Howdy kinksters –
It’s the first weekend of the month, and we’ll have a lot of in-person events for you if you’re in San Francisco. This will include a rare in-person opportunity to take my BDSM Negotiation Basics class on Saturday afternoon.
This month, I’m thinking a lot about Pride.
As a queer person who came out when Ronald Reagan was president, I don’t take progress for granted. For queer folks, non-monogamous folks, and sexual adventurers of all stripes, we live in a significantly better world than I could have imagined coming out in 1986. I honestly never dreamed that gay folks would have marriage equality in my lifetime. It never dawned on me that an openly gay person might run for president or serve in the White House. I grew up in an era in which queer folks were still punchlines.
So I step into each Pride month with a weird mix of feelings. I actually love the pride gear from big stores. It’s hard not to be tickled that it’s a thing. And, I struggle with the fact that the price of acceptance is becoming another demographic to target. (That is, when it’s convenient. Ask Dylan Mulvaney.)
I’m excited that Wicked Grounds will be at San Francisco Pride on Sunday, June 30, and I hope we’ll see you there. (We’ll be right inside Leather Alley showcasing our educational offerings and doing a few demos.) I’m even more excited to attend my first Pride in the small coastal town where I live now. There is something raw, personal, and vulnerable about stepping out to volunteer for Pride in a zero-stoplight town with fewer than a thousand residents. I haven’t felt this nervous about going to Pride since I was in my twenties, and that feels . . . good.
If you want to spend the month of June delving much deeper into your own, personal queer identity join us for Stepping Into Pride a six-week online workshop to develop our own personal values, goals and identities within the LGBTQ+ community.
Now, let’s dive into everything we have for you online and in person this week!
Events Roundup!
Thinking ahead
Join our fall Diving Deep cohort, and early ticketing is open now. Find out more here.
Thursday, May 30
Turn up the heat! Wax play and fire play are two great techniques for sensation play, but they’re taught too rarely. We’re delighted to bring back instructor Jamie Joy for this class online at 6pm Pacific tonight. Advance ticketing required. Get yours on Forbidden Tickets or Plura.
Advance ticketing required. Get yours on Forbidden Tickets or Plura.
Saturday, June 1
It’s first Saturday! Yay! If you’re in the SF Bay Area, that means it’s time to step out, meet people, and learn to connect with community.
Join us at Wicked Grounds @ Trellis at noon Pacific for Welcome to the SF Scene with our own Miriam Green. You’ll learn everything you need to know about the culture, norms, organizations, spaces and parties that make the SF Bay Area scene so special. Get your advance tickets on Forbidden Tickets or Plura, or you may get tickets at the door before the class starts.
We had to cancel this month’s Negotiation Improv with Wiley Elote. But we’ve turned those lemons into sweet, summer lemonade. Join us instead for Miriam Green’s BDSM Negotiation Basics workshop at 2:30 pm. This workshop is typically taught only online these days, so this is a rare opportunity to engage this material in person. Advance ticketing available on Forbidden Tickets.
Ever struggled with feelings of being “too” much this or “not enough” that as you explore your queer identity? Believe it or not, this is very common and most of us have been there! Join us in June for Stepping Into Pride a six-week online workshop to develop our own personal values, goals and identities within the LGBTQ+ community. Our six weeks officially launch today, with our first live session on Monday, June 3.
Sunday, June 2
In SF? Submissive or switchy? Join us at 11:30 am at Trellis for our discussion group Submissives in Solidary. This is a unique facilitated discussion to explore your own relationship to submission and hear how your fellow subs do it. Advance tickets available on Forbidden Tickets or Plura or you may get yours at the door starting at 11 am.
Monday, June 3
Tonight at 6 pm Pacific, we’ll hold the first live online group for Stepping Into Pride. That means today is also the last day to sign up for this six-week intensive.
Tuesday, June 4
Switchy? Let’s talk about it! Join Lady V at 6pm Pacific online for Switchinatrix: Harnessing Your Power as a Switch. Advance ticketing required. Get yours at Forbidden Tickets or Plura.
Wednesday, June 5
You tend to your relationship with your partner(s). You tend to your relationships with your friends and community. How’s it going with your relationship with yourself? Join leading BDSM & kink educator Lee Harrington for a dive into one of the most important relationships to cultivate. Join us online at 6 pm Pacific for Self-Love is Not Enough: Building Relationships with Yourself. Advance ticketing required. Get yours at Forbidden Tickets or Plura.
In San Francisco? Join us for San Francisco’s longest-running impact playshop with the fun, instructive, and sadistically creative @impossiblepain. You’ll learn everything you need to know to bring your impact skills to mastery by learning new skills and practicing them hands on in a safe, fun, and collaborative environment. By popular community request, we’ve moved this back to Wednesday night at Folsom Street Community Center. Get your advance tickets through Forbidden Tickets or Plura, or get tickets at the door!
Thursday, June 6
No live classes today, but consider checking out a digital download for self-directed study!
Friday, June 7
No live classes today, but consider checking out a digital download for self-directed study!
Saturday, June 8
No live classes today, but consider checking out a digital download for self-directed study!
Sunday, June 9
Join us online at 11am Pacific today for Autism & Kink with John Pendal. Whether you’re neurodivergent yourself or interested in improving the kink experience for your autistic partners, friends and community members, this class will be of help! Get your advance tickets via Forbidden Tickets or Plura.
Support. Follow. Share.
- Want to invest in your kink education? Join our new class pass program here!
- Join our Patreon for personal benefits and to stabilize our long-term trajectory. Annual memberships now available!
- Use our Venmo for one-time donations toward our sustainability, and to help specifically with scholarship tickets.
- Book with us for coaching and consulting time with Mir.
Warmly,
Mir & The Wicked Grounds Team
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