Mental Wellness, Inebriated Eroticism, and Disability Resources
Hello beautiful beings,
April 15th and the snow fell again in Denver, coating the trees outside my window in an inch of white and alternating between a soft sensuality and a vicious cold that blows sideways waking up anyone caught in the wind. This stands in stark contrast to the delicious sun and 70 degrees of last week when tank tops left tan lines on my shoulders. It holds up a mirror to my mood disorder before I did the “work” and learned that medicine can be an ally rather than a crutch or bondage that keeps me frozen in place.
Working our way towards THRIVE at the end of the month, where I will be hosting a class on role playing and mental health, I sat this week with insurance and appointments with various providers. For those of us who are self-employed or dance with disabilities of different ways, our relationship with access to care in the United States can leave a bitter taste in our mouths. The fear of loss of access, wondering how I will pay for my care, and hoping my brain will not spiral into the shadow of “what if” and other forms of fear. But this week, amidst it all, I am feeling such deep gratitude for my care team, for the love and support, and for five friends who held space for me to share the challenges as they came along.
Sometimes all it takes is getting a fear out of one’s head to have it become less scary, to have it become manageable. Having led discussions though twice in two weeks on disability and kink, it is all still fresh in my body, letting my arms then stretch out, take a deep breath, unclench my jaw. In the words of TikTok personality Madam Adam – “There is only one you in the whole cosmos. Celebrate that shit and Fuck it Up.” Seriously, their work is amazing, check it out.
Interested in some material on Kink & Disability? Check out some video resources available online:
Discussing BDSM & Disabilities with Lee Harrington - https://youtu.be/ILHDHje5fqs
Transcription by Quill of that video - http://passionandsoul.com/info/kink-disabilities-video-transcript/
BDSM Panel at the Love Abilities Conference (featuring Kat Setters, Mistress Kendra Holiday, and myself, moderated by Miss Ava Zhang) - https://youtu.be/J8gNCP90Ttg
Kink, BDSM and Disability: An Interview with Roundfoot and Lady Zorya by Evie Lupine -https://youtu.be/r9wDsHo6c-k
Kinkability: An exploration of disability, BDSM, and Kink, from Disability Pride Pensylvannia - https://youtu.be/BGaiPxNFaog
“Whips and Chains Excite Me Too: Kink & Disability” presented by Mickey Thomas for the Disability Intersectionality Summit - https://youtu.be/QWUfPXgS7nk
One of the other things that happened this week was a mad flurry of action with and for my Patrons. I sent out almost 100 post cards, hand written with love, and had a chance to post a poll for folks to vote on the upcoming Weekly Wednesday series! I haven’t made the posts yet, but wanted to let you know the lineup that the patrons voted for. April 21 – Inebriated Eroticism (listed below); April 28 – from Diets to Daily Journals: Maintaining and Enjoying Daily Practices; May 5 - Encouraging Service & Volunteering In Kink, Leather, and Sexuality Communities; May 12 – NO CLASS; May 19 – Trans Rage: A Space for Non-Binary and Transgender Experience; May 26 - Altar Building; and June 2 - Exploring Edge Play: Whose Edge Is It? … excited about one? Put them in your calendar and grab the time and zoom information for them all from the “Inebriated Eroticism” details below. Yes, it’s always the same time. Yes, it’s always the same room and password.
I also wanted to remind folks about the 3 amazing events happening the last weekend of the month that you can choose from – because registration for two of them closes *this Sunday*! The first is Thrive BDSM & Mental Health Conference (April 23rd-25th), a BDSM and mental health conference where I will be MCing the event opening and leading a discussion on roleplaying and mental health. The other event is Waking Persephone (April 24th) , which is a 1-day immersive journey into queer and magical experience (and a fundraiser for Trans Lifeline) where I am leading “Our Journeys of Authentic Gender. “That same weekend is also Stone & Stang, a pagan event for men who love men, where I will be teaching on Sacred Kink. If you want to attend Thrive or Waking Persephone , registration closes April 18th – check them out today.
This coming week, come join me at:
Inebriated Eroticism
April 21st, 2021 (1-330p Pacific, 2-330p Mountain, 3-430p Central, 4-30p Eastern)
Share on Facebook: https://fb.me/e/dsZtOGWIX
Share on Fetlife: https://fetlife.com/events/983181
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2439294154?pwd=ZGFhRWVaTjVhK1ZpZmthU0JrWmZFZz09
Meeting ID: 243 929 4154
Passcode: 136777love
Playing or being sexual when drunk, high, stoned, tripping, or rolling is a taboo topic. This is for very good reasons that range from sexual assault that have happened to people in such states to the legality of such behaviors. In this discussion, we will lay out the issues surrounding such topics, why people might want to engage in inebriated eroticism, the problems around consent, and how different people might choose to make decisions.
This 18+ discussion does not advocate for any specific personal choices or for doing behaviors that may be illegal in your jurisdiction. Instead it is an opportunity to examine the issues from a variety of perspectives, with an awareness that any one person’s opinion may be antithetical to your own beliefs and behaviors. In addition, due to the nature of the topic, please be aware that matters of consent violation, personal trauma, and community traumas may arise – please consider whether or not to attend is appropriate for you.
A $1-25 donation is encouraged for the Weekly Wednesday series, but none is required to attend.
I also have other classes and events coming up! Come join me for one of these upcoming events (or the Weekly Wednesdays mentioned above):
Thrive BDSM & Mental Health Conference – Online Worldwide (April 23-25, 2021): Serving as the Opening Ceremonies MC and teaching “Role-Playing or Role-Being: Identity, Exploration and Mental Health.”
Waking Persephone – Online Worldwide (April 24, 2021): Teaching “Our Journeys of Authentic Gender” at this 1-day ritual experience.
Stone & Stang – Online Worldwide (April 24-25, 2021): Teaching “Sacred Kink: The Eightfold Paths of BDSM and Beyond” at this pagan event for men who love men.
Pineapple Support – Online Worldwide (April 27-28, 2021): Teaching “Getting Spicy & Freaky: BDSM and Kink Basics” at their Healing Through Kink conference.
Wicked Grounds – Online Worldwide (April 28, 2021): Teaching "Strategies for Switching: Fulfilling Your Diverse Desires."
Colorado Leather Fest – Online Worldwide (April 30-May 2, 2021): Teaching "Service That Actually Serves Us" and "Sacred Rope".
Wicked Grounds – Online Worldwide (May 16, 2021): Teaching “Crotch Ropes and Butt Bondage.”
Wicked Grounds – Online Worldwide (June 1, 2021): Teaching “Playing Well With Others: Discovering, Exploring, and Navigating the Kink Communities.”
Cirque du Earth – Online Worldwide (June 4-6, 2021): Teaching “Rope as Sacred Ritual,” “Fleshing It Out: Body Modification Sacred and Profane,” “The Queerness of Mag, the Magic of Queerness, and appearing on the Trans Panel.
To check out other classes and intensives beyond April (conferences and classes alike), visit my Upcoming Appearancespage to learn more. From there you can sign up for my free newsletter as well. To enjoy further free material from me, consider joining me on Patreon :)
Much love to you all and see you soon!
Yours in Passion and Soul,
Lee Harrington