Bi-Weekly Sexual Freedom Newsletter
Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Woodhull’s Legal Challenge to FOSTA/SESTA (Peepshow Podcast) 

In Episode 48 of the Peepshow Podcast, hosts Jessie Sage and PJ Sage interview Woodhull Freedom Foundation President/CEO Ricci Levy and Attorney Larry Walters, one of the attorneys representing Woodhull in the lawsuit challenging FOSTA in courts. “Given the lack of definition and vagueness of the law, this is something that has chilled tremendous amount of speech as we all have seen. Lots of websites have gone dark, many websites have moderated content, removed content, taken down profiles and users, and at the end of the day, sex workers are paying a very heavy price.” Listen here.

The rise of anti-trans “radical” feminists, explained (Vox)

Katelyn Burns explores the bigotry of trans exclusionary radical feminist’s (TERFs) “gender critical” ideology: “[The] supposed concern for cis women and children has become the primary method for radicalizing gender-critical feminists, similar to how Islamophobes play up threats of gang rape of white women by Muslim men, or white supremacists have historically painted black men as sexual threats to justify segregation. Defending the purity of white womanhood has always been a significant axis of common bigotries, and gender-critical feminism operates in the same fashion.” Read more.

“Nobody Can Know”: Is This the Trumpian Future of Abortion in America? (Vanity Fair) 

While the right to abortion is under attack, Eastside Gynecology offers a costly VIP service, advertising extra perks and privacy. Caitlin Moscatello writes, “In many ways, what the practice offers women seeking an abortion isn’t all that different from the concierge services widely available across other areas of medicine [...] But in a time where more and more states are restricting abortion access—and as Planned Parenthood is forced to withdraw from Title X, the federal program through which it receives some $60 million of its annual funding—the stark contrast between what’s available to wealthy women versus low-income women can be unnerving. ” Read more.

The Future of Healthcare: “Medical Schools should spend more time training doctors in communication skills” with author Elizabeth Anne Wood (Medium) 

Christina D. Warner interviews author Elizabeth Anne Wood about improving the healthcare industry, including implementing sexual rights policies in residential care facilities and hospitals. Wood prompts readers to consider the following: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were workers whose job it was to help people address their sexual desires in the midst of their illnesses? What if every residential facility guaranteed privacy, allowed overnight guests, and prevented adult children from meddling in their parents’ sex lives? What if doctors and nurses were trained in sexual health and education, and in talking to patients about sex?” Read more.

Our Country, Which Art in Panic (Playboy) 

Shira Tarrant begs us to consider the following: “If you’re concerned about sexual violence and also care about justice, due process and people of color, where are you going to stand?” While this question may be extremely complicated, Tarrant offers a potential means to unite anti-violence and anti-racist activism: education. A prioritization of education, in Tarrant’s words, “means reeducating both students and the public about due process and the judicial system—important foundations of U.S. democracy. It also means discussing with young people the nuances of consent and the realities of sexual desire.” Read more.

Why Does the Internet Keep Trying to Sell Us Bullshit Vaginal Healthcare? (Bitch Media) 

In short, Rachel Charlene Lewis writes, the “history of the search for a ‘cleaner’ vagina and vulva is a long and complicated one.” On Facebook, a slew of vaginal healthcare ads echo this history of misinformation and shame turned into profit: “Facebook has made it clear that it’s more concerned about hypersexualizing women’s bodies than actually protecting our bodies from products that have no purpose beyond profiting from our shame. Why else would they remove a post from a sex tech company while letting vaginal washes and wipes flourish?” Read more.

Banks Have the Power to Ruin Your Sex Life (Vice) 

In 2019 alone, the business account for Skirt Club, a members-only social club for queer and bisexual women, has been frozen twice. Diana Hubbell writes, “While sex-related businesses like Skirt Club have long faced draconian restrictions from banks, we’re living in a time when their position is more precarious than ever. [...]  If this continues, it will disproportionately impact small sex-focused businesses, which lack the cash flow to withstand such financial setbacks, further marginalize sex workers, and decrease access to positive information about sexual health.” Read more.