LOS ANGELES — The Free Speech Coalition announced Thursday that it will launch a political action center at the “Erotica LA” adult entertainment expo, so that patrons can urge Congress to fix the USA PATRIOT Act and restore privacy rights. Adult video stars and local exotic dancers, together with patrons of the convention, will call on lawmakers to reject the administration’s push to expand the controversial law, and instead to bring it back in line with the Constitution.
“The adult entertainment industry is particularly concerned with the USA PATRIOT Act because it gives government the power to invade people’s privacy without first having to suspect them of any wrongdoing,” said Kat Sunlove, legislative affairs director of the Free Speech Coalition. “If you are a law abiding American, then the videos your rent, the magazines you buy, and the clubs you choose to frequent are your own business, not the government’s.”
At the action center, adult entertainers as well as patrons of the trade show will learn about how the Patriot Act infringes on the privacy of all Americans, and how a bi-partisan bill called the SAFE Act will help to restore basic privacy safeguards. They will then be able to fax and email their Congressional representatives from the convention floor.
The opening of the action center on Friday, June 10, comes right as the administration is pushing Congress to expand the Patriot Act. “Today we are joining with Americans across the country in calling for common sense fixes to the Patriot Act”, said Sunlove. “It went too far, too fast and it now needs to be fixed, not expanded. We can give law enforcement the tools they need to protect us without trampling on the privacy protections enshrined in our Constitution.”
“Erotica LA” will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, June 10 – 12. The FSC Action Center will be located at booth No. 118. Among the celebrities expected to work at the Action Center during the show are Nina Hartley, Brittany Andrews, Kaylani Lei, Alexandra Silk, Anita Cannibal and many local dancers from gentlemen’s clubs around Los Angeles.
Free Speech Coalition is trade association of the adult entertainment industry that serves its members through lobbying, public education and when necessary, litigation on important issues with First Amendment implications. For more information about FSC, visit their Web site at http://www.freespeechcoalition.com.