Woodhull Freedom Foundation

Executive Director of Woodhull Freedom Foundation, Ricci Levy, testifying in Washington, D.C. at a hearing on same-sex marriage on November 2, 2009 in front of the Council of the District of Columbia; Chair of the hearing was Commissioner Phil Mendelson.

The organization was founded in 2003 with the name Woodhull Freedom Foundation.[5] It began with a focus on global and domestic human rights, specifically looking at sexual freedom.[5] It is named for Victoria Woodhull (1838–1927), the first woman to own a company on Wall Street and to run for President of the United States.[6] Its focus includes examining the stakeholders that maintain a climate of sexual repression.[7]

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.[6] Woodhull's public relations representative Jeffrey Montgomery told the Washington Blade 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."[6] Woodhull tracks laws and regulations pertaining to sexual activity in the United States.[5][8]

In 2004, Woodhull joined with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in devoting resources towards analyzing old regulations used to harass LGBT people.[9][10] 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.[10] 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.[11] Writer Eric Rofes served on the board of Woodhull before passing away in 2006.[12][13] In 2007, its Sexual Freedom Day was commemorated with a discussion group examining the idea of sexual freedom as a segment of human rights.[7] Sexual Freedom Day took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 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."[14]

Left to Right, 2011 Vicki Sexual Freedom Award recipients, Ajamu Baraka, Ricci Levy, the Executive Director of Woodhull Freedom Foundation, Pamala Stanley, Carmen Vázquez and Robert Corn-Revere at the Vicki Award Ceremony on Sexual Freedom Day, 2011.

In July 2008, when the American Family Foundation called for a McDonald's boycott after the fast food restaurant said it would join the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, Woodhull's executive director announced a "buycott" asking those interested in supporting the restaurant to purchase additional meals.[4] Woodhull joined with the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups in 2009 on an amici curiae brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in the case, Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations.[2] On November 29, 2009, the Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend (CLAW) organized a leather dance reception in San Diego, California, so as to raise money for charitable purposes to assist the activities of Woodhull.[15]

The organization gave its 2010 Victoria Woodhull Sexual Freedom Award on September 23 of that year to Kushaba Moses Mworeko, an individual from Uganda who sought asylum in the United States due to his sexual orientation.[16] Author Hardy Haberman was a board member of Woodhull in 2011.[17] On November 17, 2011, Woodhull worked with the DC Trans Coalition, the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, Gender Rights Maryland, 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 Washington, D.C., that highlights examples of mistreatment of transgender people by law enforcement.[18] The event served as a precursor to the Transgender Day of Remembrance which followed on November 20.[19]

In January 2012, the organization joined with other groups including the Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University, National Coalition Against Censorship, the Heartland Institute, National Association of Scholars, Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom, Feminists for Free Expression, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, Accuracy in Academia, and the American Council of Trustees and Alumni to send a letter asking the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights 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).[20] In 2012, Buck Angel served on the organization's Board of Directors of the organization,[3] and sexologist Megan Andelloux served as an advisory board member.[21] Lawrence G. Walters was the general counsel for Woodhull in 2012.[22]

On June 28, 2018, attorneys for Woodhull filed the first legal challenge to the unconstitutional SESTA/FOSTA legislation.[23] 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's Sexual Freedom Summit celebrated its 10th Anniversary.