Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance to Honor Leaders, Advocates

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Sexual Freedom Day, a project of the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance, will be celebrated on Friday, 23 September, 2011. It will be capped by this year's presentation of the Vicki Sexual Freedom Awards, which recognize individuals who have made landmark contributions to the sexual freedom movement. This year Woodhull is proud to honor a human rights defender whose experience spans three decades of domestic and international education and activism and who was the founding executive director of the US Human Rights Network; a prominent First Amendment lawyer, who is a tireless advocate for freedom of sexual speech and expression; and one of the most influential leaders in the international LGBT community. The awards will be presented at a gala event at the Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel at 14th and K Streets, in the heart of Washington, D.C.. The presentations will follow a series of educational forums during the day and the release of the 2011 State of Sexual Freedom in the United States Report, an annual assessment of the progress and setbacks in the effort to establish sexual freedom as a fundamental human right. The Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance and the Vicki Award recipients are committed to advancing that cause. "These are outstanding leaders and courageous activists," said Ricci Levy, Executive Director of the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance. "We are fortunate to have such dedicated colleagues in the effort to recognize sexual freedom as a fundamental human right. We are inspired by their work." THE 2011 HONOREES Ajamu Baraka is a founder of the US Human Rights Network, a coalition of over 300 human rights organizations committed to applying international human rights standards to governmental processes and laws in the United States. Baraka is an internationally recognized leader of the emerging human rights movement in the U.S. and has been at the forefront of the effort to apply the international human rights framework to domestic social justice advocacy for more than 20 years.  In 1998, among his many honors, Mr. Baraka was honored by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as one of 300 human rights defenders from around the world.  Robert (Bob) Corn-Revere has extensive experience in First Amendment, media, communications and Information technology law. An aggressive advocate for freedom of sexual speech and expression, Mr. Corn-Revere has been involved in challenging the FCC's indecency rules, mandatory content filtering of public library Internet filters, and the Telecommunication Act's restrictions of programming on sexually explicit cable networks. Carmen Vazquez is a seasoned activist and incisive movement leader in causes ranging from immigrant rights to lesbian health. Ms. Vazquez has held significant positions in many of the most influential activist and advocacy organization in California and New York, including Director of Public Policy for the New York City GLBT Center and Deputy Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda. She is currently Coordinator of the LGBT Health and Human Services Unit of the AIDS Institute, New York Department of Health. The Vicki Sexual Freedom Awards are named after Victoria Woodhull, the namesake of the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance. Ms. Woodhull was an American suffragist born on September 23, 1838, who was described by Gilded Age newspapers as a leader of the American women's suffrage movement in the 19th century. She became a colorful and notorious symbol for women's rights, free love, and spiritualism as she fought against corruption and for labor reforms. For further information about the Woodhull Gala, the State of Sexual Freedom Report and Sexual Freedom Day, or to reserve tickets to the Gala, go to www.sexualfreedomday.org Pictured: Actress Nina Hartley and Woodhull Executive Director Ricci Levy at the 2010 Sexual Freedom Day