Member Profile: Ricci J. Levy

Longtime AASECT member Ricci Levy has been engaged in sexual freedom-related activism for several decades. She is now the Executive Director and President of the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance, an organization she helped found in 2003, whose mission it is to affirm sexual freedom as a fundamental human right.

In addition to AASECT, Levy is also an active member of the Sexuality and Aging Consortium at Widener University, the US Human Rights Network, the Free Expression Network (FEN), and the Council on Contemporary Families.

You can learn more about the work Levy has done here. In the meantime, I had the pleasure of digging a bit deeper into Levy's background, and learning more about the things that drive her work on behalf of sexual freedom.

You have a lot going on, especially with the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance. Can you share a bit about some of the work you're doing?

The Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance has a long history of advocacy, activism, and education around sexual rights and sexual health. Right now, we're working on two big projects, in addition to the lobbying at the state and local level that goes on year-round.

One of our big projects is the Family Matters Project, dedicated to advancing, respecting, and protecting the fundamental human right to family. We are working to eliminate discrimination based on family structure and relationship choices. We are also in the midst of planning our 2014 Sexual Freedom Summit. This is the fifth year of the event, and it has grown every year. This year, the focus will be on sex worker rights and on sexual rights, with attention to both pleasure and desire. Some of the workshops on offer at this event will provide AASECT credits, Continuing Education credits, and Continuing Legal Education credits.

What are your main areas of interest within the sexual health realm?

I am an activist, an advocate for sexual freedom as a fundamental human right. I believe sexual freedom cannot be fully achieved and maintained unless we insist upon and respect sexual rights as human rights. Working as we do to protect and affirm people's rights to fulfill and express their sexuality and to enjoy sexual health, I am dedicated to all areas within the sexual health realm. For example, we did a one-day Institute on reproductive justice at last year's Summit, in partnership with SisterSong. We also did a one-day Institute in partnership with the US Human Rights Network on human rights. We’ve been instrumental in advancing and ultimately passing the anti-shackling of incarcerated women in labor in Florida. And our Family Matters project seeks to ensure that no person is discriminated against because of their sexual relationship choices.

What has most informed your trajectory within this field? How did you get to where you are today?

Our home was always the go-to place for our young family members and their friends. In our center hall, we had an antique silver chest we kept filled with condoms, encouraging safe-sex practices for all the young people who visited us. We provided a safe place for those young people to come with their questions, fears, and doubts about their sexuality, gender identity, and sexual expression.

In addition, my best friend from a young age was a gay man who died early in the AIDS epidemic, back when it was known as GRID (gay-related immune disorder). I saw so much pain, fear, insecurity, forced dishonesty, and unnecessary ignorance, it forever changed the way I looked at the issue of freedom, particularly sexual freedom. His anguish growing up as a closeted gay male informed many of the decisions we made about what kind of home we'd have. A person unable to claim or accept who they are at their core could never, ever live a complete life, and I wanted to do all that I could to change our society's reaction to the vast universe of sexual diversity, working to create a space as loving and accepting as our home had been.

I have always believed we must first think of ourselves as human beings and then look at the issues that impact our lives and sexual health and freedom in that context. I was delighted when I was invited to be one of the founders of Woodhull, because Woodhull was the first organization that focused full-time on sexual freedom as a fundamental human right. I knew the possibilities and the eventual impact of our work would be monumental and life-changing.

What do you feel has been your biggest contribution to the field of sexual health? What do you want to be known for?

I believe my biggest contribution to the field of sexual health is the Sexual Freedom Summit. While I have successfully lobbied for and against various pieces of legislation (such as the anti-shackling legislation, sexting laws, marriage equality [and retention of the domestic partner registry for those who don’t wish to be married!], freedom of sexual speech and expression, and sex worker rights) by framing issues in terms of sexual freedom as a fundamental human right, I believe the Summit will create the most lasting change.

I would like Woodhull to be known as the leading national voice and resource for sexual freedom as a fundamental human right. I want to be known as the person who brought communities, issues, and identities together to advance that right.

What obstacles have you faced over the years, and how did you overcome them?

Conversations about sex and sexuality are often fraught with conscious and unconscious sex-negativity and discomfort. By consistently framing all issues in terms of human rights, I have been able to create a safe space for myriad people — including legislators and community leaders — to have the important conversations.

Breaking down silos and helping to create a space for collaborations and intersectional efforts has been both a challenge and a wonderful experience, allowing me to work with organizations and individuals who all share a vision of a world where their rights are secure and their personal autonomy is protected.

What has been the most exciting project you've worked on, and why?

Woodhull's Sexual Freedom Summit is the most exciting project I've worked on during my time at Woodhull. The event has grown from a half-day of panels to a four-day Summit, becoming an event where all of the personal and political elements of the sexual freedom movement come together. The Summit embodies all that Woodhull (and I) strive to accomplish. We build the capacity of the sexual freedom movement by giving individuals the tools and knowledge they need to go back to their communities and organizations and actively seek opportunities to collaborate and expand their issues.

What do you wish you knew when you were starting out that you know now?

How poorly non-profit work pays. Okay, that was a joke, but it's true enough. What I've found over the years, though, is that it has been less important than I would have thought when I left corporate America to do this work. I have learned so much from so many people, but I'm not sure I could have known it when I started out. Many people (including me) think they know all about human rights. I didn't. The breadth of a human rights framework, the opportunities that exist to create lasting change, are awe-inspiring. I wish I had recognized the magnificence of our mission at Woodhull when I began; we might be further along in our work if I had.

But more than what I wish I'd known, I'd like to share what I've learned. I've learned the very real, tangible value of allies. I've learned how dedicated people can be to a cause in which they believe. I've learned that if you are passionate about your work, others will want to be in that space you've created. I've learned that I can find something in common with anyone, even someone whose views are 99 percent opposed with mine. I may have to search for that common thread, but finding it allows me to have conversations with people I might dismiss under other circumstances.

What do you like the least about the field of sexual health at this point? How about what you like the most?

I dislike how normative the focus of many sexual health providers is. I dislike how often populations like the aging or disabled are left out of the discussions.

But the things I like the least are also the things I like the most, because I enjoy working with sexual health professionals to help change those discussions.

How has your relationship with AASECT affected your career?

AASECT has been a key ally in the sexual freedom movement, partnering with Woodhull on issues of advocacy and activism. The members and leadership of AASECT have been a wonderful resource for the work of Woodhull and for me personally!

Is there anything else you want people to know?

I would just like to remind people about the Sexual Freedom Summit, August 14-17, 2014 and our Family Matters Project (submit your stories!). I’d also like to remind everyone that sexual freedom is a fundamental human right. Pass it on!