Hugz & Cuddlez
| Predecessor | Spoonz |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2021 |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Purpose | Touch-positive movement |
| Headquarters | Redmond, Washington |
Region served | United States |
Founder | Erez Ben-Ari |
| Website | hugzandcuddlez |
The Hugz & Cuddlez community, formerly known as The Spoonz Community, is a volunteer-based, non-profit social organization based in Washington State. It organizes weekly events that focus on group-cuddling as a social activity. Hugz & Cuddlez hosts events at 10 locations throughout the Pacific Northwest, primarily in the city of Redmond, Washington. It started operating in September 2019 as Spoonz, at a dedicated space in Seattle, and following the COVID-19 Global pandemic, shifted its operations to create weekly pop-up events at numerous locations, starting in May 2021.[1]
Mission[edit]
Hugz & Cuddlez' mission and vision are to promote touch-positivity in the United States by creating a safe and nurturing space for its members to meet, connect and socialize in an inclusive, non-judgmental environment where healthy touch is encouraged and supported.[2]
Membership and activities[edit]
Hugz & Cuddlez operates throughout the Pacific Northwest, hosting events primarily in Redmond, Washington, as well as Tukwila, Auburn, Lake Stevens, Bremerton, Olympia, Seattle, and Woodinville.[3] The events are free of charge, except those at the Tukwila locations, which charge a nominal admission fee. The events are operated by volunteers, and supported partially by donations from community members and partially by the organizations' founder Erez Ben-Ari, a well-known philanthropist and activist in the region.[4]
The events are open to all, but admittance require guests to go through a personal 1:1 vetting process which serves to protect the community from individuals who might jeopardize the safety, climate or atmosphere of the events, as well as provide candidates with information about the events; and a discussion of the conduct and values the community upholds, such as consent and respect of boundaries. The majority of the membership are also members of the regional LGBTQ community and polyamory community, and while the events are not sex-focused, they are considered to be part of the regional sex-positive community.[5]
History, closure and revival[edit]
After joining Seattle's Center for Sex Positive Culture (CSPC) in 2016, Hugz & Cuddlez founder Erez Ben-Ari began hosting group-cuddle events at The Streamhouse, an event-venue serving the regional sex-positive community since 2016.[6] Benari approached the owner in 2018 and suggested creating such an event. The event was titled "Canoodling" and met with a high level of success, drawing as many as 120 participants, and becoming a bi-weekly event. In late 2019, Benari departed the Streamhouse and created his own venue, called "Spoonz" at the Ding-How commercial center in Seattle's international district. Spoonz opened on September 6, 2019, and hosted 2–3 events weekly until March 2020, when most businesses in the county were required to close due to the emerging COVID-19 global pandemic.[7]
Once COVID restrictions were lifted in the region in mid-2021, Benari restarted hosting group-cuddle events in a pop-up model, at 10 locations throughout the region, under the new name Hugz & Cuddlez. Hugz & Cuddlez hosts 4–10 events per month, drawing 20–40 participants each.[8][9][10]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Jones, Maya (28 December 2021). "With COVID restrictions relaxed, Seattle cuddle club sees spike in interest". Social Lifestyle Magazine.
- ↑ "About Hugz & Cuddlez". Hugz & Cuddlez.
- ↑ "Hugz & Cuddlez invites people to a group cuddling event - tonight in Olympia". Jolt. 23 July 2021.
- ↑ "Chosen Family Law Center To Receive Generous Donation From Seattle Engineer". Cupertino Times. 24 November 2021.
- ↑ Milana, Charlote (16 December 2021). "The Art of Consent and Safety in the Group Cuddling Community". Northwest Magazine.
- ↑ Francis, Bryan (5 February 2022). "Sex positivity in the Pacific Northwest". First Washington News.
- ↑ Honda, Kirk (2 March 2020). "Our cuddling needs". Psychology in Seattle.
- ↑ Milana, Charlotte (7 September 2021). "Healthy Relationships Develop for Erez and his Open Heart". New York Metropolitan Magazine.
- ↑ "Puget Sound Cuddle group hosts record-breaking cuddle pile". Small Business Ideas 2022. 9 February 2022.
- ↑ Bryan Francis (5 February 2022). "Sex positivity in the Pacific Northwest". First Washington News.
External links[edit]
This article "Hugz & Cuddlez" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Hugz & Cuddlez. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
- 2021 establishments in Washington (state)
- Human sexuality organizations
- LGBT organizations in the United States
- Non-profit organizations based in Seattle
- Polyamory
- Organizations established in 2021
- Buildings and structures in Seattle
- Clubs and societies in the United States
- Organizations based in Seattle
- Downtown Seattle
- Sex positivism
- Washington (state) culture
