Become a Virtual Sexual Freedom Summit Sponsor

Join Woodhull Freedom Foundation as a sponsor of the Virtual Sexual Freedom Summit and enjoy the benefits of and acknowledgements from supporting the nation's only conference dedicated to building the sexual freedom movement in a human rights context.

Exciting presenters, informative programs, and diverse, engaged audiences are an integral part of our annual summit which we bring to the sexual freedom community over the course of several months. While we look forward to gathering in person in August 2022, this year we are once again holding our one-of-a-kind collection of programs online. Check out sponsorship options.

My Journey to Pride (The New York Times) 

Charles M. Blow shares what Pride means to him: “For the most part, you won’t find me on the gay magazine lists. I won’t be invited to the functions. I am not part of that version of Pride. And I am at peace with that. My version is that I like to be with the forgotten and listen to the unheard. I like to talk with the older Black queer people, who impart incredible wisdom and give invaluable perspective about how our particular path in the queer space is distinct and our stories are our own. I have found my own Pride in my own tribe, rooted in racial pride, rooted in a legacy of resilience, rooted in the power of truth and the power of community, my own community, and that community has embraced me, lifted me and loved me.” Read more

Sex work, part of the online gig economy, is a lifeline for marginalized workers (The Conversation) 

Angela Jones shares her research on online sex work: “More people are getting involved in more types of sex work, especially with the help of the internet, despite criminalization of their occupations and activist opposition, some of which threatens people’s lives. My research interviewing a wide range of sex workers finds that more people are involved in the industry, including marginalized people who are finding it a literal lifeline in tough economic times. The internet has diversified forms of sex work, aided in the industry’s growth and interconnected previously unconnected types of sex work.” Read more.

The Lack of Culturally Competent Health-Care Providers Hurts LGBTQ Folks (Rewire News Group) 

Nathalie Chara urges for culturally competent healthcare for all, including LGBTQIA+ folks: “We have all faced massive collective and individual trauma in the past year and a half, from personal and economic upheavals wrought by the COVID-19 crisis, to disturbing rises in violent anti-Black and anti-Asian racism, to an upswell of transphobic state legislation. This has a clear impact on our mental health. In fact, here at the LGBT Community Center in New York City, we’ve seen a 40 percent increase in requests for our mental health counseling services since March 2020. This spike makes clear that the time has come for a wider understanding of the queer community’s experiences of trauma and how to address it.” Read more.

Pregnant Women Allege Abuse in Texas Jails (The Appeal) 

Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg writes about abuse of pregnant women in Texas jails: “Last October, Jane was around four months pregnant when Brazoria County, Texas, jailers put her in solitary confinement, according to a letter she sent to her mother, which was viewed by The Appeal. Jailers had accused her of possessing controlled substances while in custody, her mother told The Appeal. She’d been in jail since August on a failure to appear charge, according to court records. In solitary, she was not allowed to make phone calls, buy food from the jail commissary, or even bring with her the food she had already purchased, Jane’s mother told The Appeal.” Read more.

Roe Is Going to Fall. Here’s What to Focus on Next. (Slate) 

Julie F. Kay and Kathryn Kolbert write about the future of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey: “The Supreme Court’s recent decision to review the constitutionality of Mississippi’s law banning all abortion at 15 weeks, well before viability, places Roe—and Casey—directly on the chopping block. It would be naïve to think the court could pass up this opportunity to prune Roe. In 1992, returning behind the curtain after hearing oral argument in Casey, five justices voted to overturn Roe and allow states to ban abortion. It was only a last-minute vote change by Justice Anthony Kennedy that prevented the court from taking that radical step. Today, six Supreme Court Justices are anti-abortion.” Read more.

Criminalizing Choice (Woodhull’s Sex & Politics Blog) 

Tess Joseph explains Senate Bill 8, an attack on Roe v. Wade that was recently signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott: “Elizabeth Nolan Brown explains that SB 8’s ‘main tacks are twofold’: 1) it seeks to ban abortion after the presence of a ‘fetal heartbeat’; and 2) it allows ‘almost anyone who thinks an abortion has taken place outside these parameters to sue.’ While Texas cannot enforce the ‘fetal heartbeat’ provision under Roe v. Wade, which prohibits state officials from banning abortions before ‘viability,’ Mark Joseph Stern notes that SB 8 emboldens private citizens to ‘terrify and punish patients by bankrupting those who support them.’” Read more.