Haven for the Human Amoeba - sign up for the 20th anniversary livestream, 11 October 2020

[michaeld]

Hey all!

Who here has heard of Haven for the Human Amoeba, the first major online ace community? It was an email list that preceded the AVEN forums by over a year. It contained much early ace discourse that informs much of the language and notions we take for granted today in the ace community.

 

We plan to hold a livestream on Sunday 11 October celebrating the 20th anniversary of HHA. The livestream will be held at 1400 EST, 1800 UTC/Zulu, 1900 UK, 2000 CET on 11 October, and will feature Yasmin Benoit, David Jay, with special guests including LaurenTheFlute. Other participants are still to be confirmed.

 

To sign up please fill in https://forms.gle/3A9sRAnQXD3e7vZZ9

 

We also have a facebook page https://facebook.com/events/341950557133843/ (thanks @kelico!)

 

There will be a chance to post questions, and afterwards there will be a chance for participants to take part in small group virtual discussions about some of the issues raised.

 

Although the event will be a major trip down memory lane, we intend it to be relevant to today as well. Several of us have been researching the HHA archives over the last few weeks and have found a lot that is still highly topical. Some of the themes we may be exploring include the grey area in early discourse, early intersections of asexuality with trans identity and the emergence of romantic orientations and other ace vocabulary.

 

We hope to make 12 October an annual celebration of ace history, not just HHA (though we're concentrating on HHA this year as it's the 20th anniversary). We're going to call 12 October Asexual History Day (or Ace History Day), and encourage everyone to share interesting titbits of ace history on this day.

 

(Note: ace history day will be 12 October generally, but the HHA celebration is 11 October as that's a Sunday this year.)

 

One of the helpers for this event would also like to collect an anthology of creative submissions inspired by the HHA archives we will talk about on 11 October. If you'd like to learn more, please PM me or indicate interest on the form given above.

 

We hope to see some of you on 11 October!

[Sennkestra]

Do you know if the livestream will be recorded? I know it's also National Coming Out Day that day are there might be a lot going on, so I'm wondering if there will be ways for folks to also watch later if they have schedule conflicts.

[michaeld]

Definitely want to record it, because this should be a lasting resource about HHA. But obviously people should watch it live if they can, as that'll give a chance to participate.

 

To be clear, we plan Ace History Day to be 12 Oct not 11 Oct, precisely because 11 Oct is NCOD. Also 12 Oct aligns with AVED, the original proposal to have an ace vis/ed celebration on the anniversary. (The original AVED fell by the wayside pretty much, being overtaken by AAW etc.) Effectively we're just proposing to rebrand AVED as Ace History Day.

 

(As far as the actual founding goes, HHA could have been said to be founded either on 11 Oct or 12 Oct depending on timezones. In the Americas it was 11 Oct and in most of Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania it was 12 Oct.)

[Diana DeLuna]

On what platform will this be streaming? So far I haven't got an email with further instructions, so I am still unclear on that....

[michaeld]

It'll be streamed on youtube tomorrow at 1900 UK time / 1400 EST. We'll email out the link to those signed up later today!

[Diana DeLuna]

Oh hooray, YouTube! I did sign up but just hadn't seen further info yet. 🙂

[Kimmie.]

A quick question why do we have to sign up?

Isn't that just a way to shut out people from outside the community to learn to?

Just curious.🙂

[michaeld]

We like to see who is coming! And it allows us to send out a reminder email...

 

Anyone can sign up, whether inside or outside the community. While I agree outreach is important, I think this event is more internal, aimed at people familiar with asexuality but who may know little or nothing about Haven for the Human Amoeba (or indeed what ace discourse was like 20 years ago).

[LeChat]

Thanks, for asking your question, @Kimmie.! I've also wondered why some online, AVEN events want others to sign up, rather than having the event openly out there, for others to access.

 

Although ace discourse back then felt a little intimidating, for me, because most members at the time were in college or in grad school (private ones) and there didn't seem to be any members from a lower-income background, like me, whose parents/relatives hadn't attended college--and they were writing/discussing several college topics I didn't know about--I appreciated how they were into education and trying to learn and gather as much info they'd come across about asexuality, as much as possible.

 

That's why it surprises and bothers me a bit at reading others criticize the early founders and members, when they were trying to be friendly and laid back, at times, but also very much into learning and trying to educate themselves as best they could, trying to gather info about asexual during their free time while attending school.

 

If it hadn't been for them, sharing things they'd come across or learned in college or grad school, I wouldn't have come across the term "asexuality" at all, from anyone else, where I lived, due to living in an area where many people didn't attend college, where education wasn't as advanced, compared to other, wealthier areas/states. So, that's why I'm grateful that they developed a website (AVEN), had discussions and shared articles, etc. about asexuality, research, etc. They didn't have to share any information they were learning at school--or coming across--to others; they could've chosen to keep the info to themselves, only among their own classmates, but they chose to share it.

[Kimmie.]

18 minutes ago, michaeld said:

We like to see who is coming! And it allows us to send out a reminder email...

 

Anyone can sign up, whether inside or outside the community. While I agree outreach is important, I think this event is more internal, aimed at people familiar with asexuality but who may know little or nothing about Haven for the Human Amoeba (or indeed what ace discourse was like 20 years ago).

Okay thanks for the answer.

The thing is I am not a fan giving out my email address anymore. To many hacking attempts over the years.

[LeChat]

@Kimmie. Yeah. I understand what you mean; I don't like receiving spam or having so much email.

 

 It's gotten a lot better, for me, not giving out an email address to many places/companies, which they then aren't able to give it out to other companies (who'd also send spam, too).

[Diana DeLuna]

55 minutes ago, LeChat said:

Thanks, for asking your question, @Kimmie.! I've also wondered why some online, AVEN events want others to sign up, rather than having the event openly out there, for others to access.

 

Although ace discourse back then felt a little intimidating, for me, because most members at the time were in college or in grad school (private ones) and there didn't seem to be any members from a lower-income background, like me, whose parents/relatives hadn't attended college--and they were writing/discussing several college topics I didn't know about--I appreciated how they were into education and trying to learn and gather as much info they'd come across about asexuality, as much as possible.

 

That's why it surprises and bothers me a bit at reading others criticize the early founders and members, when they were trying to be friendly and laid back, at times, but also very much into learning and trying to educate themselves as best they could, trying to gather info about asexual during their free time while attending school.

 

If it hadn't been for them, sharing things they'd come across or learned in college or grad school, I wouldn't have come across the term "asexuality" at all, from anyone else, where I lived, due to living in an area where many people didn't attend college, where education wasn't as advanced, compared to other, wealthier areas/states. So, that's why I'm grateful that they developed a website (AVEN), had discussions and shared articles, etc. about asexuality, research, etc. They didn't have to share any information they were learning at school--or coming across--to others; they could've chosen to keep the info to themselves, only among their own classmates, but they chose to share it.

For me it was uncomfortable too. I was fortunate enough to attend college, but that was the stone age when LGBTQ+ was merely LG and nothing else.  By the time I heard about asexuality, I was already in my very late 20s. My best school friends were already dead. I was working in a grocery store, living in a poor neighborhood where I could afford, and was very intellectually isolated. Learning about asexuality through my one alternative media magazine I subscribed to--full of revolutionary progressive ideas that were titillating but so distant and unreal--did not square with the world around me where I was frequently badgered and shamed for not being married and having babies. 

 

I remember the HHA, but don't think I was ever on the email list. Accessing stuff like that through dial-up internet wasn't easy. Could not afford a computer with a faster modem, and I didn't have a printer! For some reason, it all made me feel more alone rather than less.

 

If the HHA event tomorrow is on YouTube, doesn't that mean it will be available to everyone anyway?

[michaeld]

16 hours ago, Diana DeLuna said:

If the HHA event tomorrow is on YouTube, doesn't that mean it will be available to everyone anyway?

Yep! Here is the channel it'll be on. You should be able to see the event already, due to start in about 7.5hrs.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNGdR787fwF7BxC5yMwIPEg

[scarletlatitude]

Just shared it to the AVENues page.  

 

If there is a recording, I look forward to hearing it. 

[Kelly]

It starts in one hour!

 

Mic's link, or:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMU5NfydaJs

[Eutierria]

Will pop by for a bit but may need to head off early & catch-up later (exhausted, need rest). Goodluck to everyone involved! 

[Carsonspire]

I'm watching this live now. Thank you to all the organizers! Talk about a walk down memory lane!

[Skycaptain]

I'm not ignoring this, for some reason I can't sign in 

[Carsonspire]

3 minutes ago, Skycaptain said:

I'm not ignoring this, for some reason I can't sign in 

Try this (you don't have to sign in): 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMU5NfydaJs&ab_channel=AVENLivestreams

[Skycaptain]

Sorry, it doesn't work 

[Eutierria]

So glad romantic aces are getting air time.

[Eutierria]

14 minutes ago, Skycaptain said:

I'm not ignoring this, for some reason I can't sign in

@michaeld @Spookghetti CatCan either of you assist? 

[Eutierria]

@Skycaptain Does this work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMU5NfydaJs

[Blaiddmelyn]

14 minutes ago, Skycaptain said:

Sorry, it doesn't work 

Maybe try searching for Aven Livestreams on YouTube and seeing if you can watch from there?

[Spaghetti Cat]

Search for the livestream on YT "Haven for the Human Amoeba: 20th anniversary livestream"

[Janus DarkFox]

Embedding is turned off for the video, Editing Video Settings there's usually an option to enable it there.  The link works and goes to youtube direct, it isn't embed enabled.  An uploader usually has reasons not to embed enable a video. 

[will123]

I finally looked into what this was about. 

 

Thank you David Jay for starting AVEN. Thankfully I found out about asexuality and AVEN in 2005. How long would AVEN have been around at this point?

[michaeld]

Phew we got there!!! Despite some tech hitches along the way, and an unexpected mandatory duck. Sorry you couldn't connect @Skycaptain but you can watch it back now if you want; the video is still there!

[Skycaptain]

@michaeld, thanks. I may well do tonight 

[Diana DeLuna]

THE DUCK was awesome. Thanks, @michaeld for the invite. I was there through the panel part, but was unable to join the "airmeet" smaller discussion afterwards. I hope that part was as fun and enlightening as the panel! 💜