Tier 2: ADVOCACY

Weekly Advocacy Information

T2 Cohort Call #1

Introduction of Tools

Due to time limitations during this first call we are not going to be reviewing aspects of advocacy.

T2 Cohort Call #2

Advocacy - Webinar

Webinar #1: Advocating for Sexual Health Equity

  • Questions

T2 Cohort Call #3

Definition & Types of Advocacy

What Is Advocacy?

Source: https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/types-of-advocacy/

Advocacy refers to the act of supporting or campaigning for a specific cause, issue, policy or individual. It often involves taking action to raise awareness or promote a specific point of view with the goal of bringing about positive change or protecting certain rights.

What Are the Different Levels of Advocacy?

There are many different levels of advocacy, some of which may overlap. Some of the most common ones include:

  • Self-advocacy refers to the act of speaking up for yourself, expressing your needs and desires and making decisions that impact your life.

    • Examples: Asking for reasonable accommodations at school, speaking up to your doctor about your hesitations with a medical treatment plan, negotiating for a raise at work

  • Individual advocacy, distinct from self-advocacy, involves speaking up on behalf of another person to ensure their needs, rights or interests are met.

    • Examples: Helping a colleague who is facing workplace discrimination, accompanying a friend to a medical appointment to ensure their questions are answered, working with teachers to secure special services for a child with learning challenges

  • Group advocacy is carried out by a group with shared interests or goals.

    • Examples: A labor union fighting for higher wages and better working conditions, a parent-teacher association advocating for more school funding

  • Social advocacy is aimed at changing policies, laws, practices, and so on on a systemic level.

    • Examples: Civil rights organizations working to combat systemic racism, the LGBTQ+ rights movement, nonprofits pushing for urgent action to combat climate change

Advocacy 101

Source: https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/advocacy-types-examples-principles/

Advocates work to change the world. While their responsibilities and focuses can vary widely, they’re all engaging in advocacy, which comes from the word advocatus. In Latin, this means “a pleader on one behalf” or “one called to aid.”

When someone publicly supports the interests of an individual, group, or cause, they’re engaging in advocacy.

What are the different types of advocacy?

Advocacy is an umbrella that shelters many types of advocacy areas and methods. The three main types are self-advocacy, individual advocacy, and systems advocacy.

Self-advocacy

Self-advocacy is when a person advocates for their own interests. It involves skills like knowing your rights, understanding your needs, and effectively communicating those needs to others. Everyone self-advocates at some point in their lives. Students with disabilities often self-advocate for accommodations in a classroom setting. As an example, a student with ADHD may need to ask their teachers for more time to complete tests or a separate testing location.

Individual advocacy

Individual advocacy is when a person (or group) focuses on the interests of one or a few individuals. It can be informal or formal. Informal individual advocacy often involves family members and friends. As an example, parents often advocate for their child’s needs at school. Formal individual advocacy often goes through organizations like government agencies or nonprofits. When someone is escaping domestic violence, organizations help with shelter, medical care, mental healthcare, financial assistance, and more.

Systems advocacy

Self-advocacy and individual advocacy focus on the needs of one or a few people, but systems advocacy zooms out. It seeks to change things on a local, state, or national level through laws and/or policies. Because it wants to change systems for the long term, this kind of advocacy can be complex. Multiple organizations often work together to research, raise awareness, and pressure legislators. Groups working for gun control in the US are an example of systems advocacy.

T2 Cohort Call #4

Principles of Advocacy

Principles of Advocacy

Source: https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/types-of-advocacy/

Principles of advocacy refer to the core values or guidelines that dictate how you should advocate for something, ensuring your efforts are both effective and ethical. While this is not an exhaustive list, some of the most important principles include:

  • Equity and justice

  • Transparency

  • Respect and dignity

  • Accountability

  • Non-violence

  • Inclusivity

What are the principles of advocacy?

Source: https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/advocacy-types-examples-principles/

Advocacy can look very different depending on its focus and method, but there are unifying principles. Here are three everyone should remember:

Clarity

Good advocacy has clear messaging and clear asks. With very little work, people should be able to understand what the problem is and how it can be fixed. This is the first step to good advocacy, but it’s often the most difficult because many issues are complex. Good advocates are excellent communicators who can frame even the most complex issue in a way most people understand. They’re also very good at determining what “clarity” means for specific audiences and refining their message accordingly. As an example, a group advocating for reproductive rights will use a different message when they’re holding youth events than when they’re speaking to adults.

Flexibility

Situations can change very fast. Whether it’s an individual’s case or a system-wide issue, events impact the problem and what the best solutions are. Good advocates are flexible enough to adapt to new information, adjust their methods, and pivot their messaging. Without flexibility, advocacy is doomed to ineffectiveness or outright harm. As an example, advocacy groups focused on healthcare access needed to shift quickly as COVID-19 spread around the world.

Transparency

Advocacy typically involves speaking on behalf of others, so trust is essential. How do advocates build trust? Transparency. That includes open, honest, and consistent communication about things like finances, leadership structures, messaging, methods, and much more. For advocacy organizations, transparency also means conducting internal audits on systemic problems. Responding to major issues within an organization is also part of being transparent. If advocacy groups choose to hide, it damages trust. Without trust, advocacy will have little to no impact.

Source: Google search

What are the 7 pillars of advocacy?

They are: 1) Honesty, 2) Courage, 3) Industry, 4) Wit, 5) Eloquence, 6) Judgment, and 7) Fellowship.

What are the 3 C's of advocacy?

Collaborate, Connect and Communicate

The Golden Rules of Advocacy

Source: https://www.nysbd.org/advocacy-basics#:~:text=THE%20GOLDEN%20RULES,time%20than%20you%20have%20to.

To increase your chances of success when advocating, remember these 3 golden rules: be Polite, be Prepared, and be Persistent.

  1. POLITE - People remember how you treat them, so treat others the way you want to be treated. Don’t take up more of their time than you have to. Be honest about what you know. Keep your word. Say please and thank you even when you’re frustrated. The reputation you create for yourself will help - or hurt - your cause.

  2. PREPARED - Gather as much information about an issue as you can, whether you learn the information yourself or know who to ask for more. Identify who to contact on an issue and the ABC before reaching out. You may only get one chance to explain your case so be prepared to make more of an impact.    

  3. PERSISTENT - You may have to put in a lot of work on an issue and it may feel like an uphill climb the entire time. Show others you won’t give up and the respect you can earn on all sides will help you - often in ways you might not expect.    

The five elements of advocacy

Source: https://www.scribd.com/document/694899677/Five-Elements#:~:text=of%20Effective%20Advocacy-,The%20document%20outlines%20five%20elements%20of%20successful%20advocacy%3A%201)%20Maintaining,a%20paper%20trail%20by%20thoroughly

1) Maintaining a positive attitude and controlling emotions

2) Being flexible in how issues are addressed while still pursuing resolutions

3) Determination to solve issues while balancing what is worth escalating

4) Creating a paper trail by thoroughly documenting all communications and events

5) Gaining knowledge of the needs, laws and processes.

T2 Cohort Call #5

Methods of Advocacy

What Does Advocacy Look Like?

Source: https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/types-of-advocacy/

Advocacy can take many forms, and what it looks like for you might be different from someone else’s approach. Consider how you would tackle a specific problem or issue. Sometimes it’s as simple as speaking up and asking questions. Your answer may depend on the situation, the cause and the people involved. In general, advocacy often looks like this:

  1. Writing emails, letters and petitions to organizations, politicians and others

  2. Researching policy reform and procedural changes

  3. Using social media to raise national or global awareness

  4. Engaging in on-the-ground activities such as fundraisers, town hall meetings, workshops and peaceful protests

  5. Organizing petitions or online drives to gather support for a particular cause

  6. Lobbying government officials to enact or change laws

  7. Using art, writing or music to spread awareness

  8. Participating in panels, webinars or workshops to share knowledge and promote visibility

  9. Using legal action in court to protect rights

What does advocacy look like?

Source: https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/advocacy-types-examples-principles/

Most individual advocates and groups rely on a variety of advocacy methods to be effective. Here are four of the most common examples:

Letter-writing/petitions

Writing letters and signing petitions are tried-and-true advocacy methods. Both allow people to raise awareness, clearly articulate their stance on an issue, and present solutions. In the case of petitions, it’s a relatively convenient way for lots of people to express their support for a cause. Effective advocacy writing contains several ingredients, including a clear “ask,” essential facts, and a polished style.

Research

Good advocacy is built on good research. Without the facts, advocacy campaigns run the risk of misdiagnosing the problem and the solutions. A poorly-researched campaign can even cause more harm than good. Research is such an important part of advocacy that many groups focus on it above other methods like petitions, protests, or fundraisers. Using experts in data-collecting and analysis, groups release extensive reports on issues like violence, poverty, gender inequality, and more. Other advocates and groups can then use this information when building their own campaigns.

Social media

Social media has transformed advocacy. Essentially anyone with a free social media account can become an advocate, build an audience, and raise awareness for causes. Their reach can go international very quickly and connect advocates in a way they were never able to connect before. While hashtag campaigns and social media organizing can strengthen advocacy, this method is still fairly new and far from perfect. Because it’s so accessible, there are many bad actors and well-meaning, but inexperienced advocates. It can also be challenging to build strong relationships over social media, which is essential to advocacy’s long-term success. Social media can be a good tool, but it shouldn’t be the primary one.

In-person action

In-person action encompasses many activities, including peaceful protests, fundraisers, town halls, workshops, and more. Education, training, and networking are just three goals. Some of the best advocacy happens in person as individuals and groups may find it easier to develop the genuine, long-lasting relationships vital to advocacy. While in-person action isn’t always possible, advocates should embed the person-centric approach into all their actions, even if they need to meet online or by phone.

Source: AI generated response

Advocacy tools are resources, strategies, and technologies used to influence public policy, raise awareness, and create change for a specific cause, ranging from simple fact sheets and social media posts to complex data management software, digital platforms for mass communication (like email/SMS campaigns), and methods for engaging policymakers directly (like meetings or testimony). They equip individuals and groups with the means to educate, organize, and mobilize supporters to make their voices heard by decision-makers.

Source: AI generated response

Inform & Educate: Provide clear, concise information (like fact sheets) to explain complex issues.

Mobilize Supporters: Use digital platforms to quickly gather signatures, send emails, or make calls.

Influence Decision-Makers: Facilitate direct contact with legislators through calls, letters, or personal meetings.

Build Movements: Connect individuals with shared goals, turning isolated efforts into collective action through technology and organization.

Source: Google search result

Advocacy techniques involve a mix of ** direct engagement** (lobbying, meetings, calls, letters to officials), ** public awareness** (media campaigns, social media, events, education), and ** strategic communication** (using facts, personal stories, clear "asks," and building relationships) to influence decision-makers and shape public opinion on an issue, using tools like grassroots mobilization and data-driven research for impact.

T2 Cohort Call #6

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

SMART Goals:

Effective goals are achieved by using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), breaking them into smaller, actionable steps, and writing them down to increase commitment. Focus on only one or two goals at a time, track progress, and build systems to maintain consistency rather than relying on motivation.

Alternatives to SMART goals:

PACT (Purposeful, Actionable, Continuous, Trackable)

WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacles, Plan)

CLEAR (Collaborative, Limited, Emotional, Appreciable, Refinable)

HARD (Heartfelt, Animated, Required, Difficult)

You can also utilize:

Anti-Goals (focusing on what to avoid)

Process Goals (focusing on habits over results)

What are the 5 P's of goal setting?

Source: https://www.effy.ai/faq/what-are-the-5-ps-of-goal-setting#:~:text=The%205%20P's%20of%20goal%2Dsetting%20are%20Purpose%2C%20Plan%2C,on%20the%20most%20impactful%20actions.

The 5 P's of goal-setting are Purpose, Plan, Prioritization, Persistence, and Progress. A strong goal-setting template integrates these principles, helping individuals and teams stay focused and motivated.

Purpose defines the "why" behind the goal, ensuring alignment with long-term aspirations.

A well-structured Plan breaks the goal into actionable steps.

Prioritization ensures focus on the most impactful actions.

Persistence helps overcome obstacles and stay committed.

Progress tracking maintains momentum and accountability.

T2 Cohort Call #7

Pitfalls of Advocacy

Common Pitfalls to Avoid:

Vague Objectives: General, non-specific goals (e.g., "get healthy") are hard to measure and achieve.

Unrealistic Expectations: Setting goals that are too lofty can lead to discouragement and giving up.

Conflicting Goals: Trying to achieve too many things at once, especially contradictory ones, reduces success.

Source: AI generated response

Common pitfalls of advocacy include lacking a clear, strategic goal, failing to understand the target audience, and using overly aggressive or inconsistent messaging. Other major traps involve neglecting to listen, operating without sufficient resources, and causing harm by alienating key stakeholders or, in some cases, perpetuating the very inequities the advocacy aimed to fix.

Key pitfalls to avoid in advocacy include:

  • Strategic Failures: Not having a clear, actionable goal, or trying to achieve too many things at once, which leads to fragmented efforts.

  • Poor Communication: Using aggressive, threatening, or overly emotional language that alienates decision-makers.

  • Lack of Audience Understanding: Failing to research the target audience, resulting in messaging that does not resonate.

  • Ignoring Feedback: Neglecting to listen to the people you are trying to convince or serve, which stops you from adapting your approach.

  • Ineffective Tactics: Relying solely on facts without creating an emotional connection, or relying on "flashy" actions (like photos with officials) that lack substance.

  • Resource Management: Underestimating the time, money, and staff needed, leading to burnout or weak campaigns.

  • Ethical/Reputational Risks: Losing credibility, experiencing harsh public criticism, or creating conflict of interest.

  • "Gatekeeper" Behaviors: Inadvertently excluding marginalized voices or prioritizing self-interest over collective goals.

T2 Cohort Call #8

Your Advocacy Letters

Source: AI generated response

To make advocacy effective, you must be strategic, research-oriented, relationship-focused, and consistent. Key strategies include knowing your audience, crafting a clear message with both facts and personal stories, building a strong base of support, and adapting your tactics based on ongoing evaluation.

Here are the key steps and strategies for effective advocacy:

1. Define Your Goals and Strategy

Determine a clear, concise objective. Be specific about what you want to change (policy, practice, or attitude).

Do your research. Understand all aspects of the issue, including potential opposing arguments, and gather reliable data, facts, and statistics to support your position.

Develop a strategic plan. Outline the "who, what, when, where, and how" of your campaign, and identify key decision-makers and influencers.

Evaluate and adapt. Regularly measure the success of your short-term outcomes and be flexible, adjusting your strategy based on progress and changing circumstances.

2. Know and Engage Your Audience

Understand your target audience. Tailor your message to resonate with their specific interests, values, and priorities. Frame your issue in light of their worldview.

Build relationships. Develop strong, long-term relationships with policymakers, stakeholders, community leaders, and the media.

Mobilize supporters. Encourage your base to take action, whether through contacting officials, attending meetings, or sharing information. Grassroots efforts can be very powerful.

3. Craft and Deliver Your Message Effectively

Keep the message clear and simple. Decision-makers often have limited time; make your points quickly and clearly.

Combine facts with personal stories. Data provides credibility, but human interest stories put a "real face" on the issue and create an emotional connection.

Use appropriate communication channels. Leverage social media, email campaigns, press releases, public events, and direct meetings.

Be consistent and persistent. Advocacy takes time. Maintain a consistent presence and follow up with decision-makers, but avoid pestering.

Be professional and courteous. Approach discussions from a place of seeking understanding and collaboration, rather than blame.

4. Build Coalitions

Form alliances. Partner with other organizations, experts, and community leaders who share your goals.

Speak with a unified voice. A large, diverse coalition delivering a consistent message is more persuasive than a single lone voice.

By following these principles, you can increase the likelihood of influencing policy, practice, or attitudes and making a lasting impact for your cause.

Know your audience. It is important to understand the interests, values and priorities of the legislator or agency you are trying to influence. Tailoring your messages and arguments to resonate with your audience can increase the likelihood of success.

Build relationships. Developing strong relationships with policymakers, stakeholders and other advocates can help you build support for your cause, gain access to decision-makers and identify potential allies.

Be strategic. Set clear goals, identify the most effective tactics to achieve those goals and allocate your resources wisely. It is also important to be flexible and adapt your strategies based on changing circumstances or new information.

Use facts and statistics. Providing data and evidence to support your arguments can increase their credibility and effectiveness. Be sure to use reliable sources and present information in a clear and compelling way.

Mobilize your supporters. Grassroots advocacy can be a powerful tool for influencing policy decisions. Encourage your coalition and supporters to contact their elected officials, attend public meetings and demonstrate the importance of their cause by sharing their stories and experiences.

T2 Cohort Call #9

Supporting Self-Advocates

Basic advocacy skills: Step by step

Source: https://www.autismspeaks.org/tool-kit-excerpt/basic-advocacy-skills-step-step

Advocacy Tool Kit

It is helpful to think about the advocacy process as a series of steps that can be taught and learned. Most of those steps relate to preparation. Before you even begin to “advocate,” you will want to have determined your goal, thought about how you will proceed, and developed a plan.

Steps to building advocacy skills

Step 1: Identify the goal of your advocacy.

  • What are you hoping to accomplish?

  • What are some acceptable outcomes?

Step 2: Develop a plan or strategy.

  • What facts and arguments support your position?

  • If relevant, what rights do you have, what laws apply, what resources exist or what benefits or services are you entitled to?

Step 3. Consider the perspective of the party to whom you are advocating.

  • Anticipate and understand their positions and their arguments.

  • How might you counter those arguments?

Step 4. Be aware of emotions – on all sides.

  • Your advocacy should be rational. It is important to avoid being governed by emotion and to avoid making your advocacy personal.

  • The other party may be governed by emotion. It is important that they understand that your advocacy is based on rational considerations and is not personal to them.

Step 5. Understand to whom you are advocating and to whom you ultimately need to advocate.

  • Does the person you are addressing have the authority to grant your request or resolve your situation?

  • What constraints does s/he face?

Step 6. Present your “case.”

Step 7. Consider possible resolutions that might be acceptable to all parties.

T2 Cohort Call #10

Participant Advocacy Letters

Source: Google searches

Historical advocates for sexual rights have fought for bodily autonomy, reproductive freedom, and LGBTQ+ equality, often facing severe social resistance. Their efforts shaped modern understanding of consent, pleasure, and equality.

Key figures include:

Reproductive Rights and Sexual Freedom

  • Margaret Sanger (1879–1966): Founded the birth control movement in the early 20th century, advocating for women's access to contraception.

  • Mary Ware Dennett (1872–1947): An early proponent of sex education and reproductive rights.

  • Emma Goldman (1869–1940): A radical activist who spoke openly about birth control and women's sexual freedom.

  • Victoria Woodhull (1838–1927): Championed "free love," arguing that the state should not interfere in personal romantic relationships.

  • Byllye Avery (1937-): A key figure in reproductive justice who co-founded the Gainesville Women's Health Center and the National Black Women's Health Project in the 1970s and 80s.

  • Dr. Helen Rodríguez Trías (1929-2001): First Latina president of the American Public Health Association; she fought against forced sterilization and for informed consent.

  • Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977): Civil rights leader who fought against forced sterilizations (or "Mississippi Appendectomies") of Black women.

  • Barbara Waxman Fiduccia (1954-2000): A disability rights activist who advocated for equal access to reproductive services, challenging the notion that people with disabilities are asexual, according to The New York Times.

  • Helen Brook (1907-1997): Founded the Brook Advisory Centres in the UK to provide contraception and confidential advice.

LGBTQ+ Rights and Liberation

  • Del Martin (1921–2008) and Phyllis Lyon (1924–2020): Co-founded the Daughters of Bilitis in 1955, the first lesbian rights organization in the US.

  • Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992): A central figure in the 1970s gay liberation movement, black trans woman, and co-founder of S.T.A.R. (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries).

  • Dale Jennings (1917–2000): A founding member of the Mattachine Society who fought against entrapment of gay men in 1951, establishing legal precedent for gay rights.

  • Simon Nkoli (1957–1998): Anti-apartheid and gay rights activist who fought for LGBTQ+ rights in South Africa.

Anti-Violence and Sex Worker Rights

  • Rosa Parks (1913–2005): Beyond her role in the civil rights movement, she advocated for justice for Black women victims of sexual violence.

  • Susan Brownmiller (1935–): Author of Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape (1975), which brought national attention to rape and sexual assault.

  • Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (1940–): Transgender activist and advocate for the rights of incarcerated and marginalized transgender people and sex workers.

  • Sylvia RiveraandMarsha P. Johnson: Led efforts to secure non-discrimination laws in NYC and co-founded STAR, supporting homeless LGBTQ youth and sex workers.

  • Margo St. James: Founded COYOTE and created the St. James Infirmary in San Francisco, a clinic for sex workers.

  • Jules Kim: Global coordinator of NSWP (Global Network of Sex Work Projects), advocating for over 30 years.

Modern/Recent Advocates

  • Amanda Nguyen: Founder of Rise, a nonprofit that helps create sexual violence-related legislation.

  • Bamby Salcedo: Transgender Latina activist focused on rights for LGBTQ+ individuals.

  • Byllye Avery: A prominent Black reproductive justice advocate who founded the National Black Women's Health Project in 1983 Planned Parenthood blog.

  • Deja Foxx: A Gen Z activist who founded a reproductive health access project in Arizona and works with UNFPA to fight for bodily autonomy.

  • Andrew Spieldenner, PhD: A leading advocate for people living with HIV, focusing on LGBTQ health.

Advocates for Sexual Pleasure

  • Victoria Woodhull (19th Century): A leader in the "Free Love" movement, she advocated for individuals' freedom to choose their romantic relationships, including the right to choose when to become a mother (voluntary motherhood) and to abolish state-controlled marriage laws.

  • Emma Goldman (Early 20th Century): An anarchist who championed "free love," she argued for women's autonomy over their own bodies, advocating for contraception and the right to experience love and sexuality outside of marriage.

  • Katharine Bement Davis (1920s): A pioneering sex researcher whose 1929 book challenged the stigma surrounding women's sexuality by proving that it was common for women to experience sexual desire and pleasure.

  • Margaret Sanger (Early 20th Century): While primarily known for birth control advocacy, she believed that freeing women from unplanned pregnancy was crucial for pursuing sexual pleasure.

  • Havelock Ellis (Early 20th Century): An English sexologist who challenged the perception of sex as primarily reproductive, arguing that it was a natural and healthy force.

  • Alfred Kinsey (1940s-1950s): His groundbreaking studies, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male and Female, challenged conventional sexual morality and highlighted the diversity of sexual behaviors.

  • Masters and Johnson (1960s-1970s): Conducted direct research on human sexual response, breaking down barriers regarding female sexual satisfaction and treating sexual dysfunction.

  • Shere Hite (1970s): Known for The Hite Report, which analyzed female sexuality based on the experiences of thousands of women, emphasizing female pleasure and self-discovery.

  • Betty Dodson (1970s): A feminist who pioneered self-pleasure (masturbation) as a means of sexual empowerment and education.

Ecosexuality

Sex Workers and Porn Stars Turned Activists

  • Margo St. James: Founded COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) in the 1970s, pioneering the movement to treat sex work as a labor issue.

  • Carol Leigh (Scarlet Harlot): A pivotal activist who coined the term "sex worker," co-founded the Sex Workers Outreach Project, and worked with ACT UP.

  • Catherine Healy: A New Zealand activist who co-founded the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective in 1986, earning honors for her fight for decriminalization.

  • Tilly Lawless: A modern Australian activist who gained prominence through social media, challenging stigma and representing the diversity of experiences in the industry.

  • Gangubai Kothewali (Kathiawadi): A 1960s Indian activist who served as a madam and advocated for sex workers' rights and the well-being of orphans in Mumbai.

  • Norma Jean Almodovar: A former LAPD officer turned activist who founded the International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture, and Education (ISWFACE), fighting against police corruption.

  • Annie Sprinkle: Transitioned from porn actress to "sex educator," promoting body positivity and feminist, "ecosexual" pornography.

  • Nina Hartley: A prolific former actress recognized as an "outspoken feminist" and advocate for sexual freedom and performer rights.

  • Jessica Neely: A former adult film star who became an advocate against human trafficking and works with the Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition.

  • Buck Angel: A transsexual man and former adult performer, now a prominent educator focusing on sexual freedom and LGBTQ+ issues.

  • Bella Knox: started in porn to pay for college and became an outspoken defender of the rights of sex workers and feminist porn.

  • Stormy Daniels: Stormy Daniels Yahoo has been described as a "hero of the opposition" and a sex worker activist.

  • Philipp Tanzer: Former gay porn actor turned men's rights activist.