On November 5, 2016, I presented a talk entitled “Adventures in Sex/Tech!” at The Geeky Kink Event. Here you’ll find the video (if/when it’s available), my slides, and lots of additional resources.

This talk is a variation on the talk I gave in July 2016 at HOPE XI — I updated the selection of crowdfunded sex toys and tailored the talk to a specifically kinky audience..

• Talk Slides
• References and Resources
• Additional Information about my work and experiences as a sex-positive entrepreneur
• Questions & Answers

Talk Slides

References and Resources

Mainstream Culture vs. Sex-Positive/Kink-Positive Culture

• What I Mean When I Say I’m Sex-Positive by Cliff Pervocracy
• Sex Positive on Oh Joy Sex Toy!
• 10 Things Sex Positivity Is Not by Miri Mogilevsky
• A Gentlemen’s Guide to Rape Culture by Zaron Burnett III
• The Madonna-Whore Complex and You by Dr. NerdLove
• Sex Needs a New Metaphor. Here’s one… by Al Vernacchio
• Your Princess Is In Another Castle by Arthur Chu. I performed an excerpt from this (in drag!) at Arse Elektronika 2014.
• Consent Culture also by Cliff Pervocracy

Crowdfunded Sex Toys

Due to lack of time, I couldn’t cover all of my material on crowdfunded sex toys. If you’re interested in a broader survey, here’s my updated slide deck with links below:

• The kGoal (for people with vaginas) and kGoal Boost (for people with penises) are by MinnaLife (@Minna_Life). You can also check out the kGoal Kickstarter page and the kGoal Boost Kickstarter page.
• The Eva is by Dame Products (@DameProducts); it was funded via IndieGoGo.
• The Autoblow 2 was funded via IndieGoGo; the Autoblow 2+ is now available.
• HUM (@humvibrator) was funded on IndieGoGo and is now available for purchase here.
• The Crescendo by MysteryVibe (@MysteryVibe) was funded via Born.com.
• The Lioness Vibrator by Lioness (@LionessHealth) was funded, and is available for pre-order, on IndieGoGo.
• The Fin is the second vibrator created by Dame Products (@DameProducts); as of Nov 2016 it’s currently being funded on Kickstarter.
• The Venus vibrator by TwoEmotion (@TwoEmotion) is expected to launch its crowdfunding campaign on November 14, 2016, on IndieGoGo.

The Sex Toy Patent Troll

• The sex toy patent troll section is adapted from Vera Ranieri’s fantastic piece, “Stupid Patent of the Month: Trolls Go After Sex Toy Manufacturers”, regarding US Patent 6,368,268.
• This patent was filed on August 17, 1998, and granted on April 9, 2002; according to this patent term calculator, the patent will expire on August 17, 2018. Mark your calendar!

3D Printing

• If you want to design your toy (or mold) programmatically, I recommend OpenSCAD (free and open-source, available for Linux/Unix, Windows, & Mac). Thanks to Mr. O, you can find more information and sample code for designing sex toys in OpenSCAD on this blog at “Better Sex Through Trigonometry.”
• SculptGL by Stéphane Ginier is an open-source, web-based application that lets you do organic modeling from the browser.
• If you want to 3D print your mold and then cast from that, I recommend the video “Silicone Sex Toys with 3D Printing – Part 1” by SexShop3D.
• If you want to try 3D printing directly in silicone, you’ll need a paste extruder. Watch “Silicone Sex Toys with 3D Printing – Part 2″ by SexShop3D for more info.

Silicone

• Ever wanted to learn about casting from someone dressed as a Prinny? Jimmie P. Rodgers and I (in cosplay) gave a one-hour intro to casting and moldmaking with a focus on working with silicone in January 2015. The slides and video are available on this blog at “Fun with Silicone.”
• I use platinum-cure silicones from Smooth-On, which I buy from Reynolds Advanced Materials. I’ve written more about my materials in “Working with Silicone for DIY Sex Toys.” Yes, you can ask Reynolds Advanced Materials about making sex toys!

Wrap-Up & Additional Information About My Work

• During this talk, I demonstrated the newest version of The Hammer (Burning Man 2013 Edition), which was also featured in Dig Boston. I gave a tech talk at Arse Elektronika 2012 about the original Hammer, which Cracked.com named the #1 geekiest sex toy of all time.
• I run a Boston-area meetup group for sex/kink-positive makers and crafters called teasecraft. (It was inspired by dorkbot, but for sexy/kinky stuff.) We have an email list, or you can find us on FetLife (free membership required).
• I spend most of my time these days on launching a new nonprofit, the Effing Foundation for Sex-Positivity. Our mission is to reduce sexual shame by fostering artists and educators who do sex-positive projects. We’re still a little ways away from accepting donations or giving grants, but the best way to keep up with us is to subscribe to our monthly email newsletter at http://effing.org/.

Questions & Answers

I’ll update this section after the talk.