David B. Moye
ATLANTA (TNA) – Although sex and the Internet seem to be a match made in heaven, even the best relationships need a little tweak now and then.
Thank goodness then for the Sex 2.0 Convention, a one-day event taking place April 12 in Atlanta that will allow sex bloggers, feminists, erotica writers and sex workers to come together to discourse about the ins and outs of Internet intercourse.
And like Atlanta’s most famous resident, Martin Luther King, Jr., organizers like Amber Rhea have a dream of effecting great change.
“There is this ‘pink ghetto’ that exists,” Rhea said. “It seems if you write about or make a living from sex, you can’t interact with the rest of polite society."
For example, Rhea points out that Blogspot is owned by Google and if a blog with sexual content is posted on the site, Google marks it as “objectionable.”
As far as Rhea is concerned, “these walls are arbitrary,” and it’s only a matter of time before they come tumbling down because what she calls “sex positive people” aren’t going away, and Rhea said “we won’t be kicked out of feminism.”
To that end, the conference will feature lectures on how the Internet has changed the escorting business and what to do when your private sex life conflicts with the public blog persona.
Other speeches include “Sex Blogging As A Feminist Project,” which will discuss how blogs can illustrate sexual options and support the notion that women have a right to sexual pleasure for its own sake.”
Blogger Audacia Ray, who also directs bi-oriented porn like “The Bi Apple,” has the responsibility of delivering the keynote speech. She promises that the feminist focus isn’t meant to deter men, but instead will make the Con a safe space for a “cross-germination” of ideas.
“It’s funny, but most of the people active in sex education are women, but women don’t always feel comfortable talking about sexuality in public,” she said.
To that end, Ray says the most positive difference between what might be jokingly referred to as “Sex 1.0” and “Sex 2.0” has been the evolution towards online honesty.
“I think the Internet allows people to be their true selves online in a way they can’t be in real life, as opposed to the early idea that you could create a fake persona and be someone else,” Ray said.
That doesn’t mean make-believe doesn’t have a place online. Quite the contrary, which is why there will be a workshop on crafting erotic literature that will be taught by erotica writer Rachel Kramer Bussel.
She credits the Internet with creating high demand for sexy stories.
“There are a lot more markets than ever before,” she said. “The Internet makes it easier to connect with others and be anonymous. In fact, 70 percent of erotica is bought online.”
Generally, erotica is a lot like the Supreme Court’s definition of obscenity – “I know it when I see it” – but Bussel says there are things that bloggers and fiction writers can do to arouse their readers’ interests.
“You shouldn’t tell every single detail, such as ‘His left hand was on her right nipple,’” she said. “Also, don’t use dirty words without anything behind them, or just describe the sex.
“A good erotic story should explain why these characters are together and what makes it exciting.”
Rhea expects at least 100 participants at Sex 2.0 and hopes that the meeting of the minds has a long-lasting impact, even as she admits that the event title is as much of a joke as anything.
“To be honest, I hate the term ‘Web 2.0,’ and I make fun of it,” Rhea admitted. “But I couldn’t help calling this event Sex 2.0 because it’s so catchy.”
Rhea also sees this event as heralding a shift towards how sex should be dealt with on the Internet compared to the now old-fashioned Sex 1.0 version.
“I would consider Sex 1.0 as less participatory,” she said. “It’s like the old dial up connection where you wait and wait for the part of the GIF with the boobs.”
Sex 2.0, as Rhea and Ray see it, is more feminine-friendly, but guys are allowed to take part. In fact, one of the most anticipated workshops is “How Not to Be the Creepy Guy: Social and Sexual Etiquette at Conferences and Events,” hosted by sci-fi podcaster Steve Eley.
He says that some folks – usually men, but also women – ruin sexy events by coming on too strong, being too clingy or making inappropriate remarks.
“For instance, I was at one event, and one of the other guys kept offering hand massages to the female guests and he was pressing a little too hard.”
Eley says his workshop will be a forum to discuss proper sexual etiquette, but he admits the nature of the event may reduce the number of “creepy guys” in attendance.
“Sex positive feminism has enough cooties to it to keep the creepy guys away,” he joked.
On the other hand, Ray admits there could be a lot of fun in HotLanta for those who do attend.
“Hooking up is a real dimension to the event,” Ray said wryly. “People think events based around sexuality become a free-for-all, which may or may not be true.”