Sexual Ethics of Free Spirits

> *Sex can be a source of pleasure, of connection, and of life. Sex can also be misused to cause pain, to isolate, and to deprive of life. So, too, with many other things that we experience. So what to say when asked: "How shall Free Spirits approach sex?" As with all other things, with compassion for one another, with respect for the facts of existence and the truths of our experience, without coercion or intimidation or fear, and always striving for joy in every form.* - Janella, in *The Way of the Free Spirit*
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Sexual ethics for modern Free Spirits is an extension of their core values and ethical process to sexuality, which they see as being just as normal and natural as any other activity. Principally they regard the negotiation of consent as a form of covenant, and consensual erotic intimacy as communion. With consent being the paramount factor, they are thus accepting of a wide variety of sexual identities and behaviors, while opposing sexual harassment and abuse.

## LGBTQI

Free Spirits welcome and affirm people of all sexual/affectional orientations and gender identities. They embrace such diversity as a natural part of the complexities of human experience, and take care to use inclusive language (e.g., having meeting attendees give their preferred pronouns).

## Polyamory, open relationships, and swinging

Consensual non-monogamy is practically normalized; Tracey Bilodeau cites a survey showing many Free Spirits to be in open and/or multi-partner relationships (22% and 20% respectively). When some of Peri Winger’s friends from the swinger community come to a Sunday Celebration, they are welcomed with no judgment regarding their lifestyle. Even the movement's founder and spiritual leader, Janella, is shown in *Amalia's Truth* to be in a polyamorous quad relationship.

## BDSM

Many Local Gatherings welcome members of the BDSM community, some even educating their members about it. It is mentioned in *Peri's Bliss* that the Connection is in the process of considering a resolution to affirm the rights of BDSM people. That resolution is voted on in the sixth Triennial Assembly, as portrayed in *Amalia's Truth*, where the BDSM/Fetish/Kink Nexus also hosts a large BDSM play party.

## Sex work

Free Spirits support the rights of sex workers, including decriminalization, while condemning sex trafficking and other forms of forced labor, their position in line with that of Amnesty International and the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women. Many sex workers are members of Free Spirit Local Gatherings, including Bridget Torjesen, and there is a sizable and influential nexus group for sex worker rights. In *Amalia's Truth*, the sixth Triennial Assembly overwhelmingly supports a resolution condemning the "Swedish model" of criminalizing sex work clients.

## Sex education

Free Spirits support fact-based and age-appropriate sexuality education, so as to enable their young people to have better intimate relationships. They frequently provide educational programs and materials, especially for parents to educate their own children. In *Amalia's Truth*, the delegates of the sixth Triennial Assembly engage in extensive discussion on ways to develop and promote sexuality education for the Connection's Local Gatherings.

## Sexual harassment and abuse

Free Spirits strongly oppose any coercion or intimidation in sexual matters. More than once It is noted that, when someone came into a Sunday Celebration and made inappropriate advances, they were taken aside and told to change their behavior or not return. In *Hannah's Healing*, a process of adjudicating disputes around allegations of misconduct is also generally described, with Andrew Hamady investigating and arbitrating one such case. In *Amalia's Truth*, it is shown that the Connection's leadership also takes a dim view of spreading allegations of such misconduct through gossip and rumor, bypassing the more careful process of arbitration and adjudication. Melinda Malone observes in *Jeretta's Judgment* that Free Spirits are much less tolerant and forgiving of lying than making an unintentionally offensive comment.

## Reproductive rights

Free Spirits support abortion rights and making contraception widely available, and even provide condoms and other safer-sex materials in their communion rooms.

## Pornography/erotica

Free Spirits oppose efforts to censor sexually explicit media or otherwise repress consensual sexual expression, regarding censorship and stigmatization as worse than existing problems within the adult entertainment media, and that such problems are better addressed through open discussion and encouraging more positive practices.

## Are Free Spirits feminist?

Free Spirits embrace gender equality, with women well-represented in leadership roles, and many characters in the series express feminist ideals in word and deed. It is a more individualistic and sex-positive form of feminism, in sharp contrast to the “radical feminism” which opposes pornography and prostitution. *Amalia's Truth* shows the presence of both an inclusive Feminist Nexus (formed by the merger of three previous groups) and the smaller radical-separatist Women's Nexus Against Patriarchy (WoNAP).