CatalystCon Announces Inaugural Conference Set for Sept. 14-16

LONG BEACH, Calif.—CatalystCon announces over 50 speakers and 40 sessions for its upcoming inaugural conference to be held September 14-16, 2012 at the Long Beach Hilton Executive and Meeting Center in Long Beach, CA. CatalystCon will feature many of the most recognizable names in the field of sexuality including Carol Queen, Ducky Doolittle, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Charlie Glickman, Joan Price, and Reid Mihalko. CatalystCon creator, Dee Dennis regards this conference as a "melting pot of sexuality" that will unite sex educators, sexologists, sex workers, writers, activists and anyone with a passion for creating change. "Knowledge is power, and sharing that knowledge is the first spark in igniting change," she said. This is the fundamental principle behind CatalystCon. Attendees to this groundbreaking event will benefit from important discussions on a wide variety of subjects, such as sex work, porn, polyamory, sexism in hip hop, senior sex, sex and religion, and sex education. Dennis co-organized the MOMENTUM conference on sexuality, feminism and relationships earlier this year in Washington, DC. In the wake of the profound success of the MOMENTUM, she felt that there was a very real demand for a similar conference on the West Coast and is excited to host CatalystCon, which she believes will "inspire exceptional conversations about sexuality." Battles over sex education, reproductive rights, gay marriage, obscenity, pornography and other forms of adult entertainment and expression have played a central role in the 2012 election season. Sex is always a political issue, but it becomes even more so in challenging economic times, both dividing and uniting individuals. CatalystCon's Opening Keynote plenary, moderated by UNLV Women's Studies Professor Lynn Comella and featuring esteemed panelists Dr. Marty Klein, Megan Andelloux, Maggie Mayhem, and Francisco Ramirez, will tackle these issues head on as the panelists address ongoing debates over sexuality at the local, national and global levels. Comella predicts that CatalystCon will be "one of the most exciting sexuality conferences that I've ever been part of. Sex, reproductive rights, gay marriage and pornography have been at the center of an often heated 2012 campaign season, which makes this conference especially timely." Pre-registration is required to attend CatalystCon and Early Bird pricing is available until July 1st. Click here to register today. Follow CatalystCon on Twitter and Facebook. Pictured: Drs. Carol Queen and Marty Klein