Key Issues

“If sexual freedom is securely established, other freedoms will invariably follow. A society that values the individual’s freedom of erotic expression will necessarily establish the conditions under which other human rights and civil liberties will be generated, established and protected.”
-Barnaby B. Barratt, excerpted from “Why Sexual Freedom is a Fundamental Human Right, An Introduction to Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance’s State of Sexual Freedom Report”

Sexual freedom is the fundamental human right of all individuals to develop and express their unique sexuality. It lies at the heart of the promise of human dignity, self-determination, and equality embodied in both the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Human Rights are interdependent, intersectional, inalienable rights that are the birthright of all human beings, regardless of geography, nationality or identity. Human rights include economic rights, environmental rights, sexual rights, cultural rights, social rights, political rights, developmental rights and civil rights.

One of the most important functions of any government is to ensure that human rights are respected and protected and to address human rights violations whether at the hands of state or non-state actors.

For more than 60 years, the United States has joined most countries of the world in formally recognizing and committing to protect the fundamental human rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), like Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance, are also critical players in the ongoing struggle to realize the full spectrum of human rights in the United States.

For more information on our work protecting sexual freedom rights, please review our issue areas:

• Sexual Freedom
• Freedom of Sexual Speech and Expression
• Sexual and Gender Privacy
• Commercial Sex Work
• Sexual Health
• HIV/AIDS and STDs
• Healthy Sexual Activity
• Fundamental Human Rights
• Human Rights
• Civil Rights
• Reproductive Justice
• Women’s Rights
• LGBT Rights
• Affirmation of Sexual Freedom
• Meaningful Sexual Education
• Protection of Personal Freedoms
• Integration of Sex with Religion
• Racial Justice

When we affirm these rights, we are validating the existence of this right and expressing our dedication to sexual freedom as a fundamental human right.