San Francisco, CA – Retailers Good Vibrations and Babeland are pleased to announce their participation in the Sex Down South conference. The retailers’ Education Director Andy Duran will present a workshop on sex positivity during the event — “Sex Positivity: What it is, and What It’s Not” — on Saturday, September 8 at 9 am EST.

During the workshop, Duran will delve into the history of sex positivity and debunk conceptual misconceptions. Duran will also explore how sex positivity can be used as a tool to support educators, organizers in the sex industry and anyone wanting to espouse the concept of sex positivity in their own lives.

Duran is hoping that his take on sex-positive thinking and activism will make it a useful tool for sex educators and members of the resistance alike. While most people familiar with the term today seem to think sex-positivity means “enthusiasm about sex,” the origins of the phrase were not focused on how sexually adventurous a person is, but more about addressing a sex-negative culture.

“I believe that many people have missed the mark on what sex positivity really is, which can become quite problematic, especially when looking to cultivate an in-depth embrace of diversity to our activism work,” Duran explained.

Held in Atlanta, GA this year from September 6 – 8, Sex Down South is a sexuality conference created by and centering around people of color. The event was designed to be accessible and relevant to the widest possible range of attendees. This year’s theme is “REBEL!: Sexual Politics in a New Era.

This will be Duran’s second time speaking at the annual conference. Duran hopes that awareness of Sex Down South will continue to spread, especially to people who don’t typically see themselves represented in many spaces.

“Supporting Sex Down South is immensely important to both myself personally as well as Good Vibrations and Babeland,” Duran said.

“As a fat, trans, queer sex educator of color, I know what it’s like to walk into a space and feel like only part of you belongs. I know what it’s like to not see others that look like you at the table. And I also know what it’s like when society’s standard of beauty means that only those deemed as ‘mainstream attractive’ get a platform to discuss sexuality. Sex Down South is one of the few places where I don’t have to feel this way, and I am forever grateful and honored to be a part of this event,”

“[Sex Down South is] more than a conference — it’s a little taste of how things should be.”