Why the Sexual Freedom Awards

With arrival of the 20th Anniversary of the Erotic Awards, we decided to change the name to something more appropriate to what we do and focus on those groups in society still struggling to be free: the professionals who provide sexual services and striptease artists.

These two groups are currently being targeted by religious and anti-sex feminists, who. claim that sex work is violence to women. This is without even listening to the strippers and sex workers themselves. They seem to want women to 'rescue'! Some even want to see the end to commercial sex. The professional sex workers and strippers like their work and feel totally in charge of what they do.

Striptease establishments are being unnecessarily closed down around the country, and sex workers demonised. In fact, as you probably know if you are reading this, striptease is a delightful, form of aspirational entertainment, and sex workers provide pleasure, teaching, necessary human contact and satisfaction for millions of men and women across the country.

Those who provide sexual services are currently forbidden by law to work together, which limits their capacity and renders their working lives unsafe. No other profession is limited in this way. So long as no control is involved, sex workers should be free to work in pairs or groups, or as a community.

Members of the stripping sexual service communities are delighted to welcome this new focus, as they feel they are struggling, unsupported and unheard. We welcome them to come to our Awards Night, to support those people they have nominated to win an award..

At the same time as this change of focus, there is new management. The founder Dr Tuppy Owens has already stepped down to make way for a younger successor, and at last she has found the dynamic Charlotte Rose to take this project forward and raise the necessary funds to keep her charity, the Outsiders Trust on the road.

Outsiders runs a club for disabled people to gain confidence and find parers www.Outsiders.org.uk, and also runs the TLC Trust for disabled men and women to access responsible sexual service www.tlc-trust.org.uk.

Charlotte will enjoy the same excellent professional support from the team of volunteers who also help the charity, so that the events run smoothly, happily and with total disability access and acceptance.

We need your help to get this event off the ground