2006 Free Speech Coalition

Board of Directors Nominees

(Click on a nominee's name for more information)

Jim Everett

Sid Grief

Joan Irvine

Bill Murphy

Gregory Shearer (Spanky)

Nellie Symm-Gruender

Connor Young

2006 FSC Board of Directors nominations schedule

Jim Everett

Bio:

Jim Everett is Chief Operating Officer of L.D. Management Company.  In that capacity, he has responsibility for day to day guidance of the Lions Den, a leading fifteen-state chain of adult superstores.

Prior to joining L.D. Management, first as a consultant and for the past two years as C.O.O., Mr. Everett was an internationally recognized retail and marketing consultant.  Mr. Everett was privileged to strategically work with many of the worlds leading retailers and manufacturers.  Some of those clients are:

              Goodyear                                    B.P.Oil                                           Sara Lee

              Unilever                                       Sears                                             Rubbermaid

              U.S. Postal Service                   Meisrow Financial                       Equity Properties

A graduate of the Ohio State University, Mr. Everett has served on the board of several public and private companies.  He is the past president of the American Marketing Association and a former trustee and Executive board member of The Columbus Zoological Association.   He is active in a variety of charitable organizations, including serving on the Steering Committee of Habitat for Humanity.

Recently Mr. Everett was elected to the Board of Directors of the Buckeye Association of Club Executives.

Statement:

Over the course of my career I have had the pleasure of visiting over fifty countries as a consultant or tourist.  During all these trips I learned to appreciate what a wonderful country we have.  Not just the material things but also the freedoms we possess and protect. 

For example:

• We can speak without fear of being locked up
• We can travel from state to state without passports
• We can vote for our political candidate of choice
• We can express our religious beliefs freely
• We can run for office without fear of assassination
• For the most part, we can freely express our sexuality in the privacy of our homes with our choice of partner(s)

If I am chosen as a board member, efforts will be made to support “Board Policies” as well as proactively supporting the aforementioned statements.

Jim Everett

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Sid Grief

Bio:

SID GRIEF'S (aka Redrob) background includes 30 years of adult retailing in Texas including adult bookstores, video rental stores, newsstands, internet websites, internet content sales and internet fulfillment operations.  His education includes BBA with Highest Honors, majors in Marketing and International Business and BA with High Honors, major in Asian Studies from UT. 

Sid is one of the original founders of First Amendment Coalition of Texas, which has raised over $1 million for lobbying in Texas.  Sid has served two terms as a VSDA Chapter President.  Moreover, Sid has served as a member of the VSDA Adult Advisory Committee and the PBAA's Anticensorship Committee.

During his past term on the FSC Board, Sid has led the Internet Committee's redevelopment of the FSC website and served on the Legal and Government Committee which has overseen the major legal challenges undertaken by the FSC. 

Sid states, 'I think the major challenges will be stopping the DOJ's expansion of 2257, securing the recognition of our Right to Privacy, and preventing the implementation of the XXX TLD . Moreover, I will work to defeat ultraconservative legislators during the next election and expand our membership base through the development of local FSC Chapters."

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Joan Irvine

Bio:

Joan Irvine is the Executive Director of the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP). Since 1996 the ASACP mission has been to help the adult entertainment industry in their ongoing efforts to battle CP on the Internet through its CP reporting hotline (cpHotine.org). In addition, ASACP provides a self-regulatory vehicle for its members through a Code of Ethics that promotes the protection of children through responsible, professional business practices (http://www.asacp.org/bestpractices.html).

She has been in technology and association industries for over 25 years. She started her career as a programmer for System Development Corporation (now Unisys), sold technology business solutions for Automatic Data Processing (ADP) and sold e-commerce affinity programs to the association industry. She was the Vice President - Membership for Virtual Interactive Community, an association for professionals in new media and technology.

She is also a Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy. She wrote her thesis on “Using Hypnosis for Sexual Enhancement” and authored a book, “Recipes for Hot Sex.” In her private practice, she specialized in relationship enhancement and based her therapy on the premise that ‘whatever was safe and consensual between adults was nature, normal and OK. She brought this philosophy with her to ASACP.

She belongs to the Association Society of Association Executives and was a member of numerous associations including Women in Technology International, National Speakers Association and Digital Coast Roundtable. She has spoken at various conferences including Governor’s Conference for Women in California and was interviewed by Barbara Walters on The View.

Statement:

For the last two years I have served on the FSC Board and only missed two meeting. I have proven my dedication and my ability to separate my role as the Executive Director of ASACP from my responsibility as a FSC Board member.

I invited the FSC Executive Director to join the ASACP Advisory Council so that each association could learn about and help each other serve the industry. When the internet side of the industry knew little about and didn’t see the value of FSC, I introduced Kat Sunlove to the industry leaders and promoted the need to support FSC. I’ve participated at several FSC Lobbying Days.

I implemented cutting edge technology at ASACP. As a result, for the first time the industry has empirical data which proves the industry is not involved in child pornography. ASACP was named to the 2005 Associations Advance America Honor Roll, a national awards competition sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives and received a Certificate of Recognition from California Assembly Member Paul Koretz.

Why is this significant? When the government is attacking the industry, it is imperative to have verifiable data as proof that the industry is actively protecting children and battling CP and validation from other mainstream associations and politicians.

Joan Irvine

Q&A:

What does the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) do for the Adult Entertainment Industry?

• It provides a centralized organization that has as its mission:  the best interests of the industry as it relates to legal risks, a unified voice to educate the government via lobbying and the increase of public acceptance. It promotes freedom of speech, including sexual speech.

How could FSC better serve the industry and the consumers?

• The FSC can best serve the industry by continuing to question and litigate unfair legal challenges and to educate the government that the adult entertainment industry is a legal business with professional business practices. As a result of its efforts, the consumer should feel comfortable to enjoy adult entertainment in its various forms.

What does free speech mean to you?

• The ability to express my opinion in speech, text or other media and not have it censored by or be concerned about retaliation from the government. As it relates to adult material, whatever is safe and consensual between adults should be considered a legal form of expression.

What segment of the industry or community do you represent?

• The Internet.

What type of business do you do?

• ASACP is a social welfare non-profit association. It helps the adult entertainment industry battle child pornography on the Internet by providing a CP reporting hotline and by providing a self-regulatory vehicle for its members through a Code of Ethics that promotes the protection of children through responsible, professional business practices.

How will your skills and experience benefit FSC and its members?

• One of my skills is to facilitate community. This was evidenced in 2002 when ASACP invited the Executive Director of FSC to join it Advisory Council; I have continued to promote such community and open communication.

• I have over 20 years of experience in business, technology and associations, both in mainstream and adult. Therefore, I understand the necessity of cooperation among various groups and to provide verifiable data to prove one’s point. For the first time because of empirical data from ASACP’s CP reporting hotline database, there is indication that 99.9% of suspect CP reports can be attributed to non-adult webmasters or pedophiles, not professional adult companies. ASACP provided this data to the lawyers involved with 2257 litigations. In the future, when ASACP discovers such data, it will be, as usual, made available to FSC for the benefit of the industry.

How do you think .XXX will impact the industry and consumers?

• As an employee of ASACP, I cannot comment on this topic since it is not within the ASACP mission to either approve or disapprove of .xxx. As a member of the FSC Board of Directors, I will support the decision of the majority.

How do you think 4th Amendment privacy rights impact the industry and consumers?

• What consenting adult do in the privacy of their homes should be protected against unreasonable searches and seizures. Consumer should feel comfortable to buy, view, and engage in adult entertainment.

Have you worked with non-profits Board of Directors previously?

• Yes, I have been a member of the FSC Board for the last two years, involved with Women in Adult, and it is my responsibility to facilitate the ASACP Advisory Council.

What is the most important issue facing FSC in 2006?

• The attacks on various fronts by the U.S. government, especially around child protection and obscenity.

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Bill Murphy

Bio:

Bill Murphy was born and raised in West Virginia.  He attended collage at Marshall University but will tell you that everything of value he’s learned has been through business and raising three children.

He came to Fairvilla Twin Cinema in Orlando in 1971.  Forecasting evolving market trends, Bill changed the cinema into 10,000 sq foot retail Mega Store for adults. In the ensuing years Bill has opened 15,000 sq ft and 7000 sq ft stores in Cape Canaveral and Key West.  

Bill was the Co-founder of The Friends of First Amendment. He has been the target of numerous legal attacks from 1972-present:

• The City of Orlando paid Fairvilla Mega Store $275,000 reparations for restraint of trade.
• The City of Cape Canaveral rewrote the Adult Entertainment and Zoning codes after failing to use zoning to amortize Fairvilla Mega Store out of business.
• The City of Key West determined that Fairvilla Mega Store was not subject to Adult Entertainment ordinances and permitted business with a standard retail license. He currently serves on the Key West Tourist Development Board.

Bill believes that “the freedom of speech must be defended, not just academically, but pragmatically and with competence."

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Gregory Shearer (Spanky)

Q&A:

What does the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) do for the Adult Entertainment Industry?

• The Free Speech Coalition is an Industry Trade organization that promotes the proper image of various businesses within the Adult Entertainment Industry.  These groups include, but are not limited to Adult Cabaret shows, Adult internet marketing,, Visual Erotica, Novelty Manufacturing, the Distribution and local retailing of these venues.  Further the Free speech Coalition is an information resource by the industry for the public to as well as for industry members seeking resource information for many issues such as Legal matters at the local, State and Federal level.  Further the coalition is a resource for all Adult professionals whom share a commonality of needs such as Legal matters, Professional Osha Standards, community Standards, Legislation and in some cases joining in class action type issues such as FREE SPEECH V GONZALEZ.

How could FSC better serve the industry and the consumers?

• With the hiring of Mr. Hymes as Information director I would like to see a greater awareness of our membership as to the proper image we portray in the Press, Radio, and Televison,and trade shows with regards to eliminating key words such as pornography from any type of public arena.  To provide proper information to the membership as to the do’s and don’ts of peaking with Government officials, customers, end users, and public forum. 

• Certainly in our creative endeavors our products certainly would not be shown at a women’s club meeting, and we do exercise what in most industries items and services that could be construed as over the top.  We should however, always keep in mind, in many cases we are unique to most people and in a perceived subculture, and therefore it is imperative we make a proper image to everyone about our industry to outsiders.

What does free speech mean to you?

• I have always spoken my mind; in my youth it created some challenges.  Today I have the privilege to work with some very special courageous people in particular those patriarchs such as the Sturmans, Braunstiens, Wendletsadts and many others who’s personal sacrifices made it possible so all of us could make a living today.  We owe these peoples legacy a proper image, and the continuation of this industry that serves the needs of people all over our great country, and the globe.

What segment of the industry or community do you represent?

• My background is in Visual Erotica, and local Retail acquisition; however as a board member I represent all Adult professionals and look forward to learning about the other venues in our industry.

What type of business do you do?

• I am in the Alternative adult Video Production, Manufacturing, and Distribution business.  I have not just a marketing background, but also Produce Alternative Visual Erotica.  Naturally a tremendous amount of my time involves providing creative, yet appropriate Product for my clients, with a keen emphasis on legal matters such as implementation of 2257 guidelines and the acquisition and Production of pleasurable and legal materials. Additionally, I work in the Acquisition of Adult Use Retail locations as well as have a limited background in Novelty sales.

How will your skills and experience benefit FSC and its members?

• I feel the fact that I was previously involved in local Law Enforcement, and ran a mainstream Marketing organization prior to my adult career, provide a unique and needed perspective to the board and the membership as we forge our image into the New Year.

How do you think .XXX will impact the industry and consumers?

• This may cost me a vote or two, and I will support whatever the membership and its board agrees to, but I am against the XXX concept as it demeans what we are already doing legally and “ghetto izes” The adult internet.  Further, I frankly question the intensions of those who have a keen personal interest in XXX as well as their tactics they chose to frankly ram this concept down our throat.

How do you think 4th Amendment privacy rights impact the industry and consumers?

• I had the unique opportunity to speak with a federal Prosecutor recently while we were walking our dogs.  He made it quite clear to me that the majority of Assistant US Attorneys have not interest in prosecuting Mainstream Adult Manufacturers.  The emphasis is the Cyber Pedophiles, Travelers, and the minute persons engaging in Kiddie Porn are their focus.  The Majority of US Attorneys find the neo conservatives in Washington Obnoxious and that most prosecutors at the local level have no interest in prosecuting off minutia as the Ashcroft interpretation off 2257 is waged in the matter of Free Speech V. Gonzalez.

•  However, they have no control over what they are ordered to do, and I believe it is incumbent upon us to be litigiously and legislatively proactive in circumventing these intrusions.

Have you worked with non-profits Board of Directors previously?

• I have not had the privilege, but I certainly look forward to this challenge.

What is the most important issue facing FSC in 2006?

• Absent the 2257 issue, I think we have a great opportunity to take the embarrassment that the Neo Conservatives have created, and that we cease upon this time to promote the proper image of our industry through public forums and most importantly educating our rank in file on how to best present ourselves to the outside world and most importantly our end users, Government officials, and the Public at large.

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Nellie Symm-Gruender

Bio:

As a registered nurse of 31 years, Nellie Symm-Gruender has spent most of her life designing and managing trauma centers.  In 2004 she was honored to be selected as the Nurse of the Year in Austin, Texas. Nellie has a long history of involvement in social issues, and has served on numerous boards both as a member, and in leadership positions.  She is also well known as a national lecturer and advocate for victims of domestic violence.

In 2000, when Nellie and her husband Gene started their first adult entertainment store, they had no idea that it would lead them to become outspoken supporters of the First Amendment and activists for the adult industry in the state of Missouri. Nellie's stores, Passions and Passions Too in Boonville, Missouri and Marshall, Missouri, have filed two law suits against the state of Missouri. Both suits are to fight legislation that has attacked the First Amendment rights of fellow Missourians through restrictions placed on operating and advertising adult oriented businesses.

After attending the Free Speech Coalition lobbying seminar, Nellie has become a frequent visitor to legislators in Jefferson City, Missouri to educate and advocate about and for the adult industry.  It is her hope that through a position on the Board of Directors for the Free Speech Coalition she can continue her advocacy of the First Amendment at the local, state and national level.

Statement:

The most basic component of freedom of expression is the right of free speech. Despite this many of us understand that this most fundamental right is under siege, and to most citizens this siege is either transparent or veiled with the agenda of protecting us for a supposed greater good.

As a member of the Board of Directors for the Free Speech Coalition I would:    

1. Work to uncover the attacks upon our freedom of speech through education and awareness.
2. Encourage the dissemination of studies that are in opposition to biased information presented as truth but which are not based on scientific data.
3. Encourage a proactive stance through support of legislators who choose to re-enforce the essence of the constitution, and a reactive stance by lobbying against legislation that further erodes any aspect of the freedom of expression.
4. Actively recruit members to the Free Speech Coalition understanding that power lies in numbers

Nellie Symm-Gruender

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Connor Young

Bio:

Connor Young is President of YNOT Network, LP, the oldest online resource site for owners and operators of adult entertainment websites.  Connor got started in adult entertainment in June of 1997, first operating as an independent adult webmaster before moving on to take a position as Editor-in-Chief of TheAdultWebmaster Magazine.  In late 2003, Connor took over as Editor-in-Chief of YNOT.com. Since then, he has written about the adult entertainment industry for several publications including AVN Online magazine, Klixxx magazine, and YNOT.com.  In October of 2005, Connor was appointed President of YNOT Network, where he is in charge of the company's business direction and growth.  Connor has been a regular speaker at industry events, including Internext Expo, The Phoenix Forum and Cybernet Expo.  Connor has been a tireless industry advocate, serving on the Board of Directors of the Free Speech Coalition, speaking out against obscenity laws, and opposing the proposal for a .XXX top-level domain name.  He is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento, and is currently working on a Master's Degree in Houston, Texas.

Q&A:

What does the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) do for the Adult Entertainment Industry?

• The FSC gives the adult entertainment industry a full-time advocate dedicated to safeguarding both our business and our creative interests.  Running a successful business in the competitive adult entertainment marketplace is hard enough even without the constant attacks from certain traditionalist interest groups who regularly challenge our right to exist and our ability to meet consumer demand for our products.  The FSC acts as a kind of shield around the adult industry, making it that much harder for censorship advocates to unlawfully interfere with our constitutionally protected right to free expression.  Since the FSC is supported by the industry at large, it often takes the pressure off of individual companies to challenge flawed legislation aimed at censoring our industry.  Equally important, the FSC gives the adult industry a voice; it provides a means for the industry to respond to the relentless onslaught of falsehoods and malicious lies that are otherwise allowed to circulate, largely unchallenged, in the political and even popular mainstream.  The FSC also keeps an ear to the ground, so to speak, and labors to head off potential unfriendly legislation before it becomes necessary to litigate.  No serious industry should be without these kinds of vital services, and the adult industry especially understands the value of standing together against the opponents of free expression.

How could FSC better serve the industry and the consumers?

• In terms of better serving the adult industry, I am a strong believer that the FSC should be very proactive about responding to the lies and rhetoric of the pro-censorship groups that regularly slander our industry.  The good news is that the arguments of these groups are easily beaten with simple facts and sound logic, but despite this advantage the adult industry has not done a very good job forming relationships with the media, nurturing and supporting its greatest advocates, and basically responding to the rhetoric that is used by our opponents to sew confusion about the role of adult entertainment in a healthy society.  The FSC this past year has started to make significant and much welcome progress in this regard, and I would very much like to see that progress continue.  Building relationships with the mainstream media, forming alliances with interest groups from other industries, and educating consumers on issues important to our industry should be considered a very high priority for the FSC.  Additionally, I would like to see the FSC jump at productive opportunities to assist in challenging federal and local obscenity laws, which I believe are produced an unconstitutional and unjustified chilling effect on otherwise protected speech.  In terms of better serving consumers, that means working to make it easier for consumers to choose for themselves which adult industry products they would like to receive.  Legal adult entertainment should not be kept from consenting adults who want to view it simply because some pro-censorship group can’t manage to mind its own business.  The FSC should be very active in identifying ways that censorship advocates restrict adult entertainment from its fans, then work hard to remove those restrictions.

What does free speech mean to you?

• There’s nothing more dangerous to the progress of a healthy society than the tyranny of an uninformed majority.  In order for any society to progress and meet the challenges of its future, its participants need to feel comfortable to speak their minds freely without concern of retribution should any of their ideas be deemed unpopular.  Many of the ideas that have advanced human culture to its current state of achievement came about through thinkers whose ideas were initially unpopular; sometimes, for the thinkers involved, dangerously unpopular.  Through the right of free expression, participants in society are ensured that at the very least their government will not punish them for expressing ideas that do not meet the immediate approval of the majority.  Free speech, of course, is an idea.  No modern society has actualized the ideal of free speech in its purest form, since the unfortunate human desire to control the thoughts of others is simply very strong.  Standing up for free speech means recognizing that minority thought not only needs protection from the tyranny of the majority, but that minority thought is also a vital component to a healthy society.  Advocating free speech for oneself also means defending the free speech rights of one’s fiercest opponents.  Challengers of the adult industry often start by picking the least defensible members of our ranks; how well we stand up for the free speech rights of these targeted individuals speaks volumes about our true level of devotion to the principles and ideals of free speech.

What segment of the industry or community do you represent?

• I represent the adult Internet community.

What type of business do you do?

• I am President of YNOT Network.  Our flagship website is YNOT.com, an online resource for adult entertainment professionals.  We provide vital information and services to adult Internet professionals.

How will your skills and experience benefit FSC and its members?

• I have a very strong understanding of the adult Internet industry, ranging from the basic skills required to run and maintain an adult website to more advanced knowledge like the operation of adult affiliate programs, the production of Web-specific content, and the art of farming and filtering online traffic, the most productive business models, etc.  I have a strong technical background, and am comfortable with the technology that goes into online business operations.  I am comfortable speaking in public and being an advocate for the industry.  I am, to say the least, extremely passionate about challenging the activities of the pro-censorship groups.  I stay well informed about all issues that relate to the adult industry, and have an almost obsessive interest in the politics that affect our businesses.  I am by nature a critical thinker, and enjoy using logic and reason in defense of adult entertainment.

How do you think .XXX will impact the industry and consumers?

• I am very hopeful that .XXX will never become a reality, although it’s far too early to know the fate of this flawed top-level domain concept.  At first glance, the creation of a .XXX TLD seems like a really good idea since it provides what seems like an easy way for parents to keep children off of adult websites.  On closer examination, however, it quickly becomes apparent that a voluntary .XXX domain will do very little to keep children off of adult websites, since most adult websites would just keep their .COM domains, and it provides even less protection than could be achieved through the use of voluntary ratings systems like ICRA, which are free to use.  If .XXX were approved, we run the risk of it eventually becoming mandatory and its use compelled despite the assurances of its proponents – either through government legislation, which would then have to be challenged, or possibly even through the pressuring of private industry.  Visa, for example, could decide not to process charges for adult websites not using a .XXX domain name.  Once adult websites are neatly forced into a virtual “red light district,” it would be much easier for the government to then restrict and hamper the growth of our industry.  Since there is no practical benefit to the industry that couldn’t be achieved through less restrictive means, the creation of a .XXX domain simply would not be worth the very significant risk it would pose to free expression.

How do you think 4th Amendment privacy rights impact the industry and consumers?

• As seen in the preliminary rounds of the Extreme Associates obscenity case, privacy rights are taking a bigger role in the battle against censorship groups.  Pro-censorship arguments that were used traditionally in a brink and mortar world are simply not applicable to the modern culture.  Americans are concerned about too much government intrusion into their private lives.  Personal privacy is one of those rare causes that is championed by people from both “red states” and “blue states,” which provides the adult industry with an important opportunity to protect its right to do business today and in the future.  The impact of the 4th Amendment on the adult industry could very well be that obscenity laws are effectively invalidated when applied to the World Wide Web, and possibly even as applied to mail order businesses.

Have you worked with non-profits Board of Directors previously?

• In addition to serving on the FSC Board of Directors in 2005, I have also served on the Board of Directors for the Internet Freedom Association.

What is the most important issue facing FSC in 2006?

• I cannot imagine that anything will surpass the importance of the FSC’s challenge to 18 U.S.C. 2257.  Defeating the new 2257 regulations, and possibly the entire law, would have a tremendously positive impact for most adult entertainment companies; however I believe that these laws are especially problematic for companies with an online presence, for a variety of reasons.

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2006 FSC Board of Directors nominations schedule:

10/17/05 – Nominating ballots snail-mailed to FSC membership

11/07/05 – Nominating ballots return date deadline

11/15/05 – Final ballots snail-mailed to FSC membership

12/09/05 – Final ballots return postmark deadline

Top nominees and current board members who are running for reelection will be included on the final ballot. The 2006 Board will be announced at the FSC annual membership meeting in Las Vegas, January 2006.

The FSC Board of Directors serves an active and vital role in the organization, providing oversight over activities and functions, including strategic planning, approval of annual budgets and periodic review of strategic goals. In addition to oversight, Board members also sit on supporting committees, of which there are six: the Executive Committee, the Government & Legal Committee, the Membership Committee, the Internet Committee, the Fundraising Committee, and the Public Information Committee. The Board meets bi-monthly, and all members volunteer their time.

For more information, please contact President Julie Stewart at julie@sportsheets.com or Executive Director Michelle Freridge at execdir@freespeechcoalition.com, or call the Free Speech Coalition office at 818.348.9373.

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