Friday, October 13

1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Research Roundtable Co-Hosts: ITCR/FNCSF and the Community-Academic Consortium for Research on Alternative Sexualities (CARAS) Ravenna Room  This will be a roundtable meeting for researchers, academics, community leaders, counselors, therapists, and other professionals to discuss the situation with respect to current research in the field of nontraditional relationships and alternative modes of sexual expression, and the future outlook.  Credible, recent scientific examinations of our chosen forms of nontraditional relationships and sexual expression will be essential to our ability to preserve our freedom to make these choices.  It will also help us understand better how to be successful in these aspects of our lives, and avoid struggles and challenges.  This meeting will be moderated by representatives of the Institute and CARAS.

5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Evergreen Ballroom Join other Conference attendees, presenters, and ITCR leaders and staff at the gala Welcoming reception that formally kicks off Building Bridges 2006! The Welcoming Reception will also honor National Coming Out Day, the annual event initiated in 1987 and now administered by the Human Rights Campaign to encourage and support GLBT persons making their presence known in the wider world.  All of us in nontraditional relationships, including our GLBT friends, have a stake in promoting tolerance and acceptance of diversity, and coming out is an essential aspect of achieving that goal. We are pleased to join millions across the country in observing this event.  The reception features hot and cold hors d' oeuvres and a cash bar, and is a great place to meet folks from all over the country who are interested in nontraditional relationships of every kind.

8:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Shelter from Sexual Shame - Toward A Joyful Sexuality Presenter: Veronica Monet Yarrow Point Ballroom   Veronica Monet, a unique sex educator with over 14 years of experience as a courtesan, offers a candid approach to better sex on a variety of topics. In this workshop you will learn: How to eliminate sexual shame through re-education How to say “no” to your internal shaming dialog How to use positive affirmations to eliminate sexual shame How to share your shame with like minded people How to assert healthy boundaries How to distinguish your intuition from your shame and guilt Why abstinence can be a tool for eliminating sexual shame How to distinguish shame from a true sexual addiction Important facts about sexual health and sexual techniques The surprising history of sex Once you are rid of sexual shame you are free to enjoy sexual empowerment!Please join Veronica Monet for a truly liberating journey into the heart and soul of your deepest desires! Veronica Monet graduated as an honor student from Oregon State University in 1982, with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Business Administration. After working in corporate settings for seven years, she spent the next 14 years acquiring experience with the practical and political aspects of sex work as an erotic model, porn actress, prostitute, escort, and courtesan. Ms. Monet has become very popular with the media and the public as her extensive television, radio, magazine, newspaper, book credits and lecture venues reveal. She is the author of Veronica Monet's Sex Secrets of Escorts - Tips from a Pro, Alpha Books, 2005

Optional Evening Play Party - Register Early!

8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. Play Party and Exploratorium The Wet Spot   This evening event, open to Conference attendees, provides a chance to "get to know" other attendees better in a safe, consensual private play space.  It will be held at The Wet Spot, Seattle's Sex Positive Community Center.  Building Bridges attendees will be joining the members of the Wet Spot for their regular Erotic City event.

Optional Evening Cuddle Party^TM - Register Early!

8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Cuddle Party TM  Location: In the Headquarters Hotel, Exact Location Given When You Register   Join Cuddle Party creators Reid Mihalko and Marcia Baczynski and Seattle's certified Cuddle Party Facilitator Betty Martin in this innovative communication workshop/social laboratory that has grown into a global phenomenon in less than three years,  Designed to teach adults how to foster more welcomed touch and nonsexual intimacy in their lives, Cuddle Party's unique approach is literally and figuratively touching people's lives.  Whether you come to participate or only watch, Cuddle Party will teach you communication and boundary setting skills for making yourself feel safe and how to extend these feelings of safety to those around you - so much so that the world becomes a more cuddly and connected place.  YOU MUST ARRIVE ON TIME for this event.  Please bring PJ's or comfy clothing to wear.