Plenty of Philadelphians try to beat the summer heat by heading down to Rehoboth Beach or driving up to New Hope for the weekend.
Earlier this month, however, roughly 50 locals, many of whom identify as LGBT or are supporters, tried something different: They attended the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Summit, a four-day gathering dedicated to the idea that sexual freedom is a fundamental human right.
This year’s Sexual Freedom Summit, the seventh annual, took place Aug. 4- 7 in Alexandria, Va. It attracted more than 350 attendees and featured 75 different events, including workshops, keynote speeches, burlesque shows and the Vicki Awards ceremony, which honored pioneering sex-positive individuals.
According to Mandy Farsace, the Sexual Freedom Summit’s director, a large part of the event’s appeal is the lively mix of people it attracts. In contrast to meetings like the National Sex Ed Conference, which is primarily limited to academics, Woodhull welcomes a broad range of attendees.
“We have activists, we have academics, we have therapists, students, all of these people intersecting in one place for four days of sex-positive, fabulous fun and learning,” said Farsace, who works full-time as a social worker here in Philadelphia at the Mercy LIFE Center.
At this year’s Sexual Freedom Summit, attendees could hear Mandy Carter, a longtime social-justice advocate, out lesbian and woman of color begin the day with a keynote speech, “The Personal Is Political (and Vice Versa).” Later in the evening, they could rub elbows in the “Cigar Bar” with Buck Angel, the popular female-to-male trans porn star.
Each day’s workshops were grouped into five general tracks: Disability & Sexuality; Sexuality, Race & Racism; Sex Work; Men’s Sexual Health & Pleasure; and Social Media. Even within those categories the topics ranged widely. “Sexualizing Cancer,” “25 Tips for Sexy Aging” and “The Adult Industry for People of Color” were just three of the offerings.
Attendees from the Philadelphia region didn’t just come to the Sexual Freedom Summit to listen and observe, though. In addition to those who volunteered, quite a few led workshops of their own. For example, Sebastian Sprague, who earned a master’s degree in human sexuality from Widener University, gave a presentation called “It’s Different for Men: Masculine Victims of Sexual Assault.”
In “Decolonizing Sex Positivity — Re-thinking Inclusivity,” Sonalee Rashatwar, a fellow Widener graduate, discussed alternatives to the “white-centric” approach to sex positivity with Nafeesa Dawoodbhoy, an educator at the Smitten Kitten, a Minneapolis sex-toy shop.
Although presentations addressed serious issues, neither presenters nor attendees got mired in negativity. In fact, the conference is notable for its emphasis on positive action.
“Another thing that the Summit is unique in is that our workshops, and our plenaries, and everything we do there is not just highlighting the problems,” said Farsace, who describes herself as an advocate for LGBT seniors. “We really empower our speakers to talk about what the solutions are.”
Woodhull’s emphasis on getting things done was one of the appeals for first-time attendee Al Vernacchio, a sexuality educator and teacher at Friends’ Central School.
“It is as much about action as it is about ideas,” Vernacchio said. “It’s the perfect place to bring more traditional education and activism together. The push to go back into the world and do something makes it an exciting place to be.”
Vernacchio was particularly impressed with the keynote speech given by members of the Women of Color Sexual Health Network. WOCSHN, he noted, was “founded specifically to challenge racism and sexism that exists in the field of sexuality. They talked about using social media as a tool for activism. It was incredibly powerful.”
Vernacchio even led a workshop of his own: “Sexuality Education Through a Social Justice Lens.” In that presentation, he discussed how incorporating social justice into sex ed challenges racism, sexism and homophobia. “Rather than being just about the ‘birds and the bees,’ it focuses on equity and challenging the forces that keep information and access from those who need or want it,” he said.
Clearly, important work gets done at the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Summit, but there’s more to it than that, according to Farsace. “When I come to the summit every year, it feels like coming home,” she said.
The safe, welcoming environment of the summit brings people together and creates a special bond between them.
“I’m a social worker, a case manager, but I’m talking to, say, Nina Hartley, who is a career porn star and yet we have the same goals in being at the summit. And there’s something very special and very unique about it.”
If you missed the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Summit this year, no worries. Farsace and her fellow volunteers are already planning next year’s event, which will take place Aug. 3-6, 2017.
To learn more, visit www.sexualfreedomsummit.org.