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In
the wake of recent exposures of sadomasochistic "educational"
conferences at Ramada Inns, Howard Johnson and Hilton
Hotels, a national organization dedicated to protecting
"alternative sexual expression" has aligned itself with
national homosexual advocacy groups to launch a counter-offensive
against pro-family groups that oppose such events.
In
February, the National
Coalition for Sexual Freedom, or NCSF, announced "a new
initiative that provides support to sexual minority groups
under attack by radical right-wing groups." The purpose
of the new program is "to counter campaigns underway across
the country by organizations such as The Concerned Woman for America
(CWA) and the American
Family Association (AFA) that defame legitimate, law-abiding
sexual minority groups. Under the program, NCSF is advising
groups on how to obtain injunctions and even money damages
when right-wing organizations interfere in their legal
and private educational conferences and events. NCSF is
also counseling groups on how to sue for defamation."
Stated
NCSF policy director Susan Wright: "These radical fringe
groups have used scare tactics and false statements of
facts to try to compel local businesses and authorities
to close down constitutionally protected educational and
informational assemblies on the grounds that what is being
taught does not adhere to their view of morally desirable
behavior. That is simply not acceptable in America."
"Two
things simply aren't acceptable to most Americans, especially
in the AIDS era," countered Gary Glenn, president of the
American Family Association
of Michigan.
"One
is this unholy alliance of homosexual and 'whips and chains'
activists conspiring to tear down all social and moral
barriers that prevent them from mainstreaming the 'virtues'
of rampant promiscuity, serial adultery, homosexuality,
public torture displays and eventually sex with 'consenting'
children," Glenn said.
"Second
is this new axis of evil's sleazy and slanderous plan
– and the perverse self-delusion they actually can pull
it off – to convince people that mom and pop Americans
who believe cheating on your spouse, wife-swapping, sexual
torture and child molesting are wrong are the ones who
make up a 'radical fringe group.'"
Glenn
and AFA-Michigan drew NCSF's fire in February by alerting
local police and the news media in advance about a "Bondage
and Beyond" seminar scheduled Feb. 9-10 at the Southfield
Ramada Inn & Convention Center in suburban Detroit.
Hotel
officials canceled the event, which had been advertised
on the website of its sponsoring organization, Michigan
Rope, as featuring "male and female nudity, intentional
infliction of pain, cutting of the skin with bleeding"
plus demonstrations of vaginal "fisting" (insertion of
the entire hand and arm) and "erotic body harnesses that
involve the genitals, both male and female."
"A
Southfield hotel is saying no to tying, cutting and pain
… after police expressed outrage and the American Family
Association of Michigan threatened to protest," the Detroit
Free Press reported.
"After
talking with Southfield police, we felt very comfortable
with the decision we made," Rich Poloni, general manager
of the hotel, told the Southfield Eccentric. "There are
certain things that are not allowed to be done when a
liquor license is held, and one is exposing sexual organs.
That's apparently what the group's intent was."
NCSF:
Protecting 'privacy rights' to 'alternative sexual expression'
On
its website, NCSF describes itself as "a national organization
committed to protecting freedom of expression among consenting
adults. Based in Washington, D.C., NCSF works through
legal initiatives, lobbying, outreach and education to
promote greater understanding of sexuality and human rights.
Founded in 1997, NCSF mobilizes diverse grass-roots communities
to help change antiquated and unfair sex laws, and to
protect free speech and advance privacy rights. NCSF is
dedicated to ensuring that all consenting adults can express
their sexuality freely and openly, without fear."
Included
in NCSF's
definition of people who practice "alternative sexual
expression" are sadomasochists, transgenders, transsexuals,
intersexuals (people born with atypical sexual anatomies),
swingers (wife-swappers) and polyamorists (people who
engage in multiple, simultaneous sexual relationships).
NCSF
coalition partners include the Boston Dungeon Society,
Kentucky Underground Fetish Society, Lesbian Sex Mafia,
Gay Male S/M Activists and the Cincinnati, Ohio, chapter
of Masters and Slaves Together.
'Safe,
sane and consensual'
In
an interview with WorldNetDaily, Wright disputed pro-family
groups' claims of illegal activities and public health
risks associated with sadomasochistic practices such as
"cutting," "whipping," "branding" and genital torture.
S&M groups say such activities are "safe, sane and
consensual."
"To
someone who is not familiar with these terms," said Wright,
"they may sound frightening, but these practices are safe
and healthy and consensual. According to the Kinsey Institute,
between 5 and 10 percent of Americans will engage in sadomasochism
at least occasionally throughout their lives, and so that's
why it's so important that conferences like the
[Tribal Fire] event [at the Oklahoma City Northwest Hilton]
are held, because they offer necessary education to people."
Wright
said there are "over 500 educational and social groups"
that practice S&M. "If there were problems, if people
were actually being harmed, or if non-consensual things
were happening, or if people were offended, we would know
about it. Now, some of these words may make it sound that
way, but it's simply not true. It's pleasurable sex. That's
the goal. What people are doing is trying to have a good
time, and trying to have a good, healthy relationship,
and so they come to these educational events to learn
these things."
"Another
point that's very important," continued Wright, "is that
these are local activities. People often think that, 'Oh,
no, there's folks flying in from around the country infecting
my town,' but the point is that these are people who live
there. They're [your] co-workers. They're people [you]
respect, and you just don't know that they do alternative
sexual expression."
When
asked if she finds it difficult to represent an organization
that advocates consensual "master-slave" relationships,
Wright responded, "You're using a word in the wrong context.
This is all consensual. If somebody doesn't like what's
happening, they say stop, and it's stopped. If it's not
consensual, then it's not sadomasochism. I enjoy representing
this community because I believe that the information
we are trying to get out there is about responsible sex,
and this is something that our society just doesn't hear."
Despite
the February press release threatening legal reprisals
against pro-family groups, Wright said that NCSF currently
is not engaged in any lawsuits because they need to be
undertaken by "the people that were affected by it, and
the problem with that is that to pursue a legal action
you have to give your real name. These are volunteers;
these are people who are donating their time, and they
don't have the money to pursue something like that. We
would encourage people if they feel that they've been
interfered with to actually pursue their legal rights,
but that is up to them to do so."
Concluded
Wright: "These are local events. They are run by local
volunteers, people that you know. They are law-abiding
adults. ... People [should not] let this misinformation
and fear influence that. They need to get all the information
and find out the truth about this. And when they hear
the facts – that people aren't getting hurt by this, that
this is a private event – they should allow people to
engage in these sorts of behaviors if that's what they
choose."
NCSF's
goal: Eliminate 'puritanical' sex laws
NCSF
seeks to eradicate "antiquated sex laws" and "prejudiced,
puritanical regulations and law enforcement" that "are
used regularly against people who enjoy alternative sexual
expression," according to a flier.
In
a paper titled "The Politics of Sexuality: The United
States Experience," presented at the 2001 Bi-annual World
Congress of Sexology in Paris, France, NCSF Executive
Director Judy Guerin wrote:
"The
current 'normalization strategy' of the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender movement in place since the 1980s
has limited further usefulness. ... The public is ready
for a more candid, 'we are different and that is fine'
theme. The emphasis can now be shifted to sexual behaviors
such as SM, swinging, sodomy, pornography, sex clubs and
sex businesses."
According
to Guerin, "there exists today a window of opportunity
to advance issues of sexuality in the U.S. through a more
direct approach. The issue agenda in the sexual realm
includes:
- "Eliminating
statutes and government regulations that deprive sexual
minorities of the right to choose their sexual partners
inside or outside of marriage, raise children, and to
engage in certain types of sex (e.g., sodomy);
- Including
sexual minorities – not just gays and lesbians, but
those who are gender variant or practice alternative
forms of sexual expression such as SM or swinging –
in sexual freedom advocacy;
- Extending
principles of freedom of speech and association to sexual
areas – pornography, sex enterprises, sexual-purpose
clubs and educational and social groups;" and
- "Changing
the attitudes of police and other regulatory authorities,
health care professionals, psychiatrists and other mental
health professionals."
NCSF's
efforts to achieve those goals, wrote Guerin, include:
- "A
national law-enforcement outreach program to familiarize
police, prosecutors and other regulatory officials about
the differences between SM and abuse;
- A
media and entertainment industry outreach program that
focuses on positive depictions and treatment of various
forms of alternative sexual expression such as SM or
swinging;
- Changing
local regulations and enforcement policies;
- Helping
oppose unjust criminal prosecution of individuals and
group events;" and
- Initiating
proactive legal and legislative action designed to further
sexual freedom issues," including "planning a major
federal lawsuit as a pre-emptive strike against the
Religious Right."
'Educating'
law enforcement
In
concert with its goal of "changing local regulations and
enforcement policies," NCSF representatives travel throughout
the U.S. to hold "community strategy meetings." Recent
ports of call include Birmingham, Ala.; Charlotte, N.C.;
San Francisco, Calif.; the Charles Sumner School in Washington,
D.C.; and Columbus, Ohio, where NCSF held a meeting on
"S&M and the Law."
In
coming weeks, NCSF will sponsor meetings in New York City,
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Phoenix, Ariz., "to discuss
advancing local sexual freedom issues related to consenting
adults and their right to privacy." These discussions
"will focus primarily on developing legal and political
strategies to counter restrictive legislation and other
tactics."
The
organization also provides assistance to S&M participants
who are arrested during "play parties." Cases include
an October 1999 San Diego vice squad raid known as the
"San Diego 6" and the July 2000 arrests of two participants
at a spanking party in Attleboro, Mass., known as "Paddleboro."
In
addition to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, NCSF
is teaming up with other homosexual groups to advance
its "sexual freedom" agenda. Current initiatives include
hosting a seminar with Michigan's Triangle Foundation titled
"Sex Panic in Detroit!" to teach S&M devotees how
to prevent losing "your job, your kids, your home" because
of "Draconian laws already in existence." NCSF is also
working with the Gay
and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to "develop
effective sound bytes and both short- and long-term strategies
to combat religious political extremists and their attacks
on SM events."
A
501(c)(3) 'charity'
In
March, NCSF launched the NCSF Foundation, a 501(c)(3)
charitable corporation. According to a press release,
the foundation "will take the lead in fund-raising for
the important educational and advocacy programs started
by NCSF. As a vehicle for tax-deductible contributions,
the Foundation will increase NCSF's ability to attract
financial support on a nationwide basis, including contributions
and grants from major foundations and corporations."
Among
NCSF's donors are the Nashville Leather Alliance, which
in March sponsored a fund-raiser "featuring drawings for
BDSM lifestyle books by nationally recognized authors,
several BDSM toys and other fun stuff!" according to an
Internet announcement. (The online Deviants
Dictionary defines BDSM as "bondage and discipline,
domination and submission, sadism and masochism.")
Next
month, NCSF will co-sponsor the GenderPAC second national
conference on gender in Washington, D.C., and will also
take part in the annual Mr. International Leather contest
Memorial Day weekend at the downtown Chicago Hyatt Regency
Hotel. Co-sponsored by Miller Beer and American Airlines,
this year's IML will include "the world's best collection
of leather/fetish vendors" and a "Black and Blue Ball"
with "hard bodies and lots of flesh."
In
June, NCSF will be a charitable recipient for New York
City's 19th Annual Leather Pride Night Auction featuring
bidding on "leather and latex fetish clothing, unique
toys and equipment, art and Broadway theater tickets."
The auction is sponsored by "11 NYC s/m-leather-fetish
organizations," including the Eulenspiegel Society, described
on its website as "the oldest and largest BDSM education
and support group in the USA."
'Sick
sex'
Peter
LaBarbera, a senior policy analyst with Concerned Women
for America's Culture
and Family Institute, told WorldNetDaily, "They call
this behavior 'safe, sane and consensual.' It may be consensual,
but it's sure not safe, and it's pretty insane to most
people. It's definitely sick sex."
"This
is fully what we would expect with the slippery slope
of 'gay rights' – something that sounds innocuous like
'alternative sexual expression' ends up supporting the
supposed right of people to beat each other up to the
point of drawing blood, as long as it's 'consensual.'"
Citing
the writings of "SM 101" author Jay Wiseman, LaBarbera
said that homosexuals are disproportionately represented
in the sadomasochist movement.
"It's
interesting that NCSF, taking its cues from gay groups
like GLAAD, calls pro-family groups fringe extremists
even as it defends the most heinous perversions imaginable,"
he said.
"If
you can accept sodomy as normal, then why not other perverse
behaviors? If there is no 'normal' and no 'natural' and
no divine order, then anything becomes acceptable – even
a guy leading his slave around by a chain like a dog,
which I have personally witnessed. Who would have thought
there would be groups defending (consensual) slavery in
the year 2002?"
Related
stories:
Hilton
hosts S&M conference
Ramada
to host 'Vicious Valentine' event
'Gay'
group sponsors breast-removal workshop
Allyson Smith
is a freelance reporter based in San Diego.
© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com
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