CatalystCon East Announces Keynote Speakers

ARLINGTON, VA — Sexuality conference CatalystCon has announced its opening and closing keynote speakers for CatalystCon East, to take place in Arlington, Virginia, March 14-16.

The event’s keynote plenary address is: Sparking Communication in Sexuality, Activism and Acceptance." The panel will include Melissa Gira Grant, Del Tashlin, Lauren Marie Fleming and Mo Beasley, and will once again be moderated by Tristan Taormino. The panelists will address the ongoing debates over sexuality at the local, national and global levels and discuss how they’ve created their own sparks and been catalysts for change.

"The four letter word I'm most likely to overuse these days is 'work.’ So I'm psyched that CatalystCon is hosting several conversations about the work of sex work, and honored to be joining the Opening Keynote," Grant said, who will also be presenting a session on the work of sex work and holding a signing for her new book.

PhD sexologist, author and artist Betty Dodson will deliver the closing Keynote Plenary Address. Dodson will be interviewed by sexologist and friend Carol Queen about her decades of sex-positive activism.

"I couldn't be more excited about talking onstage with Betty Dodson — she is my hero and one of the most significant people ever in grassroots sex education and culture change,” Queen said. “We'll cover her life as a fine artist, masturbation advocate, author and muse to the sex-positive feminist community."

More information on both of the keynote talks can be found here.

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Besharam CEO Raj Armani Featured in Cosmopolitan Inda Magazine Brand Showcase

Raj Armani, co-founder and CEO of Indian pleasure brand Besharam, was recently featured in a full-page brand showcase advertorial in Cosmopolitan India Magazine.

Aneros Rolls Out Media Platform for Retailers, Industry Partners

Aneros has launched its new Aneros Media Website, a digital platform to centralize the company's educational resources, product training, point-of-sale materials, and marketing assets for its retailers, distributors, and industry partners.

Liberator Debuts 3 Curated 'Kinkmas Box' Holiday Pleasure Product Bundles

Lifestyle pleasure brand Liberator has introduced Kinkmas Boxes, three curated holiday product bundles for couples.

Paradise to Introduce 3 New Additions to 'Illumination' Line at Sex Expo in January

Paradise Pleasure Products will debut three new additions to its LED-enhanced Illumination collection at Sex Expo, taking place Jan. 7-10 in L.A.

Brent Aldon, Erik Vasquez to Return as Hosts of 2027 XBIZ Awards, Pleasure and Retail Edition

Aneros Director of Sales and Marketing Brent Aldon and Sliquid VP of Marketing Erik Vasquez will once again bring their signature showmanship to the stage as co-hosts of the 2027 XBIZ Awards, on Jan. 9 at Avalon Hollywood.

b-Vibe Anal Academy Adds Clinician-Reviewed Training Guides

COTR has released a new set of clinician-reviewed educational guides through its b-Vibe Anal Academy platform.

East Coast News Taps Paul Reutershan for Business Development Manager

Paul Reutershan has joined East Coast News (ECN) as its new business development manager, returning to the company where he began his career in 2002.

Beisar Debuts 'Pixel' Anal Vibe

Beisar has introduced its Pixel three-function anal vibrator.

Xgen Expands Bodywand Line With 2 New Vibes

Xgen Products has added two new bullet vibrators to its Bodywand collection.

Womanizer Introduces 'Snap' Micro Stimulator

Womanizer has debuted its new Snap stimulator, billed as the smallest pleasure product the company has released.

Show More