Sexual Freedom Now

"Sexual Freedom Now" is an ad hoc group of members of the National Organization for Women (NOW) who support freedom of sexual expression for consenting adults.

This group was inspired by caucus discussions held at NOW's Lesbian Rights Summit in Washington DC on April 23-25, 1999. A large number of attendees at the Lesbian Rights Summit were interested in sexual freedom issues and wanted to further feminist discussions about sexuality.

NOW members working on the Sexual Freedom Now project would like to promote workshops on sexual freedom issues at national and regional conferences. We also support resolution(s) that affirm the right of adults to engage in safe, sane and consensual forms of sexual expression.

S/M Policy Reform Project

With the support of NOW delegates and members at the 1999 National Conference in Beverly Hills, CA on July 2-4th, NOW's official policy against s/m was changed. The S/M Policy Reform Project website has been archived with lots of interesting information about s/m and statements of support from feminists and authors.

The 1999 Delineation of Lesbian Rights replaced the 1980 Delineation of Lesbian Rights which included the statement: "sadomasochism is an issue of exploitation and violence, not affectional/sexual preference." The 1980 Delineation also stated that pornography and pedastery are "an issue of exploitation and violence, not affectional/sexual preference/orientation," and that "public sex, when practiced by heterosexuals or homosexuals, is an issue of violation of the privacy rights of non-participants, not an issue of affectional/sexual preference/orientation."

The 1999 Delineation of Lesbian Rights resolution does not contain any references to these issues. Other resolutions passed by NOW in the 1980s and 1990s, however, do condemn pornography, child abuse ("pederasty") and violence against women.

THE 1999 DELINEATION OF LESBIAN RIGHTS

Whereas NOW demonstrates a strong commitment to lesbian rights, and

Whereas NOW's agenda embraces the rich diversity of issues and experiences that impact women's lives,

Therefore Be It Resolved, that NOW reaffirms its commitment to a lesbian rights agenda that was a grassroots strategy to fight bigotry and discrimination based on real or perceived sexual orientation;

Be It Further Resolved, that this resolution replaces the 1980 Delineation of Lesbian Rights.

click here for S/M Policy Reform Project archive site

S/M Education Project

With this positive step, the supporters of the S/M Policy Reform Project are committed to continue educating fellow NOW members about safe, sane and consensual s/m. The S/M Education Project provides educational information on the difference between s/m vs. violence. You can also learn about the discrimination and harassment that occurs against s/m practitioners because of misconceptions and stereotypes.

THINGS YOU CAN DO:

Attend National Conferences

Ask your local or state NOW chapter to hold a panel on Sexual Freedom issues.

To contact us with suggestions, comments, or to receive announcements write to: NOWSM@aol.com

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