Tonight, we just returned from the opening of Momentum, a weekend about “making waves in sexuality, feminism, and relationships through new media.”

First up, sex positivity stars Jenny Block, Tristan Taormino, Reid Mihalko, and Carol Queen (pictured left to right above with moderator Lynn Comella on the far right). The fivesome talked and took questions about the role of sexuality in today’s culture and what all of us can do to generate conversations about sexuality that fit into daily life.

The best half hour of the night was stolen, though, by the stand-up stylings of Maria Falzone. According to the write up, this was an abbreviated version of Falzone’s “SEX RULES,” an act she performs all over the country, talking about “serious sexual subjects in a frank and funny manner” resulting in a few hundred people laughing uncontrollably.

We’ll keep you updated on the sold-out weekend (#mcon). Based on the diverse audience this conference has brought to Washington, D.C., it should be very interesting. In a sex-positive world, sex work is respected, and a lot of Saturday and Sunday’s sessions will delve into taking this work out in the sunlight. One of the campaigns Team COLUMBIA at venusplusx.org has started this year has to do with just that.

Decriminalization or legalization of the oldest profession is long overdue in this country. In Washington, DC, one of just a handful of locales with truly progressive human rights laws, we are participating in a multi-year campaign starting with satisfying immediate public health needs and full access to health care, zero tolerance for all forms “survival sex” and human trafficking and slavery, and the full-on creation of a legitimate, out-of-the-shadows “sexual healing” industry, licensed, regulated, and even unionized to serve interested clientele out of the shadow of criminality and shame. Like, “By the way, dear, I’m stopping off for a sexual healing session right after my yoga class.”

If you are interested in getting involved, please write to Dan or Alison at columbia@venusplusx.org.