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The following Press Releases and Articles on NACB 2001 are currently available:

All of these writings may be freely copied and distributed at will.


PRESS RELEASE

NACB 2001 Announces Keynote Speakers

The First North American Conference on Bisexuality, Gender and Sexual Diversity (NACB 2001) is proud to announce as its honored keynote speakers, pioneering transgendered activist and author, Kate Bornstein, and eminent 'guerilla theologian', Eliyahou Farajajé. Don't miss out on this exhilarating opportunity to experience the immeasurable diversity of our bi and gender-diverse communities. Be sure to attend NACB 2001 in Vancouver, Canada (August 9-12,2001), and add your voice to those of our community's prominent figures!

Kate Bornstein, revolutionary author of groundbreaking and influential works on gender and gender identity ("Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us", and "My Gender Workbook") is a prominent figure in the international queer community. As a performance artist and activist, Kate Bornstein has brought the realities of her own personal transgendered journey to the lives of countless individuals across the globe. Her books are currently taught in over 120 colleges and university programs around the world, and performance pieces such as "Hidden: A Gender", "The Opposite Sex is Neither", "Virtually Yours", "Cut'n'Paste", and "y2kate: gender virus 2000" have challenged audiences across the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Austria.

Born and raised as a male, but 'becoming a woman' in adulthood, Bornstein has an intimate understanding of the complexities of gender. After changing into a woman, Bornstein realized that, 'being a woman didn't work for me any better than being a man had worked.' Her solution to this challenging realization was to 'stop being a woman, and settle into being neither.'

Exciting, engaging and encaptulating to watch, Kate Bornstein is a living testament to the strength and enduring spirit of our transgendered, gender-diverse communities. Kate is not to be missed!

Rev. Dr. Eliyahou Farajajé, Dean of the Faculty and professor of History and Sociology of Religion at the Starr King School for the Ministry, is a captivatingly evocative and cosmopolitan personality. As a religious and cultural scholar with broad international experience, Farajajé has actively advocated a radically different future, one in which there is, in his words, 'true unity and diversity'. Imagining a multiplicity of ways of being a spiritual and open-minded person, Farajajé has committed himself to the development of spaces in which people may 'celebrate the multiplicity and diversity of our identities, of our lives'.

Farajajé holds a doctorate in theology from the University of Bern, and a master's of Divinity from St. Vladimir's Eastern Orthodox Seminary. His scholarly works include "In Search of Zion", a book of essays he co-edited entitled "African Creative Expressions of the Divine" and "Breaking Silence: Towards and In-the-Life Thea/ology", an essay published in "Black Theology, Volume II".

An out-spoken bisexual, and electrifying speaker, Eliyahou Farajajé is an inspirational voice for our diverse community that most certainly must not be missed.

NACB 2001 is facilitated by a coalition of members from the Bisexual Network of British Columbia (BiNetBC), in cooperation with individuals and organizations from our community. NACB 2001 will take place at the University of British Columbia Conference Centre in Vancouver, Canada on August 9-12, 2001. For more specific information on content, on how to register, to volunteer or submit a workshop proposal, visit the conference website at:

http://bi.org/~binetbc/2001

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PRESS RELEASE

NACB 2001 Announces 'Sexuality' Workshops

The First North American Conference on Bisexuality, Gender and Sexual Diversity (NACB 2001) is pleased to announce two dynamic and evocative workshops to be included within its upcoming 'Sexuality' program entitled, 'How to Have a Gender-Free Orgasm' and 'Sex Positivity for Bi Folks'. Facilitated by sex educators Barbara Carrellas and Charlie Glickman, these two stimulatingly informative workshops are sure to entice both body and spirit to celebrate a uniquely 'bi and genderless' eroticism. Be sure not to miss out on this opportunity, come to Vancouver (Canada) August 9-12, 2001 and be a part of the adventure!

Recently recognized by 'Time Out Magazine' as the "Best Tantric Sex Seminar Leader in New York City", performance artist and sex positivist Barbara Carrellas offers a humourous and holistic introduction to the "energy orgasm" in her fun, yet practical workshop, 'How to Have a Gender-Free Orgasm'. Drawing from a wide range of personal experiences from Quodoushka and metaphysics, to performance, Reiki, rebirthing, Tantra, Tao and erotic massage, Carrellas will provide participants with an opportunity to explore the playful, powerful, genderless and omnisexual power of breath and pleasure in a safe, no-nudity, no-touch environment.

Co-founder of 'Erotic Awakening', a pioneering series of workshops on the spiritual and healing powers of sex, Carrellas has been featured in film ('Sacred Sex'), television (the HBO special, 'Real Sex', and a SkyChannel documentary entitled, 'Sex in America'), and video ('Selfloving', 'The Sluts & Goddesses' video workshop, and 'Zen Pussy'). She has written numerous articles on sex, and has lectured at universities and colleges across the U.S.

In 'Sex Positivity for Bi Folks', Human Sexuality specialist Charlie Glickman offers a challenging, yet practical and enticing workshop exploring the historical and cultural roots of erotophobia (the fear of sex), and the roles sex-negativity plays in maintaining biphobias throughout our cultures. As a sex educator at 'Good Vibrations' (California), Glickman is convinced that sex-negativity, in particular, has very specific consequences for bisexuals, "both in our relationships with eachother, and in the ways mainstream and gay/lesbian communities interact with bi communities." By addressing our own internalized sex-negativity, as well as making connections between societal homophobia, biphobia and erotophobia, Glickman intends to transform our fears into a 'no-holds-barred' celebration of the erotic.

Glickman has published articles on sexuality, and has presented workshops at the PantheaCon and Loving More conferences. He holds a master's degree in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Sexuality, and is currently working towards a doctorate exploring issues of erotophobia.

We are pleased to include Barbara Carrellas and Charlie Glickman as a part of the First North American Conference on Bisexuality, Gender and Sexual Diversity.

NACB 2001 is facilitated by a coalition of members from the Bisexual Network of British Columbia (BiNetBC), in cooperation with individuals and organizations from our community. NACB 2001 will take place at the University of British Columbia Conference Centre in Vancouver, Canada on August 9-12, 2001. For more specific information on content, on how to register, to volunteer or submit a workshop proposal, visit the conference website at:

http://bi.org/~binetbc/2001

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PRESS RELEASE

Landmark Conference Explores Diverse Sexualities

Whether you are omnisexual, bisexual, clearly pansexual, or something else entirely "in-between", the First North American Conference on Bisexuality, Gender and Sexual Diversity (NACB 2001) has something to offer for everyone. Are you inquisitive and curious about the diversities of desire and sexual orientation, or perhaps the incredible variances of gender? For the "newly bisexual", the "pioneering bisexual", for the confused, the confident, the "genderless", or the "gender-variant" --- it need not matter, whoever you are --- something will most definitely strike your fancy. Find your way to Vancouver (Canada) on August 9-12, 2001 and explore the unique diversities of sexual orientation and gender at this landmark international forum; a stimulating and exhilarating opportunity to experience and share in the fluid lives of North America's queer communities.

To entice and challenge the bisexual in all of us, NACB 2001 includes a diverse program of academic and interactive social-support workshops that explore and examine the complexities of bisexual identity and biphobias. The diversity of self-identified labels within the bisexual community, for example, including those who express identities "beyond labels", has increasingly come to the attention of researchers. In investigating issues of sexual orientation, Blaise Astra Parker and Heather Adams, under the direction of Layli Phillips, Assistant Professor of Women's Studes at Georgia State University, have noticed a propensity for some self-identified bisexuals to describe a discomfort with labeling and/or thinking in binaries. They are convinced this same discomfort suggests that some individuals are, "drawn to bisexuality due to a world view, rather than a sexual orientation". In a panel setting that will be of interest to anyone concerned with the theoretical and social complexities of identity identification within the bisexual community, Parker, Adams and Phillips will share the results of their research, examining its implications in the light of contemporary theoretical movements.

Dr. Phillips is a noted expert on developmental and liberation psychology, philosophy and women's studies. She has published articles in "Signs", "The Journal of Black Psychology", and "History of Psychology", as well as contributing essays in "Good Girls/Bad Girls: Women, Sex, Violence and Power in the Nineties" (Rutgers), and "Looking Queer: Body Image and Identity in the Lesbian, Bisexual and Gay Communities" (Haworth). Phillips currently teaches courses in Black feminism and womanism, the African-American lesbian and gay experience, the psychology of women, and feminist methodology. Parker and Adams are graduate students in the Lifespan Developmental Psychology Doctoral Program at the University of Georgia. Parker's study of bisexuality and Internet use, and Adam's qualitative study of gay, lesbian and two-spirited American Indians, are scheduled to be completed sometime in 2001.

Fritz Klein, author of the "Bisexual Option", Editor of the "Journal of Bisexuality", and a pioneer in the formation of bisexual communities, will present two lecture-workshops during the conference. In the first, Klein offers an introductory survey to the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid, a noted scale of classification that seeks to identify the variables of sexual orientation, including three types of bisexuality. In a second workshop, Klein will discuss the phenomenon of the married bisexual man, a previously "hidden bisexual" that has only just begun to emerge and show a presence on the Internet.

The position (or rather absence) of bisexuals/bisexuality in formal sociological analysis will be examined in a workshop entitled, "Overstepping the Bounds: Bisexuality, Gender and Socioogical Analysis". Facilitator, Michelle K. Owen, Assistant Professor in the Sociology Deparment at the University of Winnipeg, and a specialist in Sex and Gender Relations, will draw on her own experience as a researcher and a teacher to examine instances of exclusion and biphobia in the field of sociology.

"Overstepping the Bounds" represents a continuation of Owen's personal interest in examining those sexualities which upset the easy dichotomization of gender, an area she began to explore with her doctoral dissertation on the struggle for same-sex spousal relationship recognition in Ontario and Canada (University of Toronto).

For the curious, or "newly bisexual", a number of coming-out support groups will be available during the conference, including a special workshop by BiNet BC founder Colin Upright. An experienced, long-time bisexual activist and community organizer in British Columbia, Upright will facilitate a discussion on the diversities of gender, sexual orientation and desire. Whoever you feel you are, it need not matter: you are sure to find support and empowerment.

NACB 2001 is facilitated by a coalition of members from the Bisexual Network of British Columbia (BiNetBC), in cooperation with individuals and organizations from our community. NACB 2001 will take place at the University of British Columbia Conference Centre in Vancouver, Canada on August 9-12, 2001. For more specific information on content, on how to register, to volunteer or submit a workshop proposal, visit the conference website at:

http://bi.org/~binetbc/2001

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PRESS RELEASE --- For Immediate Release

Bisexual Spiritualities Find Voice at NACB 2001

The First North American Conference on Bisexuality, Gender and Sexual Diversity (NACB 2001) is proud to announce three new "cross-faith" spirituality workshops to be facilitated and presented by Phillip Andrew Bernhardt-House and Pashta M.A.R. MaryMoon. Whether you are spiritually-curious, a devoted theologian, or something entirely in-between, you will want to make your way to NACB 2001 in Vancouver, Canada on August 9-12, 2001. Come and explore the powerful potential of "uniquely bisexual" spiritualities in an exhilarating west-coast setting, amongst the many inspiring and provocative voices of the North American queer community.

In the first of two workshops, Phillip Andrew Bernhardt-House will present, "Serving Two Masters: Bisexual Theological Foundations", an interactive discussion and exploration on the future constructive potentiality of a purely bisexual theology. Drawing on his experience as a minister of the Universal Life Church with an M.A. in religious studies, Bernhardt-House will pose such fundamental questions as, "Why has bisexuality been ignored in both straight and queer theologies?" and, "What might the essential methods of a bisexual theology look like?"

In a second workshop entitled, "Sexualizing Spirituality: An Introduction to Sacred Sexuality", Bernhardt-House will lead a seperate discussion on the fundamental principles of sacred sexual practice. By addressing such topics as breathwork and energy centers, Bernhardt-House will attempt to foster an understanding of what is really necessary for the terms "sacred" and "sex" to be prescribed to particular practices.

A passionate and driven individual, Bernhardt-House describes himself easily as a "polyamorous, metagendered spiritualist/pagan and post-Christian bisexual theologian". He is fascinated by the appearance of sexual and gender diversity throughout our human culture, and is currently attending University College, Cork (Cork, Ireland), where he plans to explore a Ph.D. dissertation on sexual and gender diversities in Irish, Welsh and French Literature.

For the ritually-inclined, Pashta M.A.R. MaryMoon, a practicing Universalist Quaker/Witch, and elder of the Kairosean tradition, will facilitate a formal, all/no-faith Wiccan ritual entitled, "Being Spiritually Bi: Each one of us as a 'Daughter of the Goddess' and 'Son of the God'". This ritual-based workshop will focus on fostering and bringing alive a feeling of both the Goddess and God within ourselves, no matter what sexual identity or gender(s) we may feel we are inside.

MaryMoon is the author of numerous articles on Wicca, Universalism and spiritual "psycheology", including the article, 'I am Goddess and God: Therefore, I am Bi', published in the anthology, "Blessed Bi Spirit: Bisexual People of Faith". She holds an honours degree in World Religion and religious psychology from Carleton University (Ottawa), and a lay degree in Metaphysical Christianity from the Unity School of Christianity (Missouri).

Stay tuned for more information as this landmark event in the North American queer community approaches opening day. Don't hesitate to book your plans, or before you know it will be too late!

NACB 2001 is facilitated by a coalition of members from the Bisexual Network of British Columbia (BiNetBC), in cooperation with individuals and organizations from our community. NACB 2001 will take place at the University of British Columbia Conference Centre in Vancouver, Canada on August 9-12, 2001. For more specific information on content, on how to register, to volunteer or submit a workshop proposal, visit the conference website at:

http://bi.org/~binetbc/2001

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PRESS RELEASE

NACB 2001 Explores Bisexual Community Activism

Learning to build organizations and communities that are visible and effective is perhaps one of the most important steps in garnering support for the bisexual agenda. The First North American Conference on Bisexuality, Gender and Sexual Diversity 2001 (NACB 2001) --- set to be held in Vancouver (Canada) on August 9-12, 2001 --- is pleased to include within its program five engaging and alluring workshops with this very goal in mind. Designed by Barry Saiff, Wayne Bryant, Dana Shaw, Robyn Ochs and the 'Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation', these five enticing and informative workshops are sure to encourage and stimulate the eager (though tired) activist in all of us. Amid the anticipated national meetings of both BiNet USA and BiNet Canada, these interactive workshops offer open access to the knowledge of our communities' organizational leaders. Find your way to Vancouver, this summer: come and learn how to make your uniquely queer lives seen, heard and understood!

International bisexual activists will not want to miss Barry Saiff, Chair of the BiNet USA Interim Steering Committee, as he presents a discussion on the ongoing challenges of BiNet USA. As an active member of BiNet USA since 1992, Saiff has had firsthand experience of the organizational challenges confronting BiNet USA over the last ten years. While he recognizes that BiNet USA has made significant mistakes in its evolution as a national bisexual organization in the U.S., Saiff attributes the successes of the organization to the very tough lessons these mistakes have generated. Saiff will discuss the decade-long evolution of BiNet USA in some detail, sharing the mistakes and lessons the organization has experienced in that time. Opportunities for dialogue between participants on what works best for a nationally-based organization will be readily available.

As Chair of the BiNet USA Interim Steering Committee, Saiff has worked to redevelop BiNet USA into a stable, nationally-funded organization with paid staff and administrators, soliciting memberships and creating fundraising opportunities. Saiff has acted in the past as co-producer of the 1993 National Conference Celebrating Bisexuality in Washington, DC, then the largest-ever conference on bisexuality, with over 600 participants.

More localized bisexual activists and community organizers will not want to miss an opportunity to exchange ideas on promoting, advertising and funding local bisexual community groups. In an interactive workshop facilitated by Wayne Bryant, participants will have an opportunity to discover and pinpoint useful ways of expanding membership in bisexual community organizations. Bryant is recognized within the bisexual community as a former President of the Bisexual Resource Center and co-founder of Biversity Boston --- a community bisexual organization with over 700 members.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) --- described by the Los Angeles Times as "possibly the most successful organization lobbying for LGBT inclusion in the media" --- will present their renowned 'MediaEssentials' workshop at NACB 2001. Facilitated by Ragan Rhyne, 'Education Services Manager' at GLAAD, this workshop introduces participants to the concepts and practices of concise message development, press release writing, sound bite development and on-camera interviewing skills in an interactive and vital manner.

Rhyne, who holds a Master's degree from New York University in Cinema Studies, with a focus in LGBT media, has over four years of experience in non-profit fundraising and public relations. She brings with her the far-reaching and influential media savvy developed by members of GLAAD since 1985, when its mission to combat violence and discrimination against gays and lesbians began with protests against blatantly offensive and sensationalized stories about AIDS in the New York media.

In the past decade, GLAAD has evolved into a national, multi-million dollar organization in the U.S., "dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representations of individuals and events in all media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation." GLAAD has become a major source of information in both the entertainment and news medias since its humble beginnings in New York City, and has since challenged the opinions of millions through newspaper, magazine, motion picture and television visibility campaigns.

In a practical workshop entitled, 'BiNet: The Internet as a Visibility Tool', Dana Shaw of the Bisexual Women of Toronto and BiNet Canada, shares personal knowledge and expertise on how to utilize the Internet to maintain and develop bisexual communities. Shaw suggests ways participants may take best advantage of the power of new technologies to influence the social and political development of their bisexual communities. By sharing practical knowledge of IRC, email groups and forums, eb design and maintenance, Shaw provides participants with the tools needed to begin taking full advantage of the potential of the Internet.

In a final workshop, Robyn Ochs presents a discussion on avoiding activist burnout. As an active organizer in the bisexual community, Ochs is well-practiced in the arts of time and energy management. She will share her knowledge and expertise in an interactive workshop well-suited to activists of all types.

Co-founder of the Boston Bisexual Women's Network, and the East Coast Bisexual Network, Ochs also teaches courses on bisexual and transgendered identity and is the editor of the 'Bisexual Resource Guide 2000', the 'Bisexual Resource Guide' (1995 and 1996), and the 'International Directory of Bisexual Groups' (11 editions, 1987-94). Her writings have been published in several anthologies, including 'Bi Any Other Name: Bisexuals Speak Out' (Kaahumanu & Hutchins, ed.), and 'Bisexuality: A Reader and Sourcebook' (Geller, ed.). Ochs has also appeared as an expert on bisexuality on numerous talk shows, including Donohue, Rolanda, Maury Povich, and the Shirley Show (Canada).

For more specific information on conference content, on how to register, volunteer or submit a workshop proposal, please visit the conference website at:

http://bi.org/~binetbc/2001

NACB 2001 is facilitated by a coalition of members from the Bisexual Network of British Columbia (BiNetBC), in cooperation with individuals and organizations from our community. NACB 2001 will take place at the University of British Columbia Conference Centre in Vancouver, Canada on August 9-12, 2001.

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We're Coming Together! A Report on the First North American Conference on Bisexuality, Gender and Sexual Diversity (NACB 2001)

Three years ago, a small, but boisterous contingent of Canadian bi-folks traipsed off across the Canada-USA border to attend the 5th International Conference on Bisexuality (Boston, MA), returning home with a task to host the inaugural North American Conference on Bisexuality. Months, now years, have passed since that landmark moment, and the conference is promising to become a watershed event in the lives of queer, bisexual and gender-variant persons everywhere. Prominent speakers now include pioneering transgendered activist and author, Kate Bornstein; the electrifying 'guerilla theologian' Eliyahou Farajeje; Intersex Society of Canada founder, Doctor Morgan Holmes; editor of the Bi Resource Guide, Robyn Ochs; and Lani Kaahumanu, co-editor of the ground-breaking anthology, Bi Any Other Name. Exciting events to anticipate include a Dance, community vendor fair, films and cultural performances to suit almost every taste, a Bi/Trans "Art Auction" and "Community Mural Project", a BDSM play party, the formal meetings of both BiNet USA and BiNet Canada, and --- with well over forty workshops already confirmed in subjects ranging from recent bi theory to polyamory and the 'genderless orgasm'--- an immense variety of workshops to scintillate and challenge anyone. Timed perfectly to coincide with Vancouver's Pride and Queer Film Festivals, NACB 2001 is the ideal get-away for the queer-at-heart!

Come to Vancouver and be a part of this landmark event in our community!!

Herein follows a sample of specific workshops you can expect to see (Note: workshop listings are subject to change. For a complete, updated listing, check the conference website at http://bi.org/~binetbc/2001):

New Research
For the academically-inclined, Michelle K. Owen from the Department of Sociology at the University of Winnipeg presents, Overstepping the Bounds: Bisexuality, Gender and Sociological Analysis, a paper drawing on her experience as a researcher and teacher to examine instances of exclusion and biophobia in the field of sociology.

Further research on the diversity of self-identified labels within the bisexual community is presented by Blaise Astra Parker, Heather Adams, and Dr. Layli Phillips of Georgia State University. In investigating issues of sexual orientation, Parker and Adams ave noticed a propensity for some bisexuals to describe a discomfort with labeling and/or thinking in binaries, prefering to describe an identity "beyond labels". Parker, Adams and Phillips share their research in a panel setting of interest to anyone concerned with the theoretical and social complexities of identity identification within the bisexual community.

Jean M. Lynch, Associate Professor Sociology at Miami University, presents research from her ongoing study of the coming out process for GLB stepfamilies, gay/lesbian/bisexual families that bring children into a relationship from a prior heterosexual relationship. Her research with thirty families show that coming out in this particular family structure is a unique process, "that cannot be understood within the contraints of earlier individualistic coming out models."

Fritz Klein, author of the Bisexual Option, and Editor of the Journal of Bisexuality, discusses the phenomenon of the "bi married man", demonstrating the existence of a "previously hidden bisexual" that has begun to emerge and show a presence on the Internet.

Exploring Community Organizations
In an exhilarating panel discussion entitled, Playing Well With Others: Unlearning Genderism as an Organizing Tool, members of the Akron Area Pride Collective give insight into their community's successful integration of LGBT voices into an inclusive "brick and mortar" community centre that has fostered opportunities for people to learn about gender and unlearn "genderism". Members of this community share and discuss specific programs and policies undertaken by their centre to help foster and normalize diversity within the Akron Metropolitan Area.

In two other community-based workshops, the Vancouver Bisexual Women's Group explores and identifies the needs of a bi women's community, while Pierrette La Roche --- director of a queer youth centre in Westmount, Quebec --- explores the nature of young bisexuals' support needs in comparison to that of other queer youth.

Relationships
Linda Fraser, a practicing psychologist, and one-half of the first legally married lesbian couple in Canada (also subject of the film, Two Brides and a Scalpel), presents a participatory exploration of the issues in open relationships, using Integrative Psychotherapy techniques such as psychodrama to give participants an immediate experience of the practical needs in polyamorous relationships.

Arts & Culture
The videophile will anticipate three scintillating workshops exploring images of bisexuality and gender in international film and video. Walker Burch-Lewis, director of GenderQueer: NW Transgender & Intersex Film Festival (Olympia, WA), surveys representations of trannies and gender benders in film, drawing on clips from rarely seen historic footage, to popular film and the 'radical Trans video'. Helen Hok-Sze Leung, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia, examines the globalized Chinese cinema in a second workshop, assessing the effects representations of bisexual desire in this medium have had on Chinese immigrant communities on the west coast of North America. The evolution of bisexuality through more than eighty years of film history will be explored by Wayne Bryant, film-editor for the Journal of Bisexuality, and author of the bisexual filmography, Bisexual Characters in Film. Film buffs will also enjoy an assortment of bi and transgendered fiilms presented by NACB 2001 during the conference, some of which are included as a part of this year's Vancouver Queer Film Festival.

For writers and readers alike, poet and performance artist Catherine 'the captain' Snowdon facilitates a practical workshop on the importance of creative writing as a form of political activism. By looking at the works of such writers as Billeh Nickerson, Eileen Myles, Chrystos and Akilleh Oliver, Snowdon leads an interactive writing session geared towards the development of highly effective, and creatively politicized work.

For the creative-at-heart, opengendered bisexual activist and interdisciplinary artist Jessa Agilo-Copeland presents a creativity workshop entitled, Bi Creativity: Interactions in Desire. Drawing on over twelve years of experience in the arts, Agilo-Copeland facilitates a series of group discussions and creativity exercises that encourage the development of a personal approach to the creative articulation of bisexual identity and desire. Agilo-Copeland also encourages delegates to participate in a "Community Mural Project", where the diversity of our bi/trans communities can be captured in a concentrated, visible form.

Activism & Community Organizing
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) --- described by the Los Angeles Times as, "possibly the most successful organization lobbying for LGBT inclusion in the media" ---brings their renowned MediaEssentials workshop to NACB 2001, educating organizers on how to get their message out through the media. Facilitated by Ragan Rhyne, Education Services Manager at GLAAD, this workshop introduces participants to the concepts and practices of concise message development, press release writing, sound bite development and on-camera interviewing skills in an interactive and vital manner.

In a second workshop entitled, BiNet: The Internet as a Visibility Tool, Dana Shaw of the Bisexual Women of Toronto, and BiNet Canada, shares personal expertise on using the Internet to maintain and develop bisexual communities. By sharing practical knowledge of IRC, email groups and forums, web design and maintenance, Shaw provides participants with the tools needed to begin taking full advantage of the potential of the Internet.

Wayne Bryant, former president of the Bisexual Resource Center in Boston, and co-founder of Biversity Boston, a mixed-gender bisexual group with over 700 members, shares his knowledge and expertise in an interactive discussion exploring ideas for promoting, advertising and funding local bisexual groups, with the goal of expanding membership. Robyn Ochs, meanwhile, is scheduled to present a workshop on the "simple" task of avoiding community-service burnout!

BDSM
Immerse yourself in the diversity of BDSM with practical workshops on BDSM and the Law, Caning, Electric Play, Flogging and Fireplay, BDSM and Abuse, and the Politics of BDSM. Presented by experienced BDSM practitioners from Club Inferno (Vancouver), WetSpot (Seattle), the Seattle Chapter of the National Leather Alliance (U.S.), and Triskeli Guild (Bellingham,Wa), these workshops will inform and entice anyone intrigued by the possibilities of BDSM.

Spirituality
For the spiritually-minded, post-Christian theologian Phillip Andrew Bernhardt-House presents, Serving Two Masters: Bisexual Theological Foundations, an interactive discussion on the future constructive potentiality of a purely bisexual theology. Drawing on his experience as a minister of the Universal Life Church, Bernhardt-House poses such fundamental questions as, "Why has bisexuality been ignored in both straight and queer theologies?" and, "What might the essential methods of a bisexual theology look like?" In a second workshop entitled, Sexualizing Spirituality: An Introduction to Sacred Sexuality, Bernhardt-House leads a seperate discussion on the fundamental principles of sacred sexual practice. By addressing such topics as breathwork and energy centers, Bernhardt-House will foster an understanding of what is really necessary for the terms "sacred" and "sex" to be prescribed to particular practices.

For the ritually-inclined, Pashta M.A.R. MaryMoon, a practicing Universalist Quaker/Witch, and elder of the Kairosean tradition, will facilitate a formal, all/no-faith Wiccan ritual entitled, Being Spiritually Bi: Each one of us as a 'Daughter of the Goddess' and 'Son of the God'. This ritual-based workshop will focus on fostering and bringing alive a feeling of both the Goddess and God within ourselves, no matter what sexual identity or gender(s) we may feel we are inside.

Sexuality
Recently recognized by Time Out Magazine as the "Best Tantric Sex Seminar Leader in New York City", performance artist and sex positivist Barbara Carrellas offers a humourous and holistic introduction to the "energy orgasm" in her fun, yet practical workshop, How to Have a Gender-Free Orgasm. Drawing from a wide range of personal experiences from Quodoushka to Tao and erotic massage, Carrellas provides participants with an opportunity to explore the playful, powerful, genderless and omnisexual power of breath and pleasure in a safe, no-nudity, no-touch environment.

In Sex Positivity for Bi Folks, Human Sexuality specialist Charlie Glickman offers a challenging, yet practical and enticing workshop exploring the historical and cultural roots of erotophobia (the fear of sex), and the roles sex-negativity plays in maintaining biphobias throughout our cultures. As a sex educator at Good Vibrations (California), Glickman is convinced that sex-negativity, in particular, has very specific consequences for bisexuals, "both in our relationships with eachother, and in the ways mainstream and gay/lesbian communities interact with bi communities." By addressing our own internalized sex-negativity, as well as making connections between societal homophobia, biphobia and erotophobia, Glickman intends to transform our fears into a 'no-holds-barred' celebration of the erotic.

Gender
Always wanted to learn how to make yourself over into another gender? Don't miss a fun and enlightening workshop exploring the realities of clothing, make-up and wigs in making a successful and convincing gender transformation. Come and hear radical and challenging genderqueer personalities, meanwhile, up close and personal, in a panel workshop entitled, Transexuals and O ther Scary Monsters. Intersex Society of Canada founder Morgan Holmes, presents issues of intersexuality in a stimulating lecture, while Clare Rampling, founder of the GirlFags email list onYahooGroups, presents GirlFags and GuyDykes and Those Who Want to Find Them, a workshop exploring the variety of gender "orientation flavours" widely prevelant in the bi/queer community.

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