Woodhull Freedom Foundation, also known as Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance, is an American

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

founded in 2003 that advocates for sexual freedom as a

fundamental Fundamental may refer to: * Foundation of reality * Fundamental frequency, as in music or phonetics, often referred to as simply a "fundamental" * Fundamentalism, the belief in, and usually the strict adherence to, the simple or "fundamental" idea ...

human right Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hum ...

. The organization is based 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, ...

, United States. Named after an influential member of the American woman's suffrage movement,

Victoria Woodhull Victoria Claflin Woodhull, later Victoria Woodhull Martin (September 23, 1838 – June 9, 1927), was an American leader of the women's suffrage movement who ran for President of the United States in the 1872 election. While many historians ...

, its focus includes analyzing groups and individuals that seek to perpetuate a culture of

sexual repression Sexual repression is a state in which a person is prevented from expressing their own sexuality. Sexual repression is often linked with feelings of guilt or shame being associated with sexual impulses. Defining characteristics and practices ass ...

. Sexual Freedom Day, officially recognized in 2011 in Washington, DC, and held every September 23, celebrates the birthday of Victoria Woodhull. The Woodhull Freedom Foundation (WFF) has held the Sexual Freedom Summit annually since 2010. Organization members have included

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

activist Jeffrey Montgomery, former chairwoman of the

United States Commission on Civil Rights The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (CCR) is a bipartisan, independent commission of the United States federal government, created by the Civil Rights Act of 1957 during the Eisenhower administration, that is charged with the responsibility fo ...

Mary Frances Berry Mary Frances Berry (born February 17, 1938) is an American historian, writer, lawyer, activist and professor who focuses on U.S. constitutional and legal, African-American history. Berry is the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Tho ...

, writer

Eric Rofes Eric Rofes (August 31, 1954 – June 26, 2006) was a gay activist, educator, and author. He was a director of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center in the 1980s. In 1989, he became executive director of the Shanti Project, a nonprofit AIDS se ...

, lawyer

Lawrence G. Walters Lawrence G. Walters (born 11 November 1963) is an American First Amendment attorney and anti-censorship advocate. He is the head of the Walters Law Group, focusing on First Amendment and Internet law, and has served as an Adjunct Professor of L ...

, and activist

Dan Massey Dan Massey (December 26, 1942 – January 28, 2013) was an American LGBT rights/sexual freedom activist, scientist, author, blogger, and fundraiser based in Washington, D.C. He was a co-founder and CEO of VenusPlusX. A graduate of Massachusetts ...

. In the furtherance of activities relating to its goals, the organization has allied itself with groups including the

Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), formerly known as the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, is a non-profit civil liberties group founded in 1999 with the aim of protecting free speech rights on college campu ...

, the

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force The National LGBTQ Task Force is an American social justice advocacy non-profit organizing the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Also known as The Task Force, the organization supports ac ...

, the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...

, the

Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance (GLAA) of Washington, D.C. is a United States nonprofit organization, not-for-profit organization that works to secure legal rights for gays and lesbians in the District of Columbia. GLAA is a non-partisan ad ...

, the Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University,

National Coalition Against Censorship The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), founded in 1974, is an alliance of 50 American non-profit organizations, including literary, artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil liberties groups. NCAC is a New York-bas ...

, the

Heartland Institute The Heartland Institute is an American conservative and libertarian public policy think tank known for its rejection of both the scientific consensus on climate change and the negative health impacts of smoking. Founded in 1984, it worked wit ...

National Association of Scholars The National Association of Scholars (NAS) is an American non-profit politically conservative advocacy organization, with a particular interest in education. It opposes a perceived political correctness on college campuses and supports a return ...

, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, Accuracy in Academia, and the

American Council of Trustees and Alumni The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is a conservative non-profit organization whose stated mission is to "support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure t ...

. An

academic paper Academic publishing is the subfield of publishing which distributes academic research and scholarship. Most academic work is published in academic journal articles, books or theses. The part of academic written output that is not formally pub ...

in the ''

Journal of Homosexuality The ''Journal of Homosexuality'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering research into sexual practices and gender roles in their cultural, historical, interpersonal, and modern social contexts. History The founding editor-in-chief was C ...

'' characterized the organization as one "that addresses both international and national sexual freedom issues as well as a host of other health and human rights issues."

History

Foundation: 2003

The organization was founded in 2003 with the name Woodhull Freedom Foundation. It began with a focus on global and domestic human rights, specifically looking at sexual freedom. It is named for

(18381927), the first woman to own a company on Wall Street and to run for

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

. Its focus includes examining the stakeholders that maintain a climate of

. The organization releases an annual report in September on "Sexual Freedom Day" called the "State of Sexual Freedom", which describes goals towards increasing sexual freedom. Woodhull's public relations representative Jeffrey Montgomery told the ''

Washington Blade The ''Washington Blade'' is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) newspaper in the Washington metropolitan area. The ''Blade'' is the oldest LGBT newspaper in the United States and third largest by circulation, behind the ''Philadelphi ...

'' that their goals intersected with human rights: "Woodhull is the organization at the intersection of all sexual freedom issues because of the common core value of fundamental human rights. ... Without sexual freedom all personal freedoms are at risk." Woodhull tracks laws and regulations pertaining to sexual activity in the United States.

Early activities: 2004–2009

In 2004, Woodhull joined with the

in devoting resources towards analyzing old regulations used to harass

people. The purpose of the study was to analyze existing regulations in the United States with regards to sexual activity, and simultaneously to foster ties between those against sexual repression and LGBT organizations. In 2005, Woodhull again coordinated with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in order to organize an event known as "Red, White and Leather for Independence Day", in which over 30 leather bars in 17 cities took part. Writer

served on the board of Woodhull before passing away in 2006. In 2007, its Sexual Freedom Day was commemorated with a discussion group examining the idea of sexual freedom as a segment of human rights. Sexual Freedom Day took place in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, as the first event of its kind on October 6, 2007 and included "a fund raiser featuring the Peek-a-Boo Revue and DJ Johanna Constantine and DJ Roots and Groove." 2011 Vicki Sexual Freedom Award recipients

2011 Vicki Sexual Freedom Award recipients

In July 2008, when the

American Family Foundation The International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) is a non-profit anti-cult organization focusing on groups it defines as "cultic" and their processes. It publishes the ''International Journal of Cultic Studies'' and other materials. History ...

called for a

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...

boycott after the fast food restaurant said it would join the

National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is a U.S. not-for-profit advocacy group that aims to expand the economic opportunities and advancement of the LGBT business community. Its headquarters are in NW in Washington, D.C. NGLCC is the e ...

, Woodhull's executive director announced a "buycott" asking those interested in supporting the restaurant to purchase additional meals. Woodhull joined with the

and other groups in 2009 on an

amici curiae An ''amicus curiae'' (; ) is an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. The decision on ...

brief before the

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

in the case, '' Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations''.alternate link
/ref> On November 29, 2009, the Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend (CLAW) organized a leather dance reception in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

, so as to raise money for charitable purposes to assist the activities of Woodhull.

Recent work: 2010–present

The organization gave its 2010 Victoria Woodhull Sexual Freedom Award on September 23 of that year to Kushaba Moses Mworeko, an individual from

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

who sought

asylum Asylum may refer to: Types of asylum * Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome * Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute * Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

due to his

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...

. Author

Hardy Haberman Hardy Haberman (born July 27, 1950) is an American author, filmmaker, educator, designer living in Dallas, Texas. He is a prominent figure in the leather/fetish/BDSM community, and a frequent speaker at leather events and contests. In the mid-19 ...

was a board member of Woodhull in 2011. On November 17, 2011, Woodhull worked with the DC Trans Coalition, the

Gender Rights Maryland Gender Rights Maryland is an American civil rights and advocacy organization serving Maryland's transgender community. Gender Rights Maryland's mission is to "aid in the advancement, achievement and protection of the civil rights of transpeople th ...

, Get Equal DC, Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS), the Rainbow Response Coalition, and Transgender Health Empowerment to form a coalition sponsoring a "Transgender Day of Action" in

, that highlights examples of mistreatment of

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...

people by

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules Rule or ruling may refer to: Education ...

. The event served as a precursor to the

Transgender Day of Remembrance The Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR), also known as the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, has been observed annually (from its inception) on November 20 as a day to memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transp ...

which followed on November 20. In January 2012, the organization joined with other groups including the Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University,

, the

, Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom, Feminists for Free Expression, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, Accuracy in Academia, and the

to send a letter asking the

U.S. Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...

Office for Civil Rights The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is a sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Education that is primarily focused on enforcing civil rights laws prohibiting schools from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex ...

to use the precedent of the 1999 ''Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education'' case to apply a definition of harassment for academic institutions (so as not to harm freedom of speech). In 2012,

Buck Angel Buck Angel (born June 5, 1962) is an American pornographic film actor, producer and sex educator. He is the founder of the media production company Buck Angel Entertainment. A transsexual man, he received the 2007 AVN Award as Transsexual Perfo ...

served on the organization's Board of Directors of the organization, and

sexologist Sexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, behaviors, and functions. The term ''sexology'' does not generally refer to the non-scientific study of sexuality, such as social criticism. Sexologists a ...

Megan Andelloux served as an advisory board member.

was the

general counsel A general counsel, also known as chief counsel or chief legal officer (CLO), is the chief in-house lawyer for a company or a governmental department. In a company, the person holding the position typically reports directly to the CEO, and their ...

for Woodhull in 2012. On June 28, 2018, attorneys for Woodhull filed the first legal challenge to the unconstitutional SESTA/FOSTA legislation. According to Ricci Levy, President & CEO of Woodhull, "FOSTA chills sexual speech and harms sex workers. It makes it harder for people to take care of and protect themselves". In August 2019, Woodhull'
Sexual Freedom Summit celebrated
its 10th Anniversary.

Reception

by Susan Wright in the ''

'' about those who faced discrimination due to sadomasochism (SM) described Woodhull as an organization "that addresses both international and national sexual freedom issues as well as a host of other health and human rights issues." Wright noted Woodhull dedicates its focus towards changing regulations and existing laws.

Vicki Sexual Freedom Awards

2022 * Shanna Katz Kattarri * Al Vernacchio 2020 * Cyndee Clay * Joan Price 2019 *

Kate Kendell Kate Kendell (born Kathryn Dean Kendell, April 15, 1960) is the former Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), a national legal organization that fights for the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and ...

* Nadine Smith 2018 * Caroline Bettinger-López *

Mia Mingus Mia Mingus is an American writer, educator, and community organizer who focuses on issues of disability justice. She is known for coining the term "access intimacy". She advocates for disability studies and activism to centralize the experiences o ...

2017 * Willie J. Parker, MD, MPH, MSc * Loretta J. Ross 2016 * Megan Andelloux * Kenyon Farrow *

Carol Leigh Carol Leigh (January 11, 1951 – November 16, 2022), also known as The Scarlot Harlot, was an American artist, author, filmmaker, and sex workers' rights activist. She is credited with coining the term ''sex work'' and founded the ''Sex Worker ...

* Dr.Scout 2015 * John D'Emilio * Diego Miguel Sanchez * Monica Raye Simpson 2014 *

Carol Queen Carol Queen (born 1957) is an American author, editor, sociologist, and sexologist active in the sex-positive feminism movement. Queen is a two time Grand Marshal of San Francisco LGBTQ Pride. Queen has written on human sexuality in books such a ...

Cory Silverberg Cory Silverberg is a Canadian sex educator, author, public speaker, blogger and founding member of Come As You Are. Silverberg is Jewish, and grew up in a "middle class liberal Canadian home in the '70s." A certified sex educator and former c ...

* Pam Spaulding 2013 * Nobel Peace Prize nominee Mandy Carter *

Heather Corinna Heather Corinna (born April 18, 1970) is an author, activist, and Internet publisher with a focus on progressive, affirming sexuality. Corinna is a self-described "queer, rabblerousing, polymath." Corinna is non-binary and has advocated for acce ...

* Matt Foreman 2012 *

Amber Hollibaugh Amber L. Hollibaugh (born 1946) is an American writer, filmmaker and political activist, largely concerned with feminist and sexual politics. Career and writings Hollibaugh is the daughter of a dark-skinned Romany father, and a white Irish-Ame ...

* Jeffrey Montgomery * Dr.

Esther Perel Esther Perel (born 1958) is a Belgian-American psychotherapist, known for her work on human relationships. Perel promoted the concept of "erotic intelligence" in her book ''Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence'' (2006), which has ...

2011 * Ajamu Baraka * First Amendment attorney Robert (Bob) Corn-Revere * Carmen Vasquez 2010 * Deborah Taj * Bina Aspen *

Martine Rothblatt Martine Aliana Rothblatt (born October 10, 1954) is an American lawyer, author, entrepreneur, and transgender rights advocate. Rothblatt graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with J.D. and M.B.A. degrees in 1981, then began to wor ...

* Kushaba "Moses" Mworenko * Susan Wright

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Freedom of speech, LGBT, Human sexuality, United States Sexuality in the United States Civil liberties in the United States Privacy organizations Human rights organizations based in the United States Charities based in Washington, D.C.

History

Foundation: 2003

Early activities: 2004–2009

Recent work: 2010–present

Reception

Vicki Sexual Freedom Awards

See also

References

Further reading

External links