Our ally of the month for October is Pepper Mint. Pepper has been a local activist in the bi, poly, gender, and you-name-it scenes for many years. Pepper is a local polyamory organizer, educator, and social theorist. He writes about polyamory, organizes events including Love Triangle and Poly Speed Dating, and teaches non-monogamy workshops with his partner Jen. Pepper loves to go out to sex parties, Mission Control, the local dungeon, and goth clubs. You can read his writings at www.freaksexual.com.
What draws you to Mission Control?
P: I know everyone says this, but I’m going to say it again anyway: the two best things about Mission Control are the great people and the friendly atmosphere. There is a large rotating cast of characters, some of whom show frequently and others who pop in from time to time, ensuring a different party each time. I love that I can show up, meet some wildly dressed people, and have some great conversations with them.
I really appreciate the Mission Control tendency towards social engineering. The social space of the MC parties is consciously designed, and continually and creatively evolving. Sometimes this means following people’s tastes, such as the recent addition of a cross in the kink room. Other times it means doing some ongoing work, like the purposeful work of introducing new people and helping them adapt to a sex party atmosphere.
What are your thoughts about sex-positive community events?
P: I am constantly asking myself this question in regards to my own polyamory organizing: do we actually need polyamory events? What purpose do they serve? Can folks get along well enough just by meeting cool people in the bay area?
I’ve decided that it is crucial to hold this sort of event, especially as a landing pad for new folks. Sex-positive people of various sorts can be isolated, lacking support or connection with others like them. When we hold rowdy fun events and invite them, it provides a starting point for exploring the amazing sexual underground here. In order to draw people in, it’s very important that the MC events and my own events have a visible public presence: websites, announcements, flyers, and so on.
For those of us who have been around longer, coming together in numbers is a celebration. We get to see new people and meet old friends. We party it up in a rarified atmosphere where others are not surprised by our sexual proclivities. We get to do things that you can only do in large groups, like filling a room with writhing bodies. It is incredibly valuable. In the last year I’ve rediscovered just how much fun this scene can be, and this prompted me to become a Mission Control Alliance member.
You are so active in the poly/kink community. Tell us what is new for you?
P: It’s hard to judge, but I think the sex-positive community in San Francisco has been growing in size. In my own polyamory organizing efforts, I have been moving from holding smaller dinners and discussions to larger social events. I am particularly proud of Love Triangle, a non-monogamous goth/80′s dance club night that has been averaging two hundred people. I’ve never seen so many polyamorous people in one place before!
I have also been very excited about our growing Poly Speed Dating events. The last one was the largest ever, and a lot of people walked away with some good prospects. But I’m looking to hold even larger events. I’m hoping to put together a polyamory/nonmonogamy conference in San Francisco in the next couple of years.
Kinky Salon Presents
Kinky Salon Presents A Double Dose of Halloween Mischief
Trickster Art Salon presents
Friday, October 15, 2010 – 9pm to 10:15pm
You are invited to the new Mission Control Crew Social!
