Sex Rights Rally washout & shambles (4)

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Gordon did attend in full Commanders uniform 20 minutes earlier than the start time of noon. Having never been to the "Bandstand" in Regents Park before finding the place was not made easier by any information given by the event organisers,(or in this case not given). Clearly if you want good attendance to any event, maps and directions to the location are of paramount importance making attendance easy. Poor information equals poor attendance. Apart from the organiser Dr.Tuppy Owens and her assistant, the speakers who were as follows: Dr Antony Lempert, Sir Guy of The Tawsingham Community and The Other Pony Club, Jane Fae (formerly John Ozimek),and myself representing CAAN and Clair Lewis, and 3 or 4 other people who showed up to see what was going on, and a few hundred ducks ...... that was it !!

True the weather was more suited to the ducks and geese, (they were certainly enjoying the rain and the cold wind) and that for sure would not help attendance figures. But not to have even a small audience is an indication that something is severely wrong with the organisation and publicity.

It is such a shame that this weekend has really been a missed opportunity to properly promote the rights of the oppressed. I have no doubt the intentions are charitable and well meant, but serious mistakes have been made in the organisation and planning. So many people have given time voluntarily to make this event work and they have been let down.

My main concern is the difficulty in finding information quickly and easily. It took a lot of searching to find for instance the "dress code" which was well hidden in the book of delights. The address was listed as 33a Bermondsey Street on the "Cable" website and 3 Holyrood Court on the Erotic Awards.

However finding the event was the least of the problems.

The “Erotic Awards Event” is quote “a Fund raising event for “Outsiders” a charity that helps disabled people”. It was publicised as a “disabled friendly environment but sadly, this was far from the truth. The award ceremony started way behind schedule, and was to say the least patronising and insulting. The reason I say this is that all the able bodied winners were interviewed on stage and had a chance to say a few words about their work. Clair was really looking forward to talking about her work, but because she was in a wheelchair by the side of the stage, neither was she asked if she could come up to accept it or given the opportunity of speaking. More over the trophy was passed second-hand to her off the stage. For someone who had put so much effort into supporting this cause, and had travelled so far,to be sidelined in this way is inexcusable. But it get worse, having decided to try to leave the stage area, she had to fight through a jungle of chairs and obstructions to get out. That does not sound like wheelchair accessible to me!

My comments have been passed on personally this morning to Dr. Owens, who seemed shocked at the incident.

This truly is a time to learn from mistakes. None of us are perfect, but if we can use this in a positive manner to avoid issues like this in future it will enhance and improve the event enormously.

The Commander

This thread is the first I have heard about this rally. That may be one indication of why it was so poorly attended.

"There's no D/s in Team" (Sparks, V., 2009, pers. comm.)

Thanks for that....yes publicity was poor.

I still found it useful, making a few new friends e.g. for the guy from the campaign for a secular approach to medicine. I learned about things I'd never appreciated before.

It does need some serious publicity welly behind it, more stage management, organisation and good weather would help too.

If anyone is prepared to take the lead on something like it, then good luck to them. 'Flash mob' at Speakers' Corner, perhaps? It doesn't necessarily have to be associated with Tuppy Owens, either.

In fact a 'politically neutral, but sympathetic' group or organisation that encourages a variety of single-issue campaigners have their say in public in front of hopefully press and public, may well be the way to go.

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It's of course a kick in the teeth to those who did make the effort and the organising (or in this case, found wanting), but sadly indicative of any meeting..

Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great Calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind. Aristotle