I’m going to be on a panel at this year’s SXSW festival in Austin, Texas in March, thanks to Trish Bendix of AfterEllen.com. Bil Browning from the Bilerco Project will join Trish and I on the panel, and Fausto from Feast Of Fun will moderate the discussion.
The panel is Engaging the Queer Community, and the description is “A discussion on maintaining successful and active blogs and social networking sites that are geared toward the LGBT community and its niches.” It’s set for 3:30pm on Saturday, March 13th, though the location is still TBA. Some of the questions the panel will attempt to discuss are:
How do you reach new readers?
How do you utlize social networking to reach the LGBT audience?
What can web series and video blogs do for your site?
What’s the best way to balance entertainment-focused content with relevant LGBT news stories and political issues?
How do you avoid getting your site blocked because of its gay/lesbian content?
How can you manage to address several generations that are all part of the same community?
How do you build an online community without becoming a social network rather than a journalism-based site?
What is the responsibility of LGBT blogs/websites/online communities?
How should the online world of the LGBT community deal with issues on “outing”?
How can LGBT sites with specific niches manage to not offend the other parts of the community (i.e. lesbian sites covering transgender issues, etc.)
Simple! No, just kidding. This is complex stuff, but very interesting. I’ve never been to Austin or to SXSW, I’m looking forward to it, though I’m already a bit overwhelmed by the number of panels that same day and the density of the event. I’ll be traveling with Kristen, which will automatically make it better.
I know it’s really expensive to come to SXSW, so if you’re in the Austin area and would like to come say hello, I’ll be doing a Sugarbutch meetup on Saturday, March 13th, probably at a dyke bar in the evening, 8pm.
I don’t have any other events planned while I’m visiting—though if you live there and want to book me to speak at your college, queer independent feminist bookstore, or sex shop, contact me mmkay? (I know that is extremely unlikely given that SXSW is going on, but hey, who knows.)
I won’t have as much time as I’d like to explore a new city that I’ve never visited, I think it takes more than a couple days to really get a feel for the place. I will be researching dyke bars, indie bookstores, sex shops, and public parks especially—those are my favorite places to visit when I see a new place. Any recommendations for me? Where should I go while I’m there? Also, food. What are the restaurants we should not miss? Are there any good vegetarian places?
So what do you say? Will you come share some Jameson with me in Texas?
Parks: The Botanical Gardens and Zilker Park- Both are AWESOME places.
As for vegetarian places in Austin, I would recommend Kerby Lane's (several scattered throughout the city). It is not specifically vegetarian but it is vegetarian friendly.
I'm going to see if I can make it up from San Antonio for the event but unfortunately work might be taking me out of town. Have fun!
*bounce*
Sinclair in Austin? Yay!!!!
Emailing you privately.
*grin*
We? Is Kristen coming too? :)
i love trish! have fun in austin and, you know, solving the online problems of LGBTers
ps: is "getting your site blocked because of its gay/lesbian content" still an issue?
Definitely see the bats come out from under the bridge at dusk!
mount bonnell and zilker park are two really nice outdoor public park areas. mt bonnell gives a really wonderful view of the city. kerbey lane and magnolia cafe are fun 24 hr diners with lots of vegetarian options and breakfast all the time (i fucking love breakfast). there are a lot of vegetarian and vegetarian friendly restaurants, especially downtown and by UT campus. i haven't heard of sister's edge but maybe it opened after i moved… dyke bars are sadly kind of scarce in austin and i don't get why. the rusty spur is a gay (boy) country western bar that is fun though, sometimes they have line dance lessons. bookwoman is a great independent feminist woman's bookstore but i actually don't know where it is now, because it moved. go to the drag (guadalupe down on campus) for vintage clothes shops and general quirky stores and hole in the wall coffeeshops, restaurants, whatever. byob at peter pan minigolf. eat tasty food (like artichoke heart pesto pizza and other real non-movie foods), drink beer, and see a weird or mainstream movie at an alamo drafthouse. delicious cupcakes out of a festive airstream trailer at Hey Cupcake! and seriously, esther's follies on friday or saturday nights is the most hilarious sketch comedy show that's been around since forEVER — lots of texas related jokes but also just general hilarity and magic and i think it's just amazing.
i miss austin, if you couldn't tell. have a blast for me please.
If you two ever get the chance to come to Houston I would love to play tour guide. There's always something fun going on down here and I have a secret recipe for the best veggie lasagna you'll ever taste. I'm really enjoying your posts and I've learned so much already. Now if only I can talk my Butch into tying me down.;)
And if you're ever in Madison, WI….well, let us madcity dykes know, k?
uh, wow, I really wish I could attend that panel. sheesh. and you're supposed to cover all that in a coupla hours?
food: you should really do at least one round of tex-mex while you were there, and i would recommend chuy's — yes it's a regional chain, but it has numerous clearly labeled veggie options, the margaritas are good, and they put more effort into fresh ingredients than the other tex-mex chains.
i would also recommend a meal, preferably brunch, at Mother's, which is all-veggie…shiner and a gardenburger is a delicious combination but hard to get outside the home! kerbey lane is a little blah to me, esp. if you're used to new york diners with good food and personality, but YMMV.
if you have the time/weather permits, would also recommend checking out: Hippie Hollow (only clothing-optional park in TX), any of the parks/hiking trails along Lake Travis or the Colo. River, Antone's (blues club, the original music venue on 6th street), Stubb's (another music venue that also serves good barbecue), bookwoman as someone noted above, and bookpeople (general indie bookstore).
i miss austin!!
Try contacting Book People to see about doing a reading there. I bet they'd be into it. Also, any old cafe/bar/venue might work too. Most immediately, Cafe Mundi & Ria Rita's come to mind as probably easy to fit in an awesome writer. & Do not miss going to the bear bar, The Chain Drive. Say hi to the Queertasticks & Kings N Things, too!!