Sexapalooza: The Other 60 Crayon Colours

Last time I talked about buying sex accessories in the comfort of your home, this week I’m taking sex toys to a more public place.

Sexapalooza, on this weekend at the Careport Centre in Hamilton, is a sex convention.  

Venders from all sexual markets, from bed sheets to anal beads, fill a convention hall to showcase their merchandise. There are workshops to learn about spanking and introducing kink into your sex life. There are demos and videos demonstrating the products (in a fully clothed way). There are stage shows featuring burlesque dancers and strippers (who keep their clothes on!).
All of this for the price of admission and leaving your inhibitions in the car.

First, let me dispel some of the assumptions you might have about a sex convention:

There are not people having sex littered throughout the hall

• They wait until they get home (or the car) to try out their newly purchased items.

The people there are not dirty, old men in trench coats or heroin addicts

• The consumers and vendors are everyday people just looking to expand on their sex life.

Not all of the vendors are selling double-sided dildos

• Some are selling romantic trips to the Caribbean or burlesque head pieces. There is even a booth for the incredible Adopt a Clitoris foundation.

People do not walk around naked

• Some in S&M leather or painted tops, but mostly everyone wears jeans and a t-shirt.

There are not protesters outside yelling “FOR SHAME!”

• Both inside and outside, people are friendly and chatty. In fact, I actually got my ticket for the Toronto show for free from a friendly couple leaving the convention.

The people who attend Sexapalloza, or its Fall counterpart The Everything to do with Sex Show, are everyday, fully functioning, sexually aware/curious/intelligent/open human beings. People of all races, genders, age (19+) and sexual orientation peruse the aisles looking for their niche accessory. Maybe it’s leather handcuffs with clips to hang from the ceiling; maybe it’s bodices and tights with that sexy line up the back; or maybe it’s just some good ol’ fashion lube.
The point is to supply the accessories for your sexual interests and expose you to markets that you may have not considered before.

Sexapalooza is another step towards positively normalizing and mainstreaming sex. It showcases the diverse, fun, safe and clean side of sex in a public venue. These conventions show you that there are so many options aside from missionary. A speaker at a workshop I attended said “Great sex is like when you’re a kid, only colouring with the four crayons they give you; then you find out there are 60 other colours!”

So whether you brave the convention scene or not, try to introduce the other colours into your bedroom. You’d be surprised to find out what you’re in to.