As we launch into another season of Can't Stop the Serenity, you may find yourself being asked why you attend these events and what your support means. You may even be asking this of yourself. Can't Stop the Serenity is not just about watching Serenity on the big screen, enjoying the company of Browncoats, and winning prizes is raffles, contests and auctions. It's much bigger than that.

Being part of Can't Stop the Serenity – as an organizer, a sponsor or an attendee - means that you are helping to put a stop to violence and discrimination. By using your voice and opening your wallet, you are helping to change the world for the better. For each friend you tell about the work of Equality Now, you are adding a voice to the chorus for change. For every dollar that you spend on tickets, merchandise and donate, you are giving Equality Now the ability to make change happen.

It's the people at Equality Now and their partners who do the really hard work, who help rebuild the lives of women and girls who have experienced horrific treatment at the hands of individuals and governments, and who fight to change the communities and laws to protect instead of injure. And by giving generously of your time, energy and money, you give them the power to do what they've been called to do.

But what exactly does Equality Now do? This month, we’d like to highlight one of the areas where Equality Now has been working for change.

Alma is a survivor of commercial sex exploitation, coerced into prostitution by the owner of a bar near a US military base in the Philippines. Alma’s story is the first in a series of Survivor Stories. Each month, a new story will be published at www.equalitynow.org/survivorstories amplifying survivor's voices to expose coercion, trafficking and sexual abuse in Cambodia, Brazil, Germany, Iceland, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, Uganda, the US, and the UK. The series highlights the work of anti-trafficking advocates around the world and offers online actions readers can take to support global efforts against the multi-billion-dollar trafficking industry. The Survivor Stories series aims to firmly establish the link between trafficking and how it fuels the large and diverse commercial sex industry. Equality Now and its partners are committed to reducing the demand for commercial sex by advancing policies that criminalize buyers of sex while decriminalizing those who are sold for sex and providing them with support services.

In the 2012 year, Can't Stop The Serenity raised $110,465.98 for Equality Now and 19 other charities. This brings our total to over $800,000.00 U.S. over the last 7 years. New cities joined the cause and we had events in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States

With Equality Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, we are especially pleased to be able to donate in this banner year.

We deeply appreciate your commitment and generosity in helping us to support the rights of women and girls worldwide.

As the CSTS 2012 season comes to a close, we've got one last piece of awesome to share with you. Thanks to a whole host of fantastic Browncoats, we're excited to announce the 2012 Can't Stop the Serenity Global Auction! It starts Saturday Nov. 3rd and runs till the following Saturday, Nov. 10th. We'll announce the URL soon.

Here's a sneak peek at some of the items up for grabs...

• Jane Espenson donated two shooting scripts for the Firefly episode Shindig which she wrote. Can anyone resist bidding on these? We don't think so!

• For Christmas 2008 Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan gave the Buffy crew a fanny pack with the name of the show, Sarah & Alyson's names and the date embroidered on the pack. This unused and unusual piece of memorabilia could be yours.
• How about turning one wall into Serenity? With the 48 inch wallpaper from QMX of this Firefly class ship, it would be easy.
• Maybe your walls are better suited to posters- two different full sized Avengers posters, to be precise.
• Possibly you only have room for 9 intricately knitted dolls of our Big Damn Heroes. They could be yours.

This hardly touches all the great items that are being auctioned off. Stay tuned for more details and a very big thanks to Fanporium Auctions for running this one again.

Proceeds will be donated to Equality Now

We asked our sponsors why they support Can't Stop The Serenity.

Wendy Scott of the UK podcast Sending a Wave answers:

Personally speaking, I think Mal Reynolds pretty much hit the nail on the head when he said "It ain't about you, Jayne. It's about what they need" at the end of "Jaynestown" and I believe that the same can apply to CSTS in that it was created to support a charity that truly acts on the global stage bringing issues, distasteful and disturbing, that would normally pass the news agencies by whether it be how women are depicted in video games for the domestic Japanese market to the rape laws of Morocco.
Equality Now continues its work both diligently and tenaciously giving women a voice in countries where they either have none or it is a scared whisper to those whose society ought to know better.

Sending A Wave supports Can't Stop The Serenity as it is our fandom's annual opportunity to stand tall, metaphorically join hands across the planet in the knowledge that our efforts will allow EN to be a Big Damn Hero to a girl or woman who thought no one would care.

Happy Birthday Joss Whedon!

To Celebrate Joss' birthday we have 9 Screening events going on this weekend in three countries.

Saturday, June 23 starts off in Gateshead, U.K. at 10 a.m. with Serenity, an auction and an awesome sale of film posters including Cabin in the Woods and Avengers Assemble before everyone heads to a shindig for more fun including a tough Whedonverse quiz!

Gloucester, UK's screening is special as they have a couple of speakers from Equality Now. This is Equality Now's 20th Anniversary so their talk is sure to be interesting! Dr. Horrible is also showing, there is a silent auction and they expect to set up a live link with another CSTS city.

Both UK events will have themed cupcakes!

Across the pond in Canada, Toronto opens their doors at noon. Their Serenity screening is followed by what is always a loud and lively auction with some unique items including a set of nesting dolls that have to be seen to be believed. A shindig rounds out the day.

Down in Norfolk, VA, the Tidewater Browncoats have lots planned in a very short time including Fan Favorite Mikey Mason. Can they squeeze Serenity, Dr. Horrible, Mikey, & some sales all into 4 hours? Go see!

Zipping north of the border, Edmonton starts their event at noon. Their event includes an evil laugh contest, costume contest, Serenity, Dr. Horrible, live auction, and silent auction. This year, the theatre they are renting is offering discounted tickets for CSTS attendees to see Comic Con IV: A Fan's Hope which is showing following the CSTS event.

New York City is offering a screening of Serenity along with a dinner/dance, auction, door prizes and costume contest at the Jing Fong Restaurant in Chinatown. Ticket Sales end on June 21st @ 5PM & will not be available at the door.

The day ends and the new day begins in Boston with the 7th annual midnight showing of Serenity at the Coolidge Theater. Brush up on your trivia. There will be questions!

June 24th has two screenings. Glastonbury, U.K. is showing both Serenity and Dr. Horrible. The CSTS event is part of a larger film festival.

The weekend is bookended at the birthplace of Can't Stop The Serenity. The Portland Oregon Browncoats have a Guild Marathon on Friday June 22nd and the Serenity event on Sunday which includes a special showing of Out of Gas.

If you go to any of these events, let us know how everything went on our forums, & if you didn't, check back to see what else is going on with CSTS.

When I Speak was performed at Equality Now's 20th Anniversary Celebration. It was written by Joss Whedon and performed by three young women who embody just one of the many struggles women and girls face everyday in countries around the world. It is a stark and moving reminder of why Can't Stop The Serenity supports Equality Now.