If I'm going to a party or a gathering where I know that in advance, I'm always more comfortable knowing that. I can walk into a party filled with random people, and be sitting in a corner on my own. But if I walk into a party filled with, say computer geeks, or scifi geeks, or RPG geeks, then I know how to get a conversation started.

Maybe at a party like this, the common interest isn't necessarily easy conversation material in and of itself, but simply knowing that it is a common interest should count for something in at least making you feel more comfortable, more like you can be yourself without being judged for anything.

You can't point at another woman and say, "She's got a nice rack" without people looking at you weird. Make that count for something. :-D