the LGBTQIA+ community and those in nonmonogamous and kinky relationship structures. Zach has served on polyamory and kink discussion panels, conducted workshops, participated in SAR panels for ISEE and other organizations, delivered keynote speeches, and recorded podcast episodes on the subjects of polyamory, consent and kink. He is also Liaison for the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and a proud member of the Board of Directors for Loving More. The nation’s oldest polyamory organization.
Lilithfoxx (she/her) is an accomplished Board-certified sexologist, educator, and professional speaker with a specialized focus on alternative sexuality, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion, and cultural competency in clinical, academic, and research settings. Presently, she is engaged in pursuing her AASECT Sexuality Educator certification, and is a student at The Kinsey Institute, demonstrating her commitment to the field and professional growth. Identifying as a BIPOC, Queer, and neurodivergent individual, Lilith brings a unique and valuable perspective to her work. This personal insight has been key in developing her specialty areas and contributing to a more inclusive conversation about sexuality and relationships. Lilith’s connection to alternative sexuality extends beyond her professional work. For over a decade, she has identified with kink and polyamorous communities, even stepping into the roles of community organizer and educator in these spaces for the past five years. She is also a skilled workshop facilitator, delivering sessions on relationships, sexuality, intimacy, and inclusion. Her workshops have reached global audiences through conferences around the world, ensuring a wide and diverse range of perspectives in her audience. Lilith draws on her experiences as a proud former sex worker to inform her professional approach and expertise, fostering a deeper understanding of the varied facets of sexuality. Her insights and expertise have been recognized and featured in major publications such as Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Glamour, Kinkly, Ask Men, Mashable, and many more.
Before her foray into sexuality education and consultancy, Lilith enjoyed a successful decade-long career in digital marketing. As a senior-level digital marketing director, SEO-specialist, web developer, and business consultant, she worked with businesses spanning from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. She continues to utilize these skills, providing marketing and business consulting services to sex-positive and adult-industry businesses.
Through her professional endeavors, Lilithfoxx continues to inspire, educate, and foster a more inclusive understanding of sexuality, relationships, and intimacy.
"We've Always Been Here" - A Panel on Trans Joy
Fen Futureheart (they/he)
2:45 PM | Riverpark Ballroom
Despite the hardships and discrimination we face, transitioning is a source of excitement and happiness for transgender people. "We've Always Been Here" will be a small panel discussion including trans speakers. We'll cover several topics where each panel member will speak on their personal experience. This panel will focus on the positive, interesting, and funny aspects of being transgender, changing the narrative of trans people as pitiable victims - while still acknowledging societal challenges. We will select a few questions from the audience to answer as well.
Note: this is not Transgender 101. If you are unfamiliar with what it means to be transgender, and the issues that we face, this link is a good starting point to start learning about it. This panel will be a 201 session, that will be delving deeper into individual experiences rather than a beginner introduction to trans rights.
Fen (they/he) is an advocate for mutual aid, trans rights, and open communication. They believe in making the world better with small everyday acts of kindness and solidarity along with building community and bigger movements for change. You can find them at dance parties, giving testimony at the state legislature, sharing free food, or at home playing various role-playing games. Their background in environmental and interpretive education, nonprofit management, and political outreach have all fueled a love for public speaking. For the past seven years they've been practicing polyamory, learning a lot along the way, and endeavor to always be learning and improving communication skills.
Liberated Accountability: Collaborative Empathy, Apologies, & Repair (CEU)
Emily Graham (they/them) + Nick/Nicole T. Castro, MA (they/them)
2:45 PM | Cactus 3
Systems of carcerality (like the US prison system) teach us that accountability is achieved through punishment. This easily seeps into our relationships and can disrupt our capacity to practice accountability with each other in a way that restores balance, equity, and justice. Since - despite our best efforts - incurring/causing harm is inevitable in our relationships, this Liberated Accountability is a crucial skill to learn. This interactive workshop will explore new understandings of Liberated Accountability, and how to navigate it as a person who has experienced harm and as someone who has caused harm. We will discuss relevant communication skills, as well as the role of personalized, embodied apologies to create meaningful repair. Each participant will also receive a Found Family Discussion Guide and Integration Exercises to take home.
Emily, or Em, (they/them) is a nonbinary, queer, polyamorous, white, neurodivergent, abolitionist therapist. Emily has a passion for learning and creating a better world for everyone, especially through their work with individuals and relationships in their therapy practice. Emily is a licensed clinical social worker dedicated to anti-oppressive work and liberation.
When Em isn’t working with clients or creating badass courses, they enjoy spending their time learning, practicing tarot, foraging for mushrooms, collecting cool rocks, and snuggling with their four cats and two nesting partners.
@liberated.relationships @seedsofliberationcounseling
Nick/Nicole T. Castro, MA (they/them) is a genderqueer, bisexual, biracial, polyam trans queerling who brings a lens of embodiment and mindfulness to study violence-used-as-communication. As a relational communication expert with RADTalk.org, Nick helps individuals and groups align their intention & their impact in the world. They seek to make the revolution sustainable through co-created spaces that invite and teach people how to practice new, nonviolent forms of self-expression across their relationships and community organizing. In her rest time, she enjoys podcasts, practices Tai Chi, and rides motorcycles.
Progressive Masculinity - Exploring Vulnerability
Mike Joseph (he/him)
2:45 PM | Sabino
How do we collectively change what's considered masculine so that it's inclusive of traits like softness, vulnerability, and communication? I'll be talking (and taking questions from the audience) about lessons I've learned over the course of my life, as well as lessons learned over the last four years interviewing people about masculinity.
Mike Joseph is the host and producer of the podcast "Detoxicity", which aims to remix the conversation around what's considered masculine. He has interviewed over 150 men across all walks of life about everything from parenting to creative pursuits to sexuality. Mike is also a former co-host of the podcast "Life on the Swingset" and is a certified life coach.
Attention Deficit BDSM: Using Kink to Manage ADHD Symptoms (CEU)
Rebecca Jay, LCSW (they/them)
4:30 PM | Cactus 3
Individuals with an ADHD diagnosis often struggle with task initiation and completion. However, the motivators to alleviate these symptoms often lose novelty quickly, and leave individuals feeling “stuck”. Join us in learning why BDSM can help your favorite ADHD-er with symptoms, and access tangible ways to implement this into your dynamic as a top or a bottom!
Rebecca Jay (they/them) is a social worker, therapist, and sex educator who works predominantly with the alt-sex, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ communities. They are the co-founder of Glittergasm Events, LLC, a Philadelphia-based queer play party company. They are the co-author of the book “It’s called Polyamory” Coming Out About Your Nonmonogamous Relationships. They are a writer who addresses issues of polyamory, cancer, sex education, and mental illness. Rebecca has spoken at CatalystCon East, West, and Midwest, Poly For All Seasons, AwesomeCon, Rocky Mountain Poly Living, Atlanta Poly Weekend, InfinityCon, Sex Down South, DragonCon, and Woodhull Sexual Freedom Summit. As always, they are working on their next book.
Non-Monogamy and Socio-Economic Class: Sustain Healthy Relationships within a Social Justice Framework
Andre Shakti (she/her)
4:30 PM | Cactus 1
Whether we want to admit it or not, the very ability to practice non-monogamy is a privilege, significantly impacted by socio-economic class. Despite what society would have us believe, we are neither more or less deserving of love and intimacy based on our financial capital. This concept alone can feel impossible to unlearn within a monogamous relationship structure; now, consider individuals who participate in alternative relationship structures that contain three or more individuals.
Within this course, we will seek to:
Discuss how and why non-monogamy benefits from wealth Identify the sacrifices that non-monogamous people make in order to onboard new partners and maintain consistent relationships.
Acknowledge the impact of capitalism on HOW we date, taking care to include specifications for marginalized communities and how capitalism tells them they're unworthy of relationships.
Discuss how we can move away from capitalist relationship models where funds hold the most perceived value.
Come up with non-monogamous dating "hacks" that are accessible to marginalized communities and work towards re-balancing the system.
Discuss alternative definitions of "value" that one can bring to a relationship, and how non-monogamous "families" can use creative divisions of labor based on what each individual uniquely brings to the table to create and sustain value, & more!
Andre Shakti (she/her) is a queer—white—cisgender—polyamorous educator, activist, performer and professional slut based in Baltimore, MD. She strips, she whips, and she likes dogs more than you.
SanctuaryTheClub.com | BaltimoreDominatrix.com | IAmPoly.net | @notandreshakti (IG) | @andreshakti (X) | OnlyFans.com/AndreShakti
The Playground At The Edge Of Pleasure And Possibility
James-Amutabi Connie Haines (he/they)
4:30 PM | Sabino
An embodied workshop centering the exploration of radical-self love and freedom dreaming. Our bodies are central to our freedom, pleasure, and possibility. The playground is an invitation to create the world we want to experience by claiming our embodied truths out loud. We do this through liberatory practices such as movement-based explorations, games, dance, talk-back practices, whole-body listening, consent, getting comfortable with uncertainty, and mindfulness practices. This is an opportunity to share our truths out loud in a safer space, a chance for our bodies and beliefs to be fully expressed, despite those that would silence us. This active claiming of one's voice is the key and core to our collective freedom and the manifesting power of our pleasure.
James-Amutabi Connie Haines (They/Them/He/Him) is a Baltimore born, Bay Area breed queer and questioning relationship anarchist of the people on lands currently called: Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo & Western Bantu, Benin, Togo, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Northwestern Europe and North America.
They are a multimodal artist, educator, facilitator, workshop leader, community organizer, guide, author, consultant, and cook. They are committed to taking the stories of their life, their vulnerability, and their creativity to choreograph, and re-story an ancient-futuristic human way.
James-Amutabi loves to inspire people into using their creative expression, their bodies, and their pleasure as a means by which to get free, and is committed to fostering compassionate communities and individuals that support adults and youth in realizing and reaching their fullest and most pleasurable potential.
The Breakup Blueprint: Compassionate Polyam Breakups (CEU)
Lilith Foxx (she/her) + Zach Budd (he/him)
4:30 PM | Riverpark Ballroom
In polyamory, breakups can get messy. The dissolution of a relationship can send waves through shared communities, leading to fragmented friendships, gossip, gatekeeping, and unease in adjacent relationships. This workshop aims to provide a holistic approach to handling breakups, from understanding the broader implications to practical steps in navigating the process sensibly. We’ll discuss creating kind exit strategies and contingency plans that prioritize mutual respect, clear communication, and community cohesion. Participants will leave equipped with tools and strategies to handle breakups gracefully, ensuring minimized fallout and compassionate understanding.
Lilithfoxx (she/her) is an accomplished Board-certified sexologist, educator, and professional speaker with a specialized focus on alternative sexuality, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion, and cultural competency in clinical, academic, and research settings. Presently, she is engaged in pursuing her AASECT Sexuality Educator certification, and is a student at The Kinsey Institute, demonstrating her commitment to the field and professional growth. Identifying as a BIPOC, Queer, and neurodivergent individual, Lilith brings a unique and valuable perspective to her work. This personal insight has been key in developing her specialty areas and contributing to a more inclusive conversation about sexuality and relationships. Lilith’s connection to alternative sexuality extends beyond her professional work. For over a decade, she has identified with kink and polyamorous communities, even stepping into the roles of community organizer and educator in these spaces for the past five years. She is also a skilled workshop facilitator, delivering sessions on relationships, sexuality, intimacy, and inclusion. Her workshops have reached global audiences through conferences around the world, ensuring a wide and diverse range of perspectives in her audience. Lilith draws on her experiences as a proud former sex worker to inform her professional approach and expertise, fostering a deeper understanding of the varied facets of sexuality. Her insights and expertise have been recognized and featured in major publications such as Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Glamour, Kinkly, Ask Men, Mashable, and many more.
Before her foray into sexuality education and consultancy, Lilith enjoyed a successful decade-long career in digital marketing. As a senior-level digital marketing director, SEO-specialist, web developer, and business consultant, she worked with businesses spanning from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. She continues to utilize these skills, providing marketing and business consulting services to sex-positive and adult-industry businesses.
Through her professional endeavors, Lilithfoxx continues to inspire, educate, and foster a more inclusive understanding of sexuality, relationships, and intimacy.
Zach Budd, LMSW is a self-proclaimed nerd, a sex geek, and a consent junkie. He has been actively polyamorous for at least 15 years and kinky for as long as he can remember. Zach is a consent educator, social worker, and mental health professional. He firmly believes that everyone has the right to their choice of how to “live, love and relate”. Zach lives, works, laughs, and loves in Houston, Texas where he enjoys listening to and playing music, advocating for his own and others’ self care, all things Star Trek, reading, gaming, hockey, cooking, cigars, bourbon, and is owned and loved by a spoiled rotten boxer named Jadzia. Zach is dedicated to his work in mental health and is currently working with people who identify among the LGBTQIA+ community and those in nonmonogamous and kinky relationship structures. Zach has served on polyamory and kink discussion panels, conducted workshops, participated in SAR panels for ISEE and other organizations, delivered keynote speeches, and recorded podcast episodes on the subjects of polyamory, consent and kink. He is also Liaison for the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and a proud member of the Board of Directors for Loving More. The nation’s oldest polyamory organization.
Sunday Workshops
The Healing Journey of Solo Polyamory (CEU)
Liz Newsom (she/they)
9:30 AM | Sabino
In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore common definitions related to solo polyamory (SoPo).
We’ll explore common misconceptions about SoPo, such as assumptions of loneliness or commitment-phobia.
We’ll discuss the idea of shifting the narrative around SoPo towards a more ideological perspective.
We'll look at how embracing SoPo as a means of personal growth and self-discovery can challenge societal norms and promote self-love, highlighting the potential for SoPo to be a platform for healing, where individuals can explore their needs, boundaries, and desires in a mindful and empowered way.
We’ll conclude by discussing practices and strategies for cultivating self-love within the context of SoPo, including self-care, self-reflection, and emotional intelligence and this actually improves our ability to connect with others.
Liz Newsom, LCSW, is a gender and sexuality affirming therapist in the Dallas area specializing in individuals who identify as kinky and/or consensually non-monogamous. She employs DBT, CBT, strengths based perspective, Feminist theory, EMDR & parts work to help her clients achieve their goals. She runs a private practice focused on providing a space for new therapists and social work students to learn sex positivity and inclusivity.
Additionally, she likes to find opportunities to provide community and professional education around sexuality based topics. In her free time she likes to spend time with her kids, time with partners, remodel her home & take road trips.
For more info visit: realisticexpectations.net
A Polyamory Devotional: Working with it
Evita "Lavitaloca" Sawyers
9:30 AM | Cactus 3
Join me as I read and reflect with some of my favorite excerpts of my book, “A Polyamory Devotional: 365 Daily Reflections for the Consensually Non-monogamous”. We will read several passages and answer the reflection questions as a group.
Evita “Lavitaloca” Sawyers is a black, queer, femme, ethical non-monogamy coach, speaker, educator, and author. She is the creator of “Today’s Polyamory Reminder,” which has inspired over 50,000 followers. She is the author of the newly released "A Polyamory Devotional-365 Daily Reflections for the Consensually Nonmonogamous".
Evita is also the subject of the groundbreaking polyamorous documentary “Poly-Love”. In her coaching and education, she specializes in navigating the transition from monogamy to non-monogamy, coping with jealousy, and articulating difficult emotions in healthy ways. She is appreciated for her candid shares about her own personal journey with nonmonogamy and her frank yet balanced and empathetic approach.
Write a User Manual All About YOU!
Mel Moseley (she/her)
9:30 AM | Riverpark Ballroom
Ever wish that people could get to know you on a deeper level more quickly? What if they had precise information about you and how you work in a way that could be referenced later as needed? Create your own User Manual to maximize the way others interact with you. You are a unique human being with specific emotional reactions, relational desires, intellectual needs, and physical/sexual proclivities. No one can know what those are unless you tell them. So, why not create your own User Manual? Your manual provides insight into the workings of your mind, heart, and body. The process of creating it allows you to think through exactly what it is that you want, need, and desire.
Mel has been practicing polyamory for more than 12 years. She created her own User Manual in 2018 after discovering that she had some quirks in her reactions and personality that might be more easily explained to current and potential partners in writing. In the process, she also learned a lot about herself! Her User Manual is a living document and is frequently updated. It’s been a catalyst towards getting her back to “Original Mel.” Find out more about her work at https://www.melaniemoseley.com/
Self-Abandonment in Non-Monogamy (CEU)
Marla (they/them)
9:30 AM | Cactus 1
Have you ever abandoned your own needs in order to maintain connection in a relationship? Have you ever felt internal or external pressure to self-abandon as part of participating in non-monogamy (NM)? In this workshop, we will discuss how the basics of attachment and trauma theories intersect with NM relationship dynamics. Participants will be invited to reflect upon the reasons we might abandon our authenticity in order to maintain connection in NM relationships.
Marla MSW, RSW (they/them) is a White, Queer, gender-defiant, neurodynamic, counsellor, and educator who has been practicing polyamory since 2005. They have been offering non-monogamy (NM) workshops and consultations in academic and professional settings as of 2009. Based in Toronto (Canada), their therapy practice centers the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ and NM identities and relationships. In 2020, as alternative relationship structures were expanding into mainstream popularity, Marla introduced @polyamarla as an accessible, anti-oppressive, intersectional resource on social media. PolyaMarla has since grown into a team effort that offers education, training, and consultation for those who are practicing, or interested in understanding NM for personal and professional development. You can find Marla on Instagram, TikTok, & Clapper @polyamarla, or check out their educational programming through polyamarla.com
Neurospicy and Polyamorous: Many Loves, Diagnoses, and Needs (CEU)
Rebecca Jay, LCSW (they/them)
11:15 AM | Cactus 1
Polyamory opens many pathways to exploring relationships to many people. Those explorations often help to connect us to individuals who have needs that can run counter to our own. Join us as we explore the ways we can prioritize needs, hold ourselves personally accountable without dismissing our relationship responsibility, and create spaces of mutual care and trust.
Rebecca Jay (they/them) is a social worker, therapist, and sex educator who works predominantly with the alt-sex, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ communities. They are the co-founder of Glittergasm Events, LLC, a Philadelphia-based queer play party company. They are the co-author of the book “It’s called Polyamory” Coming Out About Your Nonmonogamous Relationships. They are a writer who addresses issues of polyamory, cancer, sex education, and mental illness. Rebecca has spoken at CatalystCon East, West, and Midwest, Poly For All Seasons, AwesomeCon, Rocky Mountain Poly Living, Atlanta Poly Weekend, InfinityCon, Sex Down South, DragonCon, and Woodhull Sexual Freedom Summit. As always, they are working on their next book.
Activism For Introverts and Ambiverts
Sumter Freitag (they/them) + Yoseñio V Lewis (he/him)
11:15 AM | Cactus 3
Activists for Sexual Liberation come from all walks of life, from all ideologies, and temperaments. For those of us that identify as Introverts and Ambiverts, the cost of the social labor inherent in justice work may make activism inaccessible or unsustainable. This proves especially problematic when tied with other intersections in our worlds. In-group shaming and misunderstanding often keep introverted activists from practicing effective self-care or seeking support in their communities. This workshop aims to acknowledge the meaningful role of Introverts and Ambiverts, encourage their continued presence in activist circles, and grow their ability to nurture themselves so they can sustain their fight for justice. Through interactive discussion, small group exercises, and lecture the workshop will increase the skill sets of Introverts and Ambiverts to improve their ability to continue to show up for others without sacrificing themselves in the process.
Sumter/April Sumter-Freitag Sumter is an eighth generation Black Canadian with Mi'kmaq, Cherokee and Scottish ancestry living on the unceded Territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations. Sumter identifies as queer, nonbinary, polyamorous and brings their unique insight as a filmmaker, writer and performance artist, facilitator and mentor. Sumter’s lived experience informs and inspires their social justice work which centers anti oppressive practice supporting BIPOC, Trans Two Spirit, Gender Non Binary, Disability and Sex Work communities.
Yoseñio V. Lewis is a Latino of African Descent transman who has been a social justice activist since he was 13 years old. A consultant, health educator, speaker, trainer, facilitator, writer, performer, out poly and kinky person and a spiritual hugger, Yoseñio has been a panelist and keynote speaker at numerous universities and sexuality conferences. He was one of the inaugural honorees of The Trans 100 list.
Yoseñio is a member the Columbia University Community-Collaborative Advisory Board and a member of The Association of Black Sexologists and Clinicians. Yoseñio is a Certified Restorative Justice Practitioner and has completed the Introduction to the Principles of Kingian Nonviolence. He is on the faculty for the Sex Justice Track of the National LGBTQ Task Force Creating Change Conference.
Yoseñio is a Trans Patient Educator at Stanford University. Yoseñio has been featured in several documentaries about gender identity and the trans* experience. He is the founder of Written In The Flesh Erotic Readings (an on-stage opportunity for the lifting up of People of Color voices in Erotica and Sexual Liberation). Yoseñio is also an aspiring Voice Over Artist. Yoseñio believes that there can be no art without activism and no activism without art.
Building Queer Spiritual Community
Bex Mui (she/her)
11:15 AM | Riverpark Ballroom
As LGBTIA+ people, we are often called a “community.” But what does this look like in practice? When are we coming together, and how are we showing up for each other’s mental, emotional, and spiritual/energetic growth and wellness? In this workshop, Bex Mui, she/her, author of House Of Our Queer: Healing, Reframing, and Reclaiming Your Spiritual Practice, will share about the growing House Of Our Queer community along with a variety of “tools” for your spiritual toolbox including astrology, tarot, moon rituals, and reclaimed religious roots. Explore what tools might be right for your own current practice, and ways to strengthen your connections through community rituals.
*Note, this workshop will focus on queer community, but all who are seeking a queered-version of spiritual community are welcome*
Bex Mui, M. Ed, (she/her) is a biracial, Chinese & Polish, first generation, queer witch, certified energy worker, and spiritual organizer. In 2021, Bex founded House of Our Queer, dedicated to enhancing the spiritual health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community, and wrote House Of Our Queer: Healing, Reframing, and Reclaiming Your Spiritual Practice.
Bex worked in national LGBTQ+ advocacy from 2016-2021, where she was featured on CBS News for LGBTQ-Inclusive Sexual Health Advocacy and on the podcast Third Space for Queer and Trans Affirming Mental and Sexual Health Advocacy. Through House Of Our Queer, Bex hosts virtual and in-person workshops focused on ritual and reflection for self-growth. As a life-long educator, Bex brings her expertise in co-creating brave learning spaces and blending healing modalities, from Tarot cards to reclaimed religious roots, to meet the needs of her communities.
Connection, Openness, and Support through the Somatic Experience for Male Identified Folks (Trans Inclusive)
Jonathan Faxas Gutierrez (he/him)
11:15 AM | Sabino
In this workshop we will explore connection and openness with other men and how this impacts our Somatic experience. The Somatic approach involves bringing one's awareness into the body which often leads to greater intuition, presence, and embodied wisdom. We will begin with a guided meditation to center us and bring us into our bodies. Then, we will work together to create a container using consent, confidentiality, and comfort zones. We will be answering questions to explore what it feels like to share and listen deeply to each other. The questions allow to engage in what it looks and feels like to in Poly relationships and community as a male identified person. Being open with others is a powerful tool that can lead to more connection in all areas of life. During this process, I will also be guiding us into the body Somatically to support the discovery process. Somatics can help people get in touch with themselves and what is alive in them. I will also provide a few simple Somatic exercises that anyone can continue to practice.
Jonathan Gutierrez is an experienced ICF Credentialed group coach, facilitator, and somatic coach. In Jonathan’s work, his focus is to create awareness, acceptance, and vulnerability in the spaces that he facilitates. As a somatic coach, his mission is to support people in connecting somatically to their body’s wisdom, to be present with whatever arises, creating flow and clarity in their lives. His own transformation through work with men has led him to have a passion for helping men connect vulnerability to each other and eventually open up in all aspects of their lives. Some of his identities include Filipino, Cuban, Queer, Male, meditator, mechanical engineer, rock climber, and movement and flow enthusiast. He has his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida and worked in that field for 8+ years. He has completed his coach training with the Mindfulness Coaching School and has his ACC credential with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Learn more at JFGcoaching.com.
Closing Ceremony
Mikaela de la Myco (she/they)
12:45 PM | Riverpark Ballroom
In our closing ceremony, we will have a moment to reflect and share we each other on all of our journeys together over the weekend. We will return the water back to the land and close the container we have made together.
Mikaela de la Myco comes from a blended ancestry. Her ancestors come from southern italy, the caribbean and mexico and she uplifts their perspectives in the space of entheogens. In her everyday life, Mikaela serves as a mother, an educator, a folk herbalist, a community organizer and entheogen facilitator in occupied Kumeyaay & Luiseno territory, also known as San Diego, CA. She cares for all people with ancestral healing ways and holds special focus in serving small-businesses, cooperatives, non-monogamous people, psychedelic families, femmes and people seeking full-spectrum herbal womb care. She has collaborated as an educator and activist with hundreds of companies and organizations within the sacred earth medicine space and is well known as a maternal caretaker in the community. Her platforms, Mama de la Myco and the mushWOMB generate educational content that weaves the tapestry of medicine woman, psychedelic mother and sacred hoe. In all her creations, Mikaela de la Myco has made the commitment to rematriate entheogens by advocating for ethics and womb to tomb psychedelic literacy. Her most recent movement, Mothers of the Mushroom is an open source research and resources project meant to further permission the world into remembering that psychedelics are for families.