A band of outlaws is headed towards the nation's capital! Of course it could be argued that a band of outlaws has already set up shop in the nation's capital, but that's a different story. This band of outlaws is all about the pleasures of sex. Admittedly, it could be argued this still doesn't serve to distinguish the subjects of our story from the usual suspects on Capitol Hill, so perhaps further specificity is required: This Friday, September 23, 2011, the Woodhull Freedom Alliance will celebrate Sexual Freedom Day in Washington DC, and their agenda includes a scandalous flaunting of sexually diverse perspectives. Here, perhaps, is the key distinction: The sexual outlaws in town this Friday don't hide in closets, and they don't expound their views from behind the bunkers of anonymous internet usernames. Instead, they take their stand openly and on the record as they defend the notion that sexual freedom is a fundamental human right.
Take Diana Adams, for example. Ms. Adams is a sexual civil rights attorney who believes that “family” extends beyond the traditional nuclear arrangement centered on heterosexual monogamy. She is active, for example, in the marriage reform movement, fighting to protect polyamorous people, LGBTQ people, and others who are legally disadvantaged because of their unconventional erotic interests. Diana is also one of the contributors to the “State of Sexual Freedom in the United States, 2011 Report.”
Or consider the work of Ajamu Baraka, an internationally recognized leader of the emerging human rights movement in the U.S. Mr. Baraka was honored by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as one of 300 human rights defenders from around the world who were brought together to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Adams and Baraka are among the half-dozen panelists who will be focusing on freedom of speech and sexual expression in an afternoon event entitled “Sexual Outlaws: The Prohibition of Pleasure”. The members of the panel will discuss such timely issues as “Weinergate”, sexting legislation, nontraditional marriage, reproductive rights, sexual orientation, gender identification, internet escort services, Craigslist, sex work of all kinds, and sexual health.
In the evening there will also be a Sexual Freedom Gala and Awards Ceremony hosted by Carol Queen and Nina Hartley with entertainment by Pamala Stanley.
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