Date, Location Set For CatalystCon West

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.—CatalystCon, a conference designed to spark communication in sexuality, returns to the West Coast this fall, taking place Sept. 27-29 at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills, Calif. Founder Dee Dennis said the conference will bring together hundreds of sex educators, sex workers, health advicates, writers, activists and more for the event, which she describes as a “melting pot of sexuality.” CatalystCon West will feature 40 sessions and workshops on sexuality-based topics like "toxic toys," polyamory, sex work, homophobia in communities of color and feminist porn. CatalystCon is currently accepting proposals for sessions from anyone who has something to share and the desire to spark conversations in the realms of sexuality, activism and acceptance. Individuals, therapists, educators, media specialists, bloggers, activists, women's rights advocates, health professionals, or anyone with a passion for creating change is encouraged to submit a proposal. To find out more about becoming a speaker at CatalystCon West, visit catalystcon.com/call-for-speakers. The deadline for speaker submissions is May 15. “At CatalystCon, everyone is welcome, everyone is respected, and everyone is encouraged to share their knowledge and experiences,” Dennis said. “Everyone has something to offer, and the more participants, the better the experience—for everybody.” Author, sex educator and radio host Tristan Taormino will be bringing her radio show, Sex Out Loud (sexoutloudradio.com), to CatalystCon West and will be recording interviews with speakers and attendees in front of a live audience. She will also be presenting a pre-conference workshop Sex Educator Boot Camp on Friday. Both events were met with rave reviews at CatalystCon East and Taormino said she is thrilled to bring them to CatalystCon West. "CatalystCon brings together a vibrant, active group of sex-positive people from all different communities and industries," she said. "It's an exciting event that I just can't miss!"  The Closing Keynote Afternoon Tea with Dr. Joycelyn Elders will feature remarks from the former Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service under President Clinton, followed by an informal interview of Elders by Lynn Comella. "Last year I attended the inaugural CatalystCon West as a speaker. I'm thrilled to not only attend again this year, but to host an afternoon tea with one of my idols," said Comella, a women's studies professor at UNLV. "What I love most is that CatalystCon brings a diverse group of people together over the course of a weekend to discuss, debate and think about issues that matter deeply to many of us, from sex education and healthy relationships to sex worker rights and censorship." Four returning sponsors from CatalystCon East—Sportsheets International, Tantus Inc., Wet International and Sex Out Loud with Tristan Taormino—have already committed to sponsoring CatalystCon West.  "CatalystCon West 2013 will be our third CatalystCon sponsorship," said Tantus President and founder Metis Black. "Sponsorship at CatalystCon isn't a vending opportunity; it's a chance to talk with peers and experts, hear their voices and ideas and share common ground." For information on how to become a sponsor of CatalystCon, visit catalystcon.com/sponsor. Registration is now open at catalystcon.com/register. Early bird pricing is available until June 20.