Voices of the Vampire Community (VVC)
Public Meeting – March 22, 2011
http://www.veritasvosliberabit.com/vvc.html
Attendees (15):BoxDweller – The Pumpkin Order
Corvis Nocturnum – Dark Moon Press & Independent Representative
Deacon Gray – House of the Dreaming (HotD) & Graveyard Press
Ithril - Independent Representative
Lono – PsychicVampire.org
Mairi – ShadowLore
Merticus – Atlanta Vampire Alliance (AVA) & Suscitatio Enterprises, LLC
Mistress Mikyla – Vampire Church & Independent Representative
NyteMuse – House Rosa
Rune – House Rosa
SphynxCatVP – SphynxCatVP Real Vampires Support Site
Sylvere ap Leanan – Real Vampires Community Alliance (RVCA)
The Pink Lady – Vampirism eList
Vyrdolak – By Light Unseen
Zero – Atlanta Vampire Alliance (AVA) & Suscitatio Enterprises, LLC
Discussion Agenda:I. Meeting Info & IntroductionsWelcome to the first public meeting of Voices of the Vampire Community (VVC) for 2011. If you have not attended a VVC meeting before or are reading this for the first time please briefly take note of how this meeting will be conducted. The transcript from tonight’s meeting is being logged and will be made publicly available.
Topics will be presented in the order they appear on the agenda (VVC members may refer to the forum or their e-mail for tonight’s schedule). Please do not skip ahead and please do not suggest discussion of items not on the agenda until at the end of each major discussion topic.
Feel free to speak your mind on any and all topics in a civil manner and offer any supporting information, links, or material as needed. Thank you for coming and now let’s begin!
II. Background & IntroductionVVC was founded January 2006.
The purpose of the Voices of the Vampire Community (VVC) is to develop friendly relations among the various Houses, Covens, Orders, and other organizations of the vampire community; to encourage cooperation in solving community related problems and in promoting respect for the views, ideas, and opinions of others without seeking to establish a unifying or governing body; and to be a center for harmonizing the actions of groups in attaining these ends. – August 8, 2006
Voices Of The Vampire Community (VVC) does not assert itself as the exclusive organization of leaders or notable persons in the vampi(y)re community nor do we view ourselves or our actions as legislative or authoritarian.
The members of the VVC are representative of multiple groups, Houses, Orders, paths, beliefs, and segments of the vampi(y)re community who meet and are able to put aside personal differences to work together to discuss, suggest, implement, and support projects, ideas, and other intellectual works that help to improve the overall community.
For more information please visit our web site at:
http://www.veritasvosliberabit.com/vvc.htmlWe are available to answer questions through the community feedback form available at the site above.
III. DiscussionAs a departure from the specific matters we discuss in business meetings, tonight’s meeting will take a broader and more relevant approach to the vampi(y)re community. Opinions offered from members of the VVC who are unable to attend tonight’s meeting will be posted first after the asking of each question. All present members please allow time for this to occur prior to posting your own response. Just as a reminder, conversation is to be kept civil, statements or claims backed by example where necessary, and in cases of insuperable disagreements; a concession between parties to respectfully agree to disagree.
Let’s start the evening with these questions:
a. Sang/Psi Separation - A Two-Part Question: There has recently been a resurgence in debate and discussion across the vampire community regarding the differences in manifestations or personal interpretation of vampirism, most notably sanguinarian and psychic/psi feeding methods. (1) What are your thoughts about the creation of "type specific" forums or groups? (2) Do you think the division of the community into two or three distinct segments would improve or hinder the overall study and understanding of one's personal vampirism?
b. Custody Battles Where Vampirism Is A Factor - A Two-Part Question: (1) In light of the growing awareness of custody battles affecting self-identified vampires and donors where community involvement and/or the practice of vampirism is a factor, what can be done to help safeguard against or minimize the impact vampirism has in such situations? (2) What can be done, if anything, to protect oneself against reprisals by spouses, loved ones, or even third-parties should they choose to present evidence to the court of blood drinking and other vampiric practices?
c. Academic Interpretations Of The Vampire Community & Real Vampirism: Historically, the general public's awareness of and information about the vampire community and real vampirism has typically come from sensationalist media attention and literary works from colourful personalities on the fringes of or labeled to be associated with the vampire community and from high-profile individuals within the vampire community. More recently, several academics have started to garner attention, usually presenting less sensational, primarily external perspectives. These are typically of greater influence on the views of those in the outside world than perspectives generated internally. (1) How does this impact the external view of the community and vampirism (positively or negatively)? (2) In what ways can we impact what information and perspectives those outside the community are presented with?
d. Strengthening Ties With Other Communities - A Three-Part Question: There is a high degree of overlap between the vampire community and some other identity groups and subcultures (such as the Pagan, Wiccan, BDSM, and GLBT communities) both in terms of issues within and outside perspectives of our communities and in crossover of membership or self-identification. (1) Should we try to strengthen those ties and what would be the benefits and disadvantages of doing so? (2) In what ways could those connections be strengthened? (3) What could we learn from the Pagan, Wiccan, BDSM, and GLBT communities that we could apply towards community building efforts within our own community?
e. Other topics you’d like to bring up for discussion?
IV. Business Reminders
