NCSF FOSTA/SESTA Update and Call to Action

NCSF has been working hard with our allies to mitigate the harm of FOSTA/SESTA. Now we need your help!

NCSF has been invited by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) to submit an amicus brief in its recently filed proactive legal challenge to the new FOSTA legislation - https://www.eff.org/…/eff-sues-invalidate-fosta-unconstitut…. We have also been invited to submit potential legislative amendments to the Free Speech Coalition for submission to Congress.

In order to do this, and to build a case for future actions, we need to document any harm to our constituents created by this legislation, including payment processing issues for events. If you have had your event, organization or business impacted, or have taken measures out of fear of being impacted, please send us a report as soon as possible.

We need the following information:

Name, zip code, email, phone number (optional) and a brief description of the incident(s) and date(s). Please send an email to FOSTA@ncsfreedom.org. This information will be kept confidential.

NCSF participated in the first ever Sex Worker Lobby Day to educate lawmakers on the harmful effects of FOSTA/SESTA on June 1st. The response from Congressional offices was positive and we urge all of you to continue the process with your representatives. In August, Congress is typically in recess and representatives are usually available for meetings in their home districts. We suggest doing outreach to SWOP chapters (Sex Workers Outreach Project—www.swopusa.org) in your area and work with them to develop a lobbying plan.

NCSF can help prepare you to lobby and will be hosting a lobbying webinar on August 6th focused on this legislation. We look forward to working with all of you on these issues—please contact Judy Guerin at Judy@ncsfreedom.org if you would like to organize your own lobbying effort.

NCSF also participated in a national strategy meeting on June 21st & 22nd focused on sex worker rights and FOSTA/SESTA, which was attended by national sex worker rights leaders, the ACLU, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Free Speech Coalition. A statement of national principles for the sex workers rights movement was developed and strategy plans for future actions were discussed.

We really need everyone to be as active as possible on this issue—lobby, write a letter to your representatives and support sex workers in your area. This is about everyone’s sexual freedom and free speech rights!