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[dr_dick]

Dear FSC Board Officers,

I have a quick question, I hope you don't find my inquiry impertinent.

Early in December outgoing Executive Director, Michelle Freridge, called me to tell me that I had been nominated for a position on the Board of Directors. She sent me an in depth questionnaire to complete. Presumably, the questionnaire was to establish my credibility and suitability for this important position.

I took a lot of time to answer the questions to the best of my ability. Actually, I took the entire nomination quite seriously. I've served on several nonprofit boards in the past, so I know how crucial a board member can be to the wellbeing of the organization served.

Today I received my ballot for the board vote itself. I noticed my name, of course, but there's no information about me or any of the other prospective board members. I looked on your website for some information about the election and/or a biography for the prospective board members. I found nothing. That lengthily questionnaire I completed must have been for in-house purposes only. But that seems to have defeated the purpose. Because it is the membership who does the voting, right?

My question is this, how are FSC members, myself included, supposed to make an informed decision about these important leadership positions if we don't know Shinola about any of the nominees? Maybe I'm missing something, maybe that's actually the point. Maybe this is just a pro forma sort of thing. Lots of nonprofit boards are merely window dressing. I understand from chatting with other people at the FSC that very few ballots are ever returned. I certainly can see why. If I, or any other member, was serious about strengthening the FSC, particularly in terms of fiscal planning and oversight so as to avoid additional staff cuts at this critical time our industry's history, how would we know how to make an informed decision?

Anyhow, just thought it was important for me to share my views on this with you. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

All the best,

Richard Wagner, Ph.D.
Daddy Oohhh! Productions;
Quality Adult Entertainment, Enrichment and Education

dr_dick@daddyoohhh.com
http://www.daddyoohhh.com/
http://www.jizz4u.com/
http://www.queer4u.com/

[Dr Bill]

You've got my vote Doc...assuming I get a ballot this year.  Last year a lot of people did not receive a ballot.  Complaints were filed and a second mailing was done.  But each open board seat had only one candidate, so when all was said and done the election seemed moot.  While they did put up information about the candidates last year, it was late, and packaged unprofessionally.

In my opinion, the image of this organization, and its leadership, is critical.  When the industry has Senators raking us over the coals on the Hill, the last thing we need is photos of board members that make us look like a bunch of wise guys, bikers, and weekend fishermen.  This failure to properly package a trade organization's image is surprising, considering everyone in this business understands the importance of imagery when trying to influence the consumer.

A major shortcoming of this organization is its failure to openly communicate with the supporting membership.  For example; I'd love to see an annual report, including an informative financial statement...common practice with most trade organizations.  This lack of communication sends a message, intentional or not, that they are only interested in our money.  So why should it surprise us that no one bothers to vote?

[dr_dick]

i couldn't agree with you more.  i mean, what's the use of having a trade association if it doesn't represent us in a professional manner.  apparently, fiscal oversite is also a huge concern too.  this comes from inside the FSC.

dr dick

[dr_dick]

here's an update.

one can find information on board nominees here:  http://www.freespeechcoalition.com/FSCView.asp?action=preview&coid=970

YEAH!

anyone who hasn't received his/her ballot ought contact the FSC directly.  ask for Diane, the new executive director.

dr dick

[Dr Bill]

Assuming you are elected to the FSC Board of directors, I hope you will have a positive impact on issues of accountability and credibility.  We need a strong and affective trade organization.  To date, the FSC has done a poor job in securing the trust, and support, of its existing, and potential, member base.  The FSC needs to be a six hundred pound gorilla, for the government and politicians to wrestle with.  It can't get there without the trust and support of the industry it claims to represent.

[dr_dick]

once again, i concur wholeheardedly.  however, it's a pretty tall order that.  but without that kind of strength and presence we will not be taken seriously. 

there is, of course, one major obstacle — ourselves.  so many of our industry colleagues live and work in the shadows perpetuating the myths and fears held by so many.  so, as you said yesterday, unless and until we can put a credible, nonthreatening, mainstream human face on our industry as a whole we will not succeed. 

to my mind, this is not unlike the early days of the gay rights movement.  the challenges are the same.  until the gay doctors, lawyers, clergymen, actors, shopkeepers, trash collectors; until our gay/lesbian sons and daughters, our parents, our neighbors down the street began to shed their shame, come out and demand their rights, the community as a whole was not transformed and rights were not secured.

thinking that a raft of lobbyists alone can do this for us is, i believe, naive. 

[Dr Bill]

I equate it more to the gambling industry.  I don't pretend to know all the steps they took, but its a given they had to repackage their public image.

[dr_dick]

and look how successful the online gaming industry was.  ;-)

[Dr Bill]

and look how successful the on-line gaming industry was.  ;-)

Actually that's testament to the power of the off-line gambling industry in the US.  It is/was their lobbying efforts that created all the problems for the on-line folks. 

[dr_dick]

you are so right, bill.  a lesson for our industry, huh?  never underestimate the power of the opposition's lobby.

so my question is, how does one sway (lobby) those who might be inclined to join us in stemming the tide of the forces of sexual repression that are consuming our country?  simply appealing to the constitution won't carry the day.  we have to make a much stronger case than that.  where do we begin?  like i said above, i think it begins with us.

[CorbinFisher_BD]

I'm curious as to how much of a relationship - or contact, at least - the FSC has with organizations such as the ACLU or other 1st Amendment, civil liberties groups or groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation.  Organizations that aren't about adult specifically, but whose mission statements and objectives would obviously be in line with other organizations seeking to fight censorship.  I'm not sure I have faith in the FSC's ability to go it alone, especially with regards to public opinion.

[dr_dick]

spot-on, corbin!  this effort needs to be a collaborative effort with all our natural allies.

i'm relatively new to the FSC as a member.  i havn't a clue as it's association, if any, with any other like-minded organization.  it would be interesting to find out.  the FSC website is kinda h ard to navigate.  hell, i couldn't even find the information is was looking for regarding the board candidates.  it had to be pointed out to me. 

[Dr Bill]

so my question is, how does one sway (lobby) those who might be inclined to join us in stemming the tide of the forces of sexual repression that are consuming our country?  simply appealing to the constitution won't carry the day.  we have to make a much stronger case than that.  where do we begin?  like i said above, i think it begins with us.

Two things must happen before you can even attempt this...

1.  Our industry needs to repackage its public image.  Until we do this, the establishment of allies will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish.  Regardless of their mission, these organizations will not spend their political capital on us...not until we clean up our act. 

2.  The FSC needs to become a strong and respected industry association.  Without the majority of this industry giving the FSC their total and loyal support, that will never happen.   The FSC needs to earn this industry's respect and trust, or it will not happen.  That starts with establishing credibility, and true open, honest, and sincere communications with its member base.

Right now the FSC is nothing more than a legal defence fund, capitalized by the intimidated.

[dr_dick]

ya know, dr bill, we have mind-meld on this issue. 

that's why i contend that a change in the cultural perception of our industry begins not with a trade organization, but with industry professionals, like ourselves, reexamining who we are, what we do and how we present ourselves in the world.  this is not a call for censorship in any fashion, not even self-censorship necessarily.  however, if we cannot stand behind what we produce and present then we will be at the mercy of the political tides.