Genderfloomp Seeks Feedback from GQ/GNC/Trans* Community

This entry is cross-posted at the request of the Genderfloomp organizers, and comment streams are available on Dreamwidth and Livejournal.

Hi there. As the organizers of the annual Genderfloomp party at WisCon, we learned of a recent wave of concern that Genderfloomp is uncomfortable/appropriative for gender non-conforming or non-binary people. We'd like to open a discussion about this issue.

To start off, we want to determine if the problems primarily reside in the party's messaging online, its actual setup/conduct at the con, or simply its existence. We've spoken to some GNC/GQ people who really enjoy the party and find it to be an important space, and we would find it helpful to hear what aspects of the party do work as well. Ideally, we can find a way to rework Genderfloomp so that it can serve the entire community, but we also are open to much bigger changes.

We are both queer people who are gender non-conforming in some ways that are important to our identity, but do not pretend that this gives us access to the wide spectrum of GNC, GQ, and trans* experiences. Our intentions with Genderfloomp are to embrace the liberatory aspects of "party," rather than the trivializing connotations, in order to foster a space of gender play and binary destabilization, much in the same way that the Tiptree award celebrates work that "explores and expands" ideas of gender. If our party is hurting GNC/GQ folks, it is failing at its mission, and we apologize for any hurt we have caused.

We know a wide spectrum of Wiscon has insight to share on Genderfloomp, but we ask that this thread be restricted to folks who identify as GNC/GQ/Trans* in order to give people room and safety to speak. If commenting here feels uncomfortable or unsafe, we
can also be reached at genderfloomp@gmail.com.

We are here primarily to listen with humility and openness, though we are also happy to answer any questions.

Sincerely,
Meghan McCarron and Liz Gorinsky

We're changing the name of the WisCon Scholarships Fund

Please help us decide what to rename it to! Please vote in our polls either on Dreamwidth or on LiveJournal.

Food Poisoning

Reports have been trickling in of some potential food poisoning cases, if you think you got a foodborne illness over the weekend please call the Madison Health Department at 608-266-4821. More details on reporting here: http://www.publichealthmdc.com/environmental/food/foodborneIllness/facts.cfm

Feedback Surveys & Programming is open for WisCon 381

If you have thoughts about things that went well at WisCon 37 or things that went not-so-well, we'd love to hear from you. We have a general survey as well as a survey about programming.
Lastly, if you have programming ideas for WisCon 38/SFRA, you can submit them now.

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ETA: If you're coming here in May 2014, this is an outdated post! The post with links to surveys after WisCon 38 are here.

A Momentary Taste of WisCon: Issues #3 & 4

Issue #3 includes info about the Tiptree Auction. Issue #4 includes pictures and quotes from Sunday evening's Guests of Honor Speeches and Award Ceremony. We also announce WisCon 38's Guests of Honor: Hiromi Goto and N.K. Jemisin.

A Momentary Taste of WisCon: Issue #2

Check out Issue #2 of A Momentary Taste of WisCon here. Inside: Tiptree Auction preview, changes to Saturday programming, more information about WisCon 38 coinciding with the Science Ficton Research Assocation's annual meeting, how to register & reserve hotel rooms for WisCon 38, the location of our Lost & Found room, and more!

Check out Issue #1 of our at-con newsletter, A Momentary Taste of WisCon, here. (That link opens up as a PDF.) Inside: Changes to programming items, information about our SmartPhone apps, changing your preferences on our website, volunteering, how to still sign up for Sign Out, and more!

Volunteer Needs at WisCon 37!

As WisCon approaches, we still have some open volunteer shifts that we are hoping to fill before the convention starts. These opportunities will allow you to meet new people, explore interests, possibly add new skills, and help make the convention the best it can be!

A/V could use three people to help with set-up and during special events: the Tiptree Auction on Saturday and GoH speeches on Sunday, plus one other person to help when needed.

On Friday night, we need one or more people to head the First WisCon Dinner, an informal meet and greet for people attending the convention for the first time and anyone else interested. The group meets outside the Wisconsin ballroom after the first panels end 5:15-5:30 and heads to a local restaurant for dinner together.

Access could use some help with blue-taping in the mornings during the convention and before special events.

The Tiptree Auction still needs runners for during the bidding.

The Tiptree Bake Sale could use help on Saturday after the sale with breakdown from 3-4 pm and some extra hands during their busy time from 11:30 am-2 pm.

Sign-out on is looking for a couple more volunteers on Monday from 10-30 until the end.

Registration has shifts open on Saturday and Sunday.

The ConSuite has openings throughout the convention, please check in at the ConSuite to sign up for open shifts.

Childcare also often needs help, you can stop by during open hours to see if and when they need help.

We will have additional and emergency needs posted on the volunteer board near registration beginning Friday morning, If you are arriving on Thursday or early Friday and want to help with set-up, you can stop by registration or the volunteer board to see how you can help.

All volunteers receive a special commemorative thank you gift. If you volunteer six or more hours during the convention, you are eligible for a $20 refund on your membership fee as funds allow.

If you can help us out, or for more information, please contact us at volunteers37@wiscon.info.

Thank you!

eCubes #8 & #9! Also the full schedule.

Hello! eCube 8 went out about a month ago. More recently, eCube 9 was just published. You can peruse WisCon 37's schedule here in grid format, or here as a PDF.

eCube #7 Online

eCube #7 is now online, with updates on available ad space in our souvenir book, hotel information, and a programming update. There's also information about author John Scalzi doing a reading at Room of One's Own on the Thursday of WisCon, before the GoH readings.

Annual SF3 Meeting

SF3 is Wiscon's parent organization. This year's annual SF3 meeting will happen on Sunday, October 14th, 11:30am, Concourse Hotel.

Find more information about the meeting, including the agenda, at SF3's website.

Please note: we are looking for candidates to run for the position of Recording Secretary!

Did you attend WisCon? Please complete the survey ....

Did you attend WisCon 36? Please take a few moments to fill out the WisCon 36 survey and let us know what you liked and what we could change to make WisCon a better experience:

The WisCon 36 Survey

A Momentary Taste of Wiscon #4 Now Online

A Momentary Taste of WisCon #4 is now online, with news of Andrea Hairston's and Debbie Notkin's guest of honor speeches, the Tiptree Award ceremony, WisCon 37 guests of honor, shipping services for the trip home, and more.

Ship your WisCon Books & Artwork Home Instead of Schlepping It On The Plane

The UPS Store will set up shop at the Concourse on Monday for all your shipping needs.

Packing and shipping service will be available on Monday from 9 am to 3 pm to ship your art show and dealers' room purchases safely home. The UPS Store is a locally owned and operated shipping and packing store. We work with UPS, DHL, and the US Postal Service (but not FedEx). We are professional packers and have professional-grade boxes and packing materials. Our computer software helps us choose the best carrier for your shipment based on its weight, dimensions, and its destination zip code. We are experienced in book conventions and know how to best get your purchases to your destination.

Please note. You do not need to provide a box for your materials. We prefer to package all items at our retail store, and will not bring packing materials to the convention.

Reminders: It is always more economical to ship to a business rather than to a residential address. The business has to be in a commercial building; businesses in homes do not qualify for the commercial rates. All carriers except the U.S. Post Office include $100 of insurance and tracking capabilities. We highly recommend going with that type of carrier.

Visit our website at http://www.theupsstorelocal.com/0704/ or call us to get more information at (608) 833-7447. We are looking forward to meeting and working with you over Memorial Day weekend!

--Shannan Bogle, The UPS Store, Ondana Rd, Madison, WI

Hotel Reservations Now Open for WisCon 37

Whether you prefer to make your hotel reservation in person with a friendly face, on the phone with a friendly voice, or online, you can secure your room for the 2013 convention starting Sunday morning, May 27.

Reservations can be made online via a link on the WisCon website, or stop by the concierge desk in the hotel lobby to make your reservation in person, or call the friendly folks in the Concourse’s reservations department. The Concourse has scheduled extra reservations agents for Sunday morning to ensure that everyone’s request is handled as expeditiously as possible.

Room rates at the Concourse Hotel for WisCon 37 will be $101/$111 single/double for a Concourse-level room, and $173/$183 single/double for Governor’s Club rooms. If you make your reservation in person or by phone, be sure to tell them you want a room in the WisCon 37 room block to get these rates.

After you get your hotel reservation lined up for 2013, go online to the WisCon website or stop by WisCon’s Registration/Information desk in the second floor lobby area to get your membership for the 37th annual World’s Leading Feminist Science Fiction Convention! The committee is already in the planning phases of what will be yet another fabulous four-day marathon of spirited dialog, thought-provoking readings, and just plain fun, so make sure you have your membership secured.

Registration For WisCon 37 Is Open, Online & in Person!

Are you tired of Registration lines? Did you show up this year thinking you’d already registered and discover you hadn’t? Sunday is the first day of sales for next year’s WisCon. You can do it yourself online at http://wiscon.info/registration.php, or come to the 2nd floor Registration Desk and let us do it for you. We’ll be open from 9:30 to 5:00 Sunday, and 9:30 to 2:00 Monday.

A Momentary Taste of WisCon #3 Now Online

The third edition of "A Momentary Taste of WisCon" is now online with updates on tonight's Dessert Salon, news on reserving your membership and your hotel room for WisCon 37, today's program changes, and the moment Ellen Klages was touched by His Noodly Appendage at last night's Tiptree Auction.

Scenes from an Opening Ceremony

Here are scenes from yesterday evening's Opening Ceremonies, which featured the Carl Brandon Society singers and a special virtual visit from absent Tiptree foremother Karen Joy Fowler channeled through the person of Ellen Klages, who then placed the Tiptree tiara on the head of guest of honor Andrea Hairston, the first Tiptree Award winner who was also WisCon's Guest of Honor in the same year.

The Carl Brandon Society entertained the gathered membership with Broadway show tunes:

And members of the concom welcomed everyone to WisCon 36 and offered members information about volunteering and access for an appreciative audience:

A Momentary Taste of Wiscon #2 is now available

Get your news about programming changes, the opening ceremonies, the Tiptree bake sale and auction and more in the second issue of WisCon's at-con newsletter,A Momentary Taste of Wiscon #2 now available as an online download or as a print edition distributed in the 2d floor lobby of the Concourse Hotel.

SAVE THE AUCTIONEER! (A Message from SpaceBabe)

Ellen has been doing the Tiptree Auction for 17 years. She is older than when she started, but the auction keeps getting longer and longer, and she gets tired after a few hours.

How can you help?

1. Come to The Gathering. Look at auction items. When you see something you can't live without -- Bid. Bid sheets will say:
• TO AUCTION (those will be on stage Saturday night, no matter what) or
• TO AUCTION IF THERE ARE _____ BIDS
• (enough bids by 5 pm Sat., it goes to the stage; not enough, the last bidder has bought it) or
• BUY IT NOW (Fixed price. See it, want it, have it!)
2. Come to the Art Show on Saturday between 10 am and 5 pm. Look at auction stuff. Covet it. Buy or Bid.
3. Pay for your items at the auction, or at the Art Show Sunday morning. Please don't make us track you down...

The auction starts at 7:30 pm on Saturday night, and will go until the auctioneer cannot stand anymore, or when the laughs stop (whichever comes first).

Any items that go to auction WILL be sold. At the very end, when the auctioneer is tired and most of the audience has left to go to parties, we'll take a break, and there will be 10 minutes of lightning-fast, last-ditch paper bidding. The highest written bid when the bell rings will be the winner.

Proceeds from the auction, and Buy-It-Now sales all go to support the Tiptree Award. The money you spend supports a worthy cause, and is also tax-deductible (for any $$ over fair market value).

The Tiptree is also supported by t-shirts, temporary tattoos, and cookbooks, all available in the Art Show. They are way cool.

Thanks for all your help and support!

-- Space Babe