National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
Encyclopedia
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) is a pro-sexual freedom, advocacy and educational organization founded in 1997 in the United States. With more than 50 coalition partners and over 100 supporting organizations representing thousands of consenting adults who engage in alternative lifestyles, NCSF is the only organization in the United States with a dedicated mission to advance the cause of tolerance, non-discrimination and education for adults involved in alternative lifestyles. The organization's is main office is in Baltimore
, Maryland
. However, its members, coalition partners, board and volunteers are based across the United States.
NCSF is the only group in the USA with a national mission committed to changing the political, legal and social environment for those involved with the BDSM
, swinging
and polyamory
communities.
(KAP) free referral list, from Race Bannon. NCSF created new KAP materials and literature and is actively recruiting additional psychotherapeutic, medical, legal and other professionals who are knowledgeable about and sensitive to diverse expressions of sexuality.
, the American Civil Liberties Union
, American Association of Sex Educators Councilors and Therapists, the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality
, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
, and the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, among others.
Currently NCSF has more than 50 Coalition Partners who elect the board and establish the yearly goals at the annual Coalition Partner meeting. Coalition Partners are groups and businesses and individuals that serve BDSM, swing and polyamory practitioners. NCSF also has over 100 Supporting Members: groups and businesses who actively support NCSF - these groups total tens of thousands of members.
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. However, its members, coalition partners, board and volunteers are based across the United States.
Mission statement
"The NCSF is committed to creating a political, legal and social environment in the US that advances equal rights for consenting adults who engage in alternative sexual and relationship expressions. The NCSF aims to advance the rights of, and advocate for consenting adults in the BDSM-Leather-Fetish, Swing, and Polyamory Communities. We pursue our vision through direct services, education, advocacy, and outreach, in conjunction with our partners, to directly benefit these communities."NCSF is the only group in the USA with a national mission committed to changing the political, legal and social environment for those involved with the BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
, swinging
Swinging
Swinging or partner swapping is a non-monogamous behavior, in which both partners in a committed relationship agree, as a couple, for both partners to engage in sexual activities with other couples as a recreational or social activity...
and polyamory
Polyamory
Polyamory is the practice, desire, or acceptance of having more than one intimate relationship at a time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved....
communities.
The Media Outreach Project
NCSF's Media Outreach Program provides sound bites and tactics for anyone dealing with the media. Spokesperson Susan Wright regularly gives media trainings and conducts over 60 interviews every year, influencing the coverage of alternative sexuality issues. NCSF Media Updates, feature articles about BDSM, swinging and polyamory, and provides contact information to write letters to the editor in order to influence how editorial decisions are made in the future. In addition, NCSF's media outreach project works to educate members of alt.sex communities on how they should deal with press and conducts press awareness and response workshops.Kink Aware Professionals
NCSF took custody of their newest program, the Kink Aware ProfessionalsKink Aware Professionals
Kink Aware Professionals is a privately funded, non-profit service dedicated to providing the community with referrals to psychotherapeutic, medical, and legal professionals who are knowledgeable about and sensitive to diverse expressions of sexuality: BDSM, fetish, and the leather community.KAP...
(KAP) free referral list, from Race Bannon. NCSF created new KAP materials and literature and is actively recruiting additional psychotherapeutic, medical, legal and other professionals who are knowledgeable about and sensitive to diverse expressions of sexuality.
Education Outreach Program
The Education Outreach Program (EOP) is run by NCSF's educational Foundation. The NCSF Foundation supports the freedom of consenting adults to "discover and to practice the intimate relationship structure that best meets their emotional and human needs." The Education Outreach Program is designed to educate law enforcement officials, and to educate constituents about the risks of selective enforcement and how to minimize the risk of becoming a target. NCSF has published a number of pieces of literature for this program and has trained a team of individuals from across the country to deliver educational presentations.DSM Revision Project
The American Psychiatric Association has formed working committees to revise by 2011 its Diagnostic and Statistic Manual (DSM), the definitive resource on the Diagnostic Criteria for all mental disorders. Statements currently within the DSM Paraphilias criteria are contradicted by scientific evidence, therefore NCSF must conclude that the interpretation of the Paraphilias criteria has been politically – not scientifically – based. NCSF believes this politically motivated interpretation subjects BDSM practitioners, fetishists and cross-dressers to bias, discrimination and social sanctions without any scientific basis. NCSF calls on the American Psychiatric Association to remove or drastically restructure the Paraphilias section in the DSM. NCSF is actively working to make sure this revision isn't politicized and that the "shame based politically based paraphilias section of the DSM" be completely revised.Consent Counts
In 2007, NCSF organized a leather leadership roundtable at the Creating Change conference to discuss the goals of the BDSM-leather-fetish communities. The number one priority was determined to be the decriminalization of BDSM. A subsequent townhall meeting at LLC was held to further discuss this goal and to establish an outline for a working plan for this 10–15-year project. This is a community-wide project with participation by national groups as well as activists to help determine the plan to accomplish this goal. In early 2010, it was determined that it would be in the best interest of this project for NCSF to take a leadership role. Since NCSF had already established the DSM project as a major area of focus, it made sense to also add the Consent Counts project as a major focus. Judy Guerin, former Executive Director of NCSF and long-time sexual freedom activist, recently re-joined NCSF as the Consent Counts project director.Partnerships
Over the past decade, NCSF has formed several alliances with other advocacy organizations to work on projects that defend sexual freedom rights: Free Speech CoalitionFree Speech Coalition
The Free Speech Coalition is a non-profit trade association of the pornography and adult entertainment industry in the United States...
, the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
, American Association of Sex Educators Councilors and Therapists, the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality
Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality
The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality , formed in 1957, is a non-profit, professional membership organization that says it is "the oldest professional society dedicated to the advancement of knowledge about sexuality." It reports to have more than 1,000 members and has a quarterly...
, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force builds the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community from the ground up. The Task Force is the country’s premier social justice organization fighting to improve the lives of LGBT people, and working to create positive, lasting...
, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is a non-governmental media monitoring organization which promotes the image of LGBT people in the media...
, and the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, among others.
Currently NCSF has more than 50 Coalition Partners who elect the board and establish the yearly goals at the annual Coalition Partner meeting. Coalition Partners are groups and businesses and individuals that serve BDSM, swing and polyamory practitioners. NCSF also has over 100 Supporting Members: groups and businesses who actively support NCSF - these groups total tens of thousands of members.
See also
- Sexual Freedom CoalitionSexual Freedom CoalitionThe Sexual Freedom Coalition is a pro-sex campaign organization and political pressure group based in the United Kingdom that challenges the laws which take away the sexual freedoms of consenting adults and also challenges the media and official bodies that show disrespect for sex.The Sexual...
(SFC, a similar organization in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) - Nitke v. GonzalesNitke v. GonzalesNitke v. Gonzalez, 413 F.Supp.2d 262 was a United States District Court for the Southern District of New York case regarding obscene materials published online. The plaintiff challenged the constitutionality of the obscenity provision of the Communications Decency Act...
(a case involving Barbara NitkeBarbara NitkeBarbara Nitke is an internationally known photographer who specializes in the subject of human sexual relations, especially in the BDSM community. Her work has been exhibited and collected for over 20 years....
and the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom regarding internet obscenity)