Introduction
These awards recognize outstanding achievement in sex-positive culture and the fine arts on the West Coat. They were announced in August 2004.
Sex-Positive Culture
Community Development
Most Groundbreaking Established Organization
The Seattle Sex-Positive Community Center (Seattle)
This membership-based community center, founded in 1999, remains unique,
and through its combination of formal non-profit status, striving to serve
all of the different communities which comprise sex-positive culture in
its area, and organizing itself using a community center model in a
physical building completely devoted to its own use, has probably forever
changed what the phrase "sex club" can mean. Its volunteer program is
quite extensive and well-developed, resulting in a passionate loyalty
amongst a substantial percentage of its members. And, of course, through
its schedule of workshops, discussion groups, and guest speakers, it
serves a significant educational role. In our opinion this organization's
leadership role within sex-positive culture is well-deserved.
Most Groundbreaking New Organization
Love Tribe (Portland)
Some of the pivotal moments of sex-positive culture occur with the
creation of new events or organizations which (1) are truly fun and (2)
can be easily reproduced in other cities. Swing clubs were one such
example. So were the BDSM community's restaurant gatherings (aka
"munches"). The Seattle Sex-Positive Community Center may in time prove
to be another such example. However, we suspect that Love Tribe may
prove to be yet another, through its non-threatening and comforting focus
on touch and "snuggling" (though amidst open acceptance of much more)
within an altruistic context that distills from the spiritual sexuality
movement just the stuff that actually makes the average person more
comfortable. Love Tribe's August 2004 "Rapture" event, held in a rented
Portland ballroom with separate spaces for dancing, chilling out,
snuggling, and sex, was one of the most comfortable and fun sex-positive
events we've ever attended. Over 110 people were in attendance and the
event was organized in such a way that (as far as we could tell) nobody
felt left out. Remarkable.
Clubs
Best Swing Club
New Horizons (Seattle)
New Horizons remains, almost without doubt, the finest swing club in the
entire country: we have neither seen nor heard of anything which can
compare to its mansional building, thirteen acres of
beautifully-landscaped surrounding property, full-sized pool, multiple hot
tubs, and secluded setting. We believe this facility is worth
experiencing at least once (if only as a guest on a Saturday, or for a
Wednesday potluck) by every sex-positive person in our area, just to
expand your understanding of the quality of space which sex-positive
people are capable of creating and supporting together. New Horizons also
features a comfortable and healthy social environment, well-liked by both
women and men.
Best Gay and Bi Men's Sex Club
Eros (San Francisco) and Blow Buddies (San Francisco) [tie]
Both Eros and Blow Buddies have very good reputations, and are spoken of
with more pride and loyalty than any similar clubs we have heard of in any
other city. Eros features multiple floors and theme rooms, and has the
advantage of being conveniently located in the Castro district.
Professional massage and a steam room are available at Eros, along with a
video room. Blow Buddies is likewise very popular, being particularly
famous for its wide variety of theme nights. It features two levels, with
five play rooms and a backyard.
Best Pansexual Club
The Seattle Sex-Positive Community Center (Seattle)
"Pansexual" means open to all genders and orientations, and in this case
also means open to singles as well as partners. In this regard the SPCC
is probably an ideal place to start exploring sex-positive culture, since
you can contact them, attend an orientation, become a member, and start
attending whichever events you're comfortable with, all without needing an
"invitation" from somebody important, and all without attendance
restrictions on the basis of your gender (with the one exception of the
monthly men-only night and women-only nights, for which attendance is
allowed based on which gender is indicated on your legal ID). One of the
SPCC's most popular events is Grind, a sexy and sex-positive dance event
hosted on Thursday nights, and just as popular are their BDSM-focused Saturday
night events, for which high-quality slings and all of the popular forms
of bondage furniture are provided. However, events of various kinds are
hosted on almost every night of the week in their facility, in keeping
with their role as a sex-positive community center.
Largest Public Club
The Power Exchange (San Francisco)
This is the largest club in San Francisco, and probably one of the largest
in the entire country. Two floors are devoted to gay and bisexual men,
and two other floors are open to all genders and
orientations. This club has an amazing array of different theme rooms,
far more than one could hope to keep track of, which is fun in and of
itself. As a practical matter, please note that if you visit the
mixed-gender floors as a single male on a slow night (e.g. on a Thursday)
then you may be very, very unlikely to find a female play partner for the
evening: however, even so it's still worth visiting just to take in the
never-ending maze of strange, trippy theme rooms. We do have one request:
if you visit the mixed-gender floors of the Power Exchange on a slow night
then feel free to suggest to management that they offer a Laser Tag night
in their facility. We realize that's a silly thing for a sex club to do,
but given the extensive maze-like nature of their facility a laser tag
game in it would be so much fun that we'd like to see multiple people make
this suggestion just to maximize the chances it will
happen :)
Annual Events
Best Summer Outdoor Event
Paradise (Seattle)
This Labor Day weekend event, held at a beautiful private location near
Redmond, succeeds in demonstrating that folks from different parts of
sex-positive culture (e.g. SM folks and swingers) have much more in common
than separates them. It's a magical event in many ways, and the Seattle
Sex-Positive Community Center's best success to date at fulfilling the
inclusive nature of its mission. In 2004, it will be held over September 3-6.
Best Arts Event
Seattle Erotic Art Festival (Seattle)
This annual erotic art festival gathered national attention in 2004 for
the quality of its offerings. Some art is offered for display only, some
for sale, and some for auction. Represented are typically some of the
best erotic artists working today, though artists at any stage of their
careers are encouraged to submit their work to the festival committee for
consideration. In 2005, it will be held over April 15-17. Here's an insider tip: a good opportunity to see some of the erotic art which may be featured in any given year's Seattle Erotic Art Festival is to attend the participatory erotic arts happening The Little Red Studio, a unique and remarkable Seattle institution in its own right.
Best Leadership-Building Event
Building Bridges 2003 Conference (Seattle)
This annual event serves a similar role for the poly community as the
Leather Leadership Conference serves
for the Leather/BDSM Communities. As held in Seattle in 2003,
it was superb both as an educational event
and as a networking event for community organizers. In 2004 it will be held over October 15-17 in Massachusetts.
Most Promising New Event
Pacific Friction (Portland)
This new women-only (plus those in gender transition) sex-positive event
promises to be inclusive of both sex and BDSM. We wish them well and hope
their event is a success. In 2004 it will be held over October 8-10.
Education
Best Hotline
San Francisco Sex Information (San Francisco)
People anywhere can call the SFSI hotline at 1-415-989-7374 and get their questions
about sex answered in a respectful and professional manner, at no charge
other than the cost of the telephone call. For many
people this
could be just what the doctor ordered.
Best Traditional Workshop Series
Libido Events (Vancouver BC)
We were very impressed with the scope and frequency of events being
offered through Libido Events, as well as by their efforts to be inclusive
of both sex and BDSM, and by their efforts to offer some
community-building topics (e.g. their excellent presentation on
sex-positive resources in the Vancouver BC area). They have our respect.
Best Experiential Workshop Series
The Body Electric School (Multiple West Coast Locations)
In the area of experiential sex education, specifically on topics related
to "spiritual sexuality," nobody comes close to the Body Electric School.
Although their weekend workshops are by necessity fairly expensive,
they're well-taught and well thought-out.
Best Library
Pacific Northwest Library for Sex Positive Culture (Seattle)
This library, located in the Seattle Sex-Positive Community Center
building, covers both non-fiction (sex education, sexuality and gender
theory, history of sex-positive culture, etc.) as well as fiction
(erotica). Apart from university and research collections, which may not
have the same focus and may not be as accessible to the average person,
it's the only library of its kind, and probably will be until such time as
the Center for Sex and Culture in San Francisco
is able to secure a building for their own
collection.
Publishers
Best Heterosexual Sex Manual
Goofy Foot Press (Waldport, Oregon)
Everyone loves Goofy Foot Press's Guide to Getting it On!. It's one of
the best sex manuals we've found to date that's aimed at a het audience,
and it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a popular and solid
choice, though the only book Goofy Foot Press publishes.
Best Sex Education Series
Cleis Press (San Francisco)
This sex-positive publisher has a diverse catalog
covering theory, fiction, and practice. In particular, they're the
publishers of the Good Vibrations Guide to Sex, as well as the
highly-regarded "Ultimate Guide" series (covering topics ranging from anal
sex to oral sex to adult videos).
Best BDSM/Kink Education Series
Greenery Press (San Francisco)
Greenery Press has more of a BDSM/kink focus than Cleis Press, but within
the genre of BDSM how-to it's the undisputed champion. Books in their
catalog address techniques from the basic to the esoteric, and in
particular their new "Toybag Guide" series should prove to be a boon for
workshop leaders.
Shops (Brick-and-Mortar)
Best Sex Toy Store
Toys in Babeland (Seattle)
Although the venerable Good Vibrations deserves
serious kudos for the fantastic job they did refurbishing their web site
last year, and Womyn's Ware gets props both
for their bold decision to only carry silicone dildos as well as for
having the most informative print catalog in the industry, Toys in
Babeland takes the award this year on the basis of the excellent
Sex Toys 101 book that they published in late 2003, as well as for their
continued success at bringing our West Coast style to the East Coast
through their recently-opened New York branch.
Best BDSM Toy Store
Mr. S Leather Company (San Francisco)
When it comes to leathersex gear, nobody comes close to the famous Mr. S
Leather Company. It's a classic, one of those places where if you're a
BDSM enthusiast visiting San Francisco you'll almost certainly want to visit.
Best Men's Leather and Latex Fashion Store
Mr. S Leather Company (San Francisco)
Best Women's Leather Fashion Store
Stormy Leather (San Francisco)
Best Women's Latex Fashion Store
Madame S (San Francisco)
Best Corset Store
Dark Garden (San Francisco)
Porn
Best Het Video Series
Shane's World (Chatsworth, California)
There's very little het porn out there that we'd consider "sex-positive,"
and the stuff that is sometimes tries so hard to be politically correct
that it's no longer fun. Granted, the "Shane's World" series (mixed
gender) and "Slumber Party" series (all-female) by this company aren't
perfect, but they often have a lighthearted, fun, and seemingly authentic
feel, one that reminds us at least a little bit of sex as we usually think
of it. Shane (a female director) and her friends genuinely seem to be
having fun portraying real sex, and as such take this award. You can click here to see a list of rentable Shane's World films, and here to see a list of rentable Slumber Party films.
Best "Real Partners" Video Series
Miller's Work (Seattle)
If what you want to see is footage of people who are partners in real life
having sex the way they normally have sex, then you're going
to have a tough time reliably finding that in mainstream or even "amateur"
porn. If you own a book such as The Ultimate Guide to
Adult Videos from Cleis Press then you at least have a chance of finding the rare adult
film that happened to feature professional actors who were partners at the
time, but if that's ALL you want, then the "Real Couples" and "Real
Girlfriends" series from Miller's Work are what you need.
Best Gay Video Series
Daddy Oohhh (Seattle)
This producer get kudos, and ultimately this award, both for his foresight
in working with new (and possibly rising star) actors such as Nick Stone,
as well as for his philosophies of "affirming the fundamental goodness of
sexuality in human life" and restoring the "romantic, alluring, and
seductive aspects of our sexuality" to porn. His films are often playful,
featuring men you could imagine meeting in real life, and are popular both
with women who like gay porn as well as with gay men. Good work.
Best Lesbian Video Series
S.I.R. Productions (San Francisco)
S.I.R. Productions previously won awards for "Hard Love" and "Bend Over
Boyfriend", and this year saw their release of "Talk to Me Baby: A Lover's
Guide to Dirty Talk and Role Play." They seem to do education and porn
equally well, and have plenty of fans. You can expect real bodies and
real orgasms in their films, of course. Good work.
Best Way to Rent Videos
Bluedoor (Santa Clara, California)
Unless you're fortunate enough to live within driving distance of an adult video store that
really cares about their work, and takes care to stock the latest
and best titles, then you're probably going to
be better off renting your adult DVD's by mail. Bluedoor won our
attention a while ago for the same reason they're winning this award now:
the strength of their sex education collection, which no other online
adult video rental store (and we doubt many brick-and-mortar adult video
rental stores) can match.
Best Het Erotic Comics
Studio Foglio (Seattle)
The sheer sense of fun brought to the XXXenophile comics exceeds that of
any other erotic comics we've found to date. New issues are no longer
being made, but all of the old issues have been made available in a series
of bound collections. The artwork is high-quality, and some of the
storylines are very erotic (our favorite was the one about the "Sex
Olympics"). To purchase the six XXXenophile collections, you can use the following links: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
and 6.
Best BDSM/Kink Graphic Novels
Michael Manning (San Francisco)
The quality of artwork in Michael Manning's graphic novels, and the creativity
behind them, are both top-notch. Where the XXXenophile comics
focus on common sex fantasies with a sci-fi twist, Michael Manning's work
focuses on fantasy worlds with a stylized kink
twist. To purchase the graphic novels that Michael Manning has published so far, you can use the following links: 1, 2,
3, 4, and 5 (the first four are part of a series, the fifth is a stand-alone novel and more het-focused).
Best Het Web Site
Suicide Girls (Portland)
This is one of the few erotic web sites that we've ever heard people who
consider themselves part of the real-life sex-positive community admit
they'd paid money to join. Its unique characteristic is the unusual
degree to which everyone associated with the site, from the models to the
owners to the people who pay money to join it, seem like they're part of a
"community," and are all having fun with it. We hope more porn sites like
this one get created in the same spirit for other audiences. [Note: The
special focus of this site is on models who dress and live in a "gothic"
style - the "Suicide" part of their site's name is a gothic reference, and
not an allusion to actual suicide.]
Best BDSM/Kink Web Site
Hell's Elevator (Portland)
Moving to the other end of the spectrum we find Hell's Elevator, founded
by a well-respected BDSM expert, and now featuring some of
the best extreme BDSM/kink imagery to be found on the net. This
site takes a very different approach to Suicide Girls (e.g. you probably
won't find any blogs), but nevertheless, other than dating sites such as
bondage.com it's one of the few web sites we've ever heard
someone who participates in the real-life BDSM community admit they'd paid
money to join.
Gay, Lesbian, and Bi Resources
Best Publisher
Alyson Publications (Los Angeles)
A long-standing GLBT publisher, Alyson Publications' catalog covers
culture, sex information, erotica, and many other topics.
Best Travel Guides
Damron Company (San Francisco)
The Damron Men's Travel Guide and Women's Traveler continue to be the best
gay and lesbian travel guides out there. New editions come out each year,
as they have since 1964.
Best Bookstore
Beyond the Closet (Seattle)
Beyond the Closet gets the nod this year for the wide range of their GLBT
book and magazine selection. They're conveniently located just a
block away from Toys in Babeland on Capitol Hill, Seattle's most
gay-friendly neighborhood.
Most Impressive Community Center
The Center (San Francisco) and Seattle LGBT Community Center (Seattle) [tie]
The Center in San Francisco has a magnificent building and a particularly
strong array of monthly classes and workshops, while the Seattle LGBT
Community Center (founded only a few years ago) has done a particularly
good job networking with other local community organizations, and has
offered some terrific film screenings and other special events over the
last year.
Transgender Resources
Most Promising New Health Resource
Verbena Trans Health Fair (Seattle)
Verbena, whose mission is to "build vibrant communities for lesbians,
bisexual and queer women, and transgendered individuals through health
advocacy, education, support services, and access to care," decided in
2003 to strengthen their commitment to creating health-related services
for both MTF and FTM transgendered communities. One of the results will
be their first Trans Health Fair on October 16, 2004.
Most Promising New Conference
FTM: A Gender Odyssey (Seattle)
Scheduled for September 3-6, 2004, the powerful lineup of speakers and
topics bodes well for the success of this conference. It has our best
wishes for success.
The "No-Time-Like-the-Present" Awards
The Event We Most Wish We'd Had a Chance to Attend Before it Was Canceled
Darkness Falls (San Francisco)
We hadn't heard of anything even remotely like this event being hosted
anywhere on the West Coast until it was too late. We give it a belated
award on principle, in the hopes that someone on the West Coast will
successfully revive it :)
To Find Everything Else
After reading about something intriguing in another city, you may be
interested in learning what's most similar to it in your own.
With that in mind, we've prepared for your reference full guides to all of
the sex-positive community organizations that we know of in Seattle,
Vancouver BC,
Portland,
and San Francisco.
For other cities, see our guide to finding similar organizations
anywhere else in the United States.
Arts and Entertainment
Dining
Best Weekday All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Lunch
Benihana (Seattle) and Tanpopo (Vancouver BC) [tie]
Best All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Dinner
Sushi-ten (Seattle)
Best Burrito
Gordito's Healthy Mexican Food (Seattle)
Film
Best Brick-and-Mortar Video Rental Store
Scarecrow Video (Seattle)
Best Rent-by-Mail Video Rental Store
Netflix (Multiple West Coast Distribution Centers)
Music
Best Classical Music Ensemble
San Francisco Symphony (San Francisco)
Best Experimental Music Facility
Audium (San Francisco)
Best Outdoor Music Venue
Gorge Amphitheatre (George, Washington)
Best Internet Radio Station
KEXP (Seattle)
Best Record Shop
Amoeba Music (San Francisco)
Visual Arts
Best Art Museum
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco)
Theatre
Best Improvisational Theatre
Unexpected Productions (Seattle)
Books
Best Public Library
Seattle Public Library: Central Library (Seattle)
Best Bookstore
Powell's Books (Portland)
Relaxation
Best Massage Supply Store
All You Knead (Seattle)
Best Place to Meditate
San Francisco Zen Center (San Francisco)
Best Women-Only Relaxation Spot
Olympus Women's Spa (Lakewood, Washington) and Osento (San Francisco) [tie]
Outdoor Fitness
Best Extended Hike
Mount Rainier National Park (Ashford, Washington)
Best Day Hike
Muir Woods (Mill Valley, California)
Best Outdoor Recreation Organization
The Mountaineers (Seattle)
Annual Events
Best Science Fiction Convention
Norwescon (Seattle)
Best Hippie Gathering
Oregon Country Fair (Veneta, Oregon)
Acknowledgments
Thanks are extended to the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom,
the American Civil Liberties Union,
and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America
for helping defend the basic civil
freedoms which sex-positive culture relies on.
Thanks are also extended to the annual Leather Leadership Conference
and Building Bridges Conference
for helping train sex-positive culture's
next generation of organizers.
And finally, thank you to the internet radio stations KEXP,
KUAT, and XTC Radio London
for providing such fantastic music while we
pulled all this together.
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