National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On behalf of NCSF, Jim Fleckenstein and Susan Wright attended the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) Annual Conference on June 8-10th in Austin, Texas. The NCSF booth in the Exhibit Hall featured free copies of NCSF’s newly refreshed guide: “What Psychology Professionals Should Know About Polyamory.” 150 copies were given away to professional service providers courtesy of a grant by Alan of Polyamory in the News (http://polyinthemedia.blogspot.com). The interest was so high, that supplies ran out before the end of the conference.“This year we saw a significant increase in interest about alternative sexuality at the NCSF booth,” said Susan Wright, NCSF Spokesperson. “The therapists, counselors and sex educators were asking for more information about kinky people. We are providing a real service by supplying this much-needed education at conferences like AASECT.”
The NCSF exhibit gave away hundreds of brochures about NCSF projects such as the Kink Aware Professionals free referral list, the DSM Revision project to depathologize BDSM, the Consent Counts project to decriminalize BDSM, and NELA’s Is it S/M or Abuse? brochure. Two brochures intended for kinky people were also popular giveaways as illustrations of the difficulties our underserved population faces: Finding a Kink Aware Therapist and Finding Kink Aware Medical Care.
Jim Fleckenstein was the lead presenter on (Re)Defining Fidelity in Committed Relationships: How to Negotiate Non-Exclusivity Successfully, a workshop designed to provide participants with a more complete understanding of the appropriateness of negotiated non-exclusivity as a relationship choice for their clients.
Susan Wright was the presenter on Violence and Discrimination Against BDSM Practitioners, a workshop presenting survey data from the BDSM community on the impact of persecution against kinky people.
NCSF also organized the AASECT Alt Sex Special Interest Group munch that took place Friday evening on the patio of the Hyatt Regency Austin. Over twenty-five AASECT members attended to further discuss issues raised in the Alt Sex SIG meeting that took place on Friday afternoon at the conference. It was an informative meeting that offered excellent networking opportunities for the professional service providers, and is another indication of the increased interest in the Alt Sex SIG at AASECT.
NCSF needs your donations to attend important events like the 2012 AASECT conference. Please join as a member now, go to our donation page, or encourage your group to hold a fundraiser for NCSF. Without your support, NCSF can’t continue to help the BDSM, swing and polyamory communities. www.ncsfreedom.org.
