San Francisco's Live Masturbate-A-Thon Participants Seek New World Records On May 15th, 2004

May is National Masturbation Month, and for the past several years people have been encouraged to "come for a cause" at the Masturbate-A-Thon: participants get like-minded friends to pledge money for every minute they masturbate on National Masturbation Day, and funds raised are donated to a non-profit that supports sexual health or sex education. Good Vibrations, originator of the Masturbate-A-Thon, and its sister stores have raised over $25.000.00 for sex-positive charities, and this year will be no exception: pledge forms can be downloaded at www.goodvibes.com to participate.

This year's recipient organization is Center For Sex And Culture, a young non-profit which seeks to start a sexuality library and archive and which hosts classes and informational cultural events about sex. Good Vibrations' Masturbate-A-Thons have always been private events; people masturbated in privacy, as most people do. But The Center For Sex And Culture (which originated the Live Masturbate-A-Thon) is located in San Francisco, where appropriate venues exist to do usually-private things in public. Hence CSC will sponsor its third annual Live Masturbate-A-Thon on May 15th, 2004.

Located at a 245 Eighth St. in the SOMA district with plenty of room for women and men to gather separately and together, the group Masturbate-A-Thon will feature a women-only room, a men-only room, and mixed space for couples and singles. (Transsexual participants may choose their preferred room according to their own gender identity.) Separate rooms will be established for a live webcast, and people who enter must sign a release and show ID. No photos will be taken except by permission. A break area with refreshments will also be available. Participants must be 18 and over, and no drugs or alcohol will be allowed.

While The Center For Sex And Culture does not encourage competitive sexual behavior as a matter of course, Masturbate-A-Thon participants who choose to do so can compete for four separate titles. They are: Longest Time Masturbating (we will allow five minutes per hour for water, food, and bathroom breaks; remember that the current record is over six hours, so participants aiming for this prize are suggested to register at 5 p.m.); Largest Group Wank (this refers to groups who register together and stay in their group; each member will receive a prize); Most Money Raised; and Most Orgasms (participants attempting this record can be assigned an Orgasm Recorder to count and validate orgasms, or they can bring their own volunteer to do so). Winners will be announced on site at the end of the event and at www.Masturbate-A-Thon.com after donations clear. Winners will receive prizes donated by Good Vibrations, Titan Media, Naked Sword and other companies.

The Live Masturbate-A-Thon will be held at 245 8th Street in San Francisco. Doors open at 7 pm for general participants and the event must end at 2 a.m. Early registration is available for individuals desiring to compete for the Longest Time masturbating award. Pre-registration is encouraged, but participants may bring filled-out pledge sheets directly to the event on May 15th. People are also encouraged to pledge themselves. Pledge sheets can be downloaded at www.masturbate-a-thon.com/pages/register.html. Registration at the door is $40.00; those who pre-register before May 10th can pay $34.50. Checks should be made out to Center for Sex & Culture (or CSC) and be sent to CSC, 2215-R Market Street, San Francisco CA 94114. Funds from the Live Masturbate-A-Thon and from Good Vibrations's private masturbate-a-thon will assist the Center for Sex and Culture in funding for its library, archive and classes.

Special Guests are Michael Brandon, Nautica Thorn, Carol Queen, Michelle Tea and Kim Airs

"The singlemost orgasmic event of the year": Annie Sprinkle, PhD.