Well, it's a sci-fi con. I'm willing to bet that a certain amount of partial dressedness was the norm.
We're not just talking about kissing or massages in public. We're talking about touching a part of the body that is, in Western Culture, for better or for ill, an erogenous zone. Also, everyone has their own definition of lurid.
How about this: A newbie to cons in general and this con in particular, sees men (and women) walking up to women (and men), speaking to them, and then touching them in ways that they personally would be uncomfortable being touched. At first, seeing one or two people doing this, they would likely think this was something certain groups of friends/possible lovers did. It would possibly make said newbie uncomfortable, but as their presumptive general philosophy is YKIOK, they would handle their discomfort by looking away or whathaveyou.
Seeing these sorts of requesting going on con-wide, or in unexpected places at the con, could result in their wondering if they were going to be expected to participate. Since our hypothetical newbie is uncomfortable touching strangers or being touched by them, this could result in their never returning to that particular con, or any con, based on that particular experience of con-culture.
Yes, people touch "inappropriately" elsewhere, and no, I don't think that (short of scaring the horses) interpersonal touching should be prevented or necessarily regulated as you seem to be implying in your first paragraph. I'm not remotely suggesting that SOs or close friends should not express affection with each other in public. But my body is my own, and (no more newbie now) I have no desire to be asked if some strange person can touch me, on any piece of my body that might please them to want to touch. "I don't know your mind, but your body is beautiful" is just another way of saying "your mind doesn't matter to me. I only want the parts of you that please me."
(Because we're sharing: the point where my shoulder meets my neck is an erogenous zone for me, and I've had sharp words with co-workers who insist on giving me unrequested massages.)
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branchandroot
Re: the Open-source Boob Project
Date: 2008-04-22 04:32 pm (UTC)We're not just talking about kissing or massages in public. We're talking about touching a part of the body that is, in Western Culture, for better or for ill, an erogenous zone. Also, everyone has their own definition of lurid.
How about this: A newbie to cons in general and this con in particular, sees men (and women) walking up to women (and men), speaking to them, and then touching them in ways that they personally would be uncomfortable being touched. At first, seeing one or two people doing this, they would likely think this was something certain groups of friends/possible lovers did. It would possibly make said newbie uncomfortable, but as their presumptive general philosophy is YKIOK, they would handle their discomfort by looking away or whathaveyou.
Seeing these sorts of requesting going on con-wide, or in unexpected places at the con, could result in their wondering if they were going to be expected to participate. Since our hypothetical newbie is uncomfortable touching strangers or being touched by them, this could result in their never returning to that particular con, or any con, based on that particular experience of con-culture.
Yes, people touch "inappropriately" elsewhere, and no, I don't think that (short of scaring the horses) interpersonal touching should be prevented or necessarily regulated as you seem to be implying in your first paragraph. I'm not remotely suggesting that SOs or close friends should not express affection with each other in public. But my body is my own, and (no more newbie now) I have no desire to be asked if some strange person can touch me, on any piece of my body that might please them to want to touch. "I don't know your mind, but your body is beautiful" is just another way of saying "your mind doesn't matter to me. I only want the parts of you that please me."
(Because we're sharing: the point where my shoulder meets my neck is an erogenous zone for me, and I've had sharp words with co-workers who insist on giving me unrequested massages.)