Dorchen A. Leidholdt is an activist and leader in the

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

movement against

violence against women Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), are violent acts primarily or exclusively committed against women or girls, usually by men or boys. Such violence is often consi ...

. Since the mid-1970s, she has counseled and advocated for

rape victim Rape is a traumatic experience that affects the victim (also known as 'survivor') in a physical, psychological, and sociological way. Even though the effects and aftermath of rape differentiate among victims, individuals tend to suffer from simil ...

s, organized against "the media's promotion of violence against women", served on the legal team for the plaintiff in a precedent-setting

sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...

case, founded an international

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

fighting prostitution and trafficking in women and children, directed the nation's largest legal services program for victims of

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

, advocated for the enactment and implementation of laws that further the rights of abused women, and represented hundreds of women victimized by

intimate partner violence Intimate partner violence (IPV) is domestic violence by a current or former spouse or partner in an intimate relationship against the other spouse or partner. IPV can take a number of forms, including physical, verbal, emotional, economic and sex ...

human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...

, the threat of

honor killing An honor killing (American English), honour killing (Commonwealth English), or shame killing is the murder of an individual, either an outsider or a member of a family, by someone seeking to protect what they see as the dignity and honor of t ...

female genital mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

, forced and

child marriage Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between a child under a certain age – typically 18 years – and an adult or another child. * * * * The vast majority of child marriages are between a female child and a ma ...

, and the internet bride trade. Leidholdt has lectured internationally on issues of violence against women, and has published articles, book chapters, and two anthologies.

Education

Leidholdt hold a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

, and a JD degree from

New York University School of Law New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in New ...

, where she was a Root-Tilden-Snow scholar.

Past career

From 1975 to 1977, Leidholdt counseled rape victims as a graduate student at the

and, after moving to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in 1978, became an activist with the Women's Anti-Rape Coalition, the educational arm of New York Women Against Rape. From 1978 through 1980, she was a member of the New York City Chapter of Women Against Violence Against Women (WAVAW did not have "leaders"; nor did WAVAW advocate censorship like Dorchen did). Leidholdt is known for her campaigns against pornography and for her suit against ''

Hustler Hustler or hustlers may also refer to: Professions * Hustler, an American slang word, e.g., for a: ** Con man, a practitioner of confidence tricks ** Drug dealer, seller of illegal drugs ** Male prostitute ** Pimp ** Business man, more gener ...

'' magazine publisher

Larry Flynt Larry Claxton Flynt Jr. (; November 1, 1942 – February 10, 2021) was an American publisher and the president of Larry Flynt Publications (LFP). LFP mainly produces pornographic magazines, such as ''Hustler'', pornographic videos, and three por ...

. In 1979, after ''Hustler Magazine'' published an issue whose cover showed a naked female body being fed through a meat grinder, she joined

Susan Brownmiller Susan Brownmiller (born Susan Warhaftig; February 15, 1935) is an American journalist, author and feminist activist best known for her 1975 book '' Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape'', which was selected by The New York Public Library as o ...

Dolores Alexander Dolores Alexander (August 10, 1931 – May 13, 2008) was a lesbian feminist, writer, and reporter. Alexander was the only executive director of the National Organization for Women (NOW) to have resigned because of the homophobic beliefs in the ...

(Past President of the

National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...

), and other New York City women's rights leaders in founding the feminist organization,

Women Against Pornography Women Against Pornography (WAP) was a radical feminist activist group based out of New York City that was influential in the anti-pornography movement of the late 1970s and the 1980s. WAP was the most well known feminist anti-pornography group out ...

(WAP). From 1979 through 1983, she served as a leader and spokesperson for WAP, during which time she joined

Gloria Steinem Gloria Marie Steinem (; born March 25, 1934) is an American journalist and social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism Second-wave feminism was a period of feminist activity that began in ...

and other feminist leaders in initiating a suit against ''Hustler'' and

, appeared on numerous television and radio programs, organized educational events, and spoke in

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

before the

U.S. Attorney General The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

's Commission on Pornography (a.k.a. The Meese Commission) at the commission's invitation. There Leidholdt testified, "Pornography perpetuates the devaluation of women. It sexualizes bigotry, promotes rape and undermines women's self esteem." Flynt published an attack on her in the magazine's "

Asshole The word ''asshole'' (in North American English) or arsehole (in all other major varieties of the English language), is a vulgarism used to describe the anus, and often used pejoratively (as a type of synecdoche) to refer to people. History ...

of the Month" column (July 1985). In 1987, at

, she was the lead organizer of the conference, "The Sexual Liberals and the Attack on Feminism", and in 1988, she was the lead organizer of the first global conference on trafficking in women and girls. Leidholdt is an opponent of "

sex-positive feminism Sex-positive feminism, also known as pro-sex feminism, sex-radical feminism, or sexually liberal feminism, is a feminist movement centering on the idea that sexual freedom is an essential component of women's freedom. Sex-positive feminism cen ...

". Her main argument is that

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

is exploitative towards women and has historically benefited men, not women.

Current career

Leidholdt is the Director of the Center for Battered Women's Legal Services at

Sanctuary for Families Sanctuary for Families is a New York City-based non-profit organization dedicated to aiding victims of domestic violence and their children. Founded in 1984, its services include crisis intervention, emergency and transitional shelter, legal ass ...

. Under Leidholdt's leadership since 1994, the center has become the largest legal services program for

victims in the country. It has grown from two to twenty-four lawyers and eight support staff members, and has strengthened its advocacy efforts on behalf of under-served populations of women, especially those in New York City's immigrant communities. The center has spearheaded state litigation that set new legal precedent expanding the protections available to domestic violence victims petitioning for orders of protection and federal litigation preventing child protective agencies from charging battered mothers with "engaging in domestic violence". Leidholdt also serves as a board member of the

Coalition Against Trafficking in Women The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) is an international non-governmental organization opposing human trafficking, prostitution, and other forms of commercial sex. Views CATW is rooted in a feminist point of view. Its definition of ...

(CATW), which she helped found in 1988. She has represented the Coalition at numerous international meetings, including the

World Conference on Human Rights The World Conference on Human Rights was held by the United Nations in Vienna, Austria, on 14 to 25 June 1993. It was the first human rights conference held since the end of the Cold War. The main result of the conference was the Vienna Declarati ...

(

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, 1993) and the

Fourth World Conference on Women The Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace was the name given for a conference convened by the United Nations during 4–15 September 1995 in Beijing, China. At this conference, governments from around the ...

(

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, 1995). On 6 December 1996, in a special session commemorating the

abolition of slavery Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

, Leidholdt and a survivor of sex trafficking together addressed the

General Assembly of the United Nations The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...

. Leidholdt has taught

Criminal Procedure Criminal procedure is the adjudication process of the criminal law. While criminal procedure differs dramatically by jurisdiction, the process generally begins with a formal criminal charge with the person on trial either being free on bail or ...

at City University School of Law, and, since 1998, has taught Domestic Violence and the Law at

Columbia University School of Law Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...

Activism

In 1990, Leidholdt became an associate of the

Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press (WIFP) is an American nonprofit publishing organization that was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1972. The organization works to increase media democracy and strengthen independent media. Mo Basic infor ...

(WIFP). WIFP is an American nonprofit publishing organization. The organization works to increase communication between women and connect the public with forms of women-based media.

Awards and honors

* United Nations Capitol Association Human Rights Award (1994), *The

New York City Bar Association The New York City Bar Association (City Bar), founded in 1870, is a voluntary association of lawyers and law students. Since 1896, the organization, formally known as the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, has been headquartered in a ...

's Legal Services Award (1999) *The Korean-American Family Service Center's Recognition Award (1999) *The City of New York Award for "outstanding leadership in breaking the cycle of domestic violence" (1999) *

Public Interest Law Foundation Award for "outstanding contributions in public interest law" (2000) *The Lawyers Committee Against Domestic Violence "In the Trenches" Award (2000) *The "Women of Power and Influence" Award by the

—New York City Chapter (2002) * League of Women Voters of the City of New York "Woman of Distinction" Award (2007) * New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, "30 Years 30 Leaders" Award (2008) *

New York University Law School New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in New ...

Alumna of the Month Award (February 2008)Alumna of the Month February 2009
/ref>

Selected publications

Books

* ::Essays which originated as speeches and panel presentations at a conference on April 6, 1987, at the New York University Law School * *

Book chapters

* * * * Leidholdt, Dorchen; Goodman, Jill Laurie, Lawyer's manual on domestic violence: representing the victim (PDF) (5th ed.), New York: Appellate Division, First Department, Supreme Court of the State of New York.

Journal articles

Notable court cases

*Dorchen Leidholdt vs. ''

'' Magazine, 647 F. Supp. 1283 (D. Wyo. 1986) *Dorchen Leidholdt vs.

, 860 F.2d 890 (9th Cir. 1988)

References

External links

Biographical sketch of Leidholdt
at the

official site.
"Prosecuting The Batterer Without The Victim's Approval"
by Emily Jane Goodman, ''Gotham Gazette'', June 2003.
"Demand and Debate"
speech by Leidholdt providing a "history of

CATW The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) is an international non-governmental organization opposing human trafficking, prostitution, and other forms of commercial sex. Views CATW is rooted in a feminist point of view. Its definition of ...

and the feminist understanding of trafficking and prostitution."
New York's Choking Loophole

op-ed An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page", is a written prose piece, typically published by a North-American newspaper or magazine, which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board. O ...

for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' by Leidholdt and Jane Manning (3 March 2010)
"Successfully Prosecuting Sex Traffickers"
— Leidholdt's testimony before the

United States House Committee on the Judiciary The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, a ...

hearing on "Combating Modern Slavery: Reauthorization of Anti-Trafficking Programs" (1 November 2007)
Brief bio and contact information for Leidholdt
at the

official site. {{DEFAULTSORT:Leidholdt, Dorchen 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers Activists against female genital mutilation American feminists American legal scholars Anti-pornography feminists Anti-prostitution feminists Feminist studies scholars Living people New York University School of Law alumni University of Virginia alumni Women legal scholars Place of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people)