CHICAGO (March 31, 2016) – Sex educator and Wicked Pictures contract performer jessica drake will explore the controversial topic of slut shaming at CatalystCon Midwest, on Saturday, April 2 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago. She will speak from 3 to 4 p.m. as part of a panel titled, “Slut-Shaming: Taking on Intolerance About Our Open, Unashamed Sexualities,” located in the hotel’s Rosemont Ballroom.

“I’m very excited to join so many activists, sex educators, sex workers, and adult industry members once again for CatalystCon,” drake said. “I bring yet another voice to this much needed discussion on the topic of slut-shaming, or the harmful, judgmental finger-pointing against women. Year after year, this continues to be an important subject, and with each panel we hope to further open the lines of education and communication.”

The acclaimed activist and sex educator will share her views and experiences on working in the adult industry, as well as supporting a woman’s right to express her sexuality in a positive and responsible manner. She will also discuss her work as a sex educator and host of the popular instructional sex series “jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex,” distributed by Wicked Pictures.

To read the official panel description via CatalystCon’s website, click here.

The Saturday panel includes Sexologist Carol Queen, writer and podcaster Katie Mack, and burlesque artist Zyra Lee Vanity.

In addition to the panel, jessica drake will act as coordinator for the Pre-Con Sex Worker Meet Up. “In years past, I have been a secret sponsor of the Pre-Con Sex Worker Meet Up, but at this Catalyst I have taken over as coordinator,” explained drake. “This event provides a great safe space for Sex Workers past and present, building support and community. In Chicago there will be some changes in the structure of the meet up, but don’t worry, the dessert bar will always be there! We love our allies, but this event is open only to active and former Sex Workers – please RSVP.”

CatalystCon Midwest, scheduled from April 1-3, is held each year to inspire conversation about sexuality by bringing together sex educators, sexologists, sex workers, sex therapists, writers, and others.

The Hyatt Regency O’Hare is located at 9300 Bryn Mawr Ave. Rosemont, IL 60018.

Three-time AVN Best Actress winner and sexual wellness authority jessica drake brings erotic topics to life through intimate demonstrations performed by some of today’s hottest adult stars in her instructional series, “jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex.” The stimulating sequences are sensual, provocative, and enlivened by an informative optional audio commentary. In each volume of “Guide to Wicked Sex,” writer, producer, director, and host jessica drake addresses a different aspect of human sexuality, ranging from Fellatio and Anal to BDSM, Striptease, and Plus Size sex. The series’ volume on Fellatio earned AVN’s 2012 Best Educational Release trophy, “Anal” was named XBIZ’s 2012 Specialty Release of the Year, “Anal Sex for Men” received AVN’s 2014 Best Educational Release award, and “Plus Size” earned XBIZ’s 2015 Specialty Release of the Year. In order to further spread the word about healthy sexuality, drake released the digital magazine “jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex” in 2016, which ranks her among Oprah, Martha Stewart, and Rachel Ray, as the only celeb-branded magazines on the market. Whether through her movies, articles, or live workshops, jessica explores all sex-related topics with the same distinct blend of knowledge, experience, and good humor leading popular culture site Uproxx.com to write, “drake’s career and fan-base put her in a unique position to talk about sex with authority, to breakdown stigmas, and to bring important conversations (like consent) to the fore. Here’s the best part: it seems to be helping people.” The AVN Awards named jessica drake its Mainstream Star of the Year in 2016 for her work educating people on how to have a healthier and happier sex life. For more information, visit www.GuideToWickedSex.com, www.Facebook.com/GuideToWickedSex, www.Twitter.com/Guide2WickedSex, or http://jessicadrake.skinmagz.com.

CatalystCon is a conference created to inspire exceptional conversations about sexuality. It is about reaching out and stimulating those who attend to create those important conversations in their own communities, changing how we as a society talk and treat sexuality. It is about stimulating the activist that is within all of us and sparking transformation in the way friends, neighbors, children and even politicians discuss one of the most important aspects of humanity. Founder/Creator Dee Dennis regards this conference as a “melting pot of sexuality” that will unite sex educators, sexologists, sex workers, writers, activists, those in the adult industry and anyone with a passion for creating change. “Knowledge is power, and sharing that knowledge is the first spark in igniting change.” This is the fundamental principle behind CatalystCon. For more information, visit http://catalystcon.com.