An author’s lecture will be a part of two conferences focusing on awareness of sexuality issues Friday.

Cecilia Tan, an erotic sadomasochistic science fiction writer, will speak at 8 p.m. Friday in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union about the intersection between bisexuality, writing and identity.

Her talk will end the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Alliance Awareness Days and will start off the 2004 Bisexual Empowerment Conference: A Uniting, Supportive Experience, also called BECAUSE 2004, which will take place in Ames this weekend.

Tan, who lives in Cambridge, Mass., is also an editor, a sexual activist, and the media relations director for the New England Leather Alliance, according to her Web site, www.ceciliatan.com. She is the author of “Black Feathers,” “The Velderet” and “Telepaths Don’t Need Safewords.”

This week, the LGBTAA has been holding events around campus to raise awareness.

Todd Herriott, LGBTAA adviser and program coordinator of the Dean of Students Office, spoke at a rally Tuesday that attracted 20 to 25 people.

Herriott said he spoke about a number of things that scare him concerning LGBTAA issues. He said he is worried about the increasing complacency of students and has heard a number of people question the need for awareness days and rallies.

“I’m in awe of how much progress has been made,” Herriott said. “But I’m also surprised at the number of people who question if we need to keep doing things like this.”

The awareness days will end Friday, the same day that BECAUSE 2004 begins. Victor Raymond, graduate student in sociology and one of the steering committee members of BECAUSE 2004, said this is the 13th annual BECAUSE conference. It is usually held somewhere in the Midwest, but usually in a larger metropolitan area such as Minneapolis or Madison, Wisc.

The theme of BECAUSE 2004 is “Words to Live Bi.” Raymond said because Tan is a bisexual writer, she will be a good person to help explore the theme.

He said although the attendance of the conference will be less than in previous years because of the location of the conference, he is glad that it is taking place in Iowa.

“It’s building awareness of an issue that often goes ignored,” Raymond said.

Most people think that gays, lesbians, and bisexuals are all the same, but they are not, Raymond said.

“Bisexuality has a diverse set of issues and this conference will help to educate people in Iowa,” he said.