Ncsf Call To Action

[WriterDom]

A social and educational event, Fetish in the Fall, scheduled to take place in Kenner, Louisiana (part of greater New Orleans) has been attacked by the local police chief. Please see the press release below that was sent by the police to the New Orleans media.

Kenner Police Chief Nick Congemi urged all hotel managers to decline any request to hold the event in any Kenner hotel. In his letter and press release, Chief Congemi stated that "allowing the event to take place would seriously jeopardize the family atmosphere for which Kenner is noted."

Please let the police of Kenner, the local media, and the city council know that Chief Congemi should stick to policing the laws rather than morals. If we don't protest these attacks against our social and educational events, they will continue to escalate and spread to other areas.

To find out more about Fetish in the Fall, which has been canceled because of the Chief's interference with the local hotels, go to: http://www.fetishinthefall.com/

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kenner Police Department Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Captain Steve Caraway, 712-2234 or 489-2020

Kenner Police Chief Nick Congemi has notified Kenner hotel managers of the proposed "Fetish in the Fall" event scheduled to be held November 20-23rd. Organizers are currently trying to locate a Kenner hotel to hold their event.

In a letter, mailed to all Kenner hotels, Chief Congemi notified
managers of the conference which will consist of seminars and
demonstrations in bondage, whips, leather, and other forms of sadism, masochism and "alternative" sexual behavior. Chief Congemi has urged all hotel managers to decline any request to hold the event in any Kenner hotel. In his letter Chief Congemi stated that allowing the event to take place would seriously jeopardize the family atmosphere for which Kenner is noted.

-end-

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
SAMPLE LETTER

In regard to Police Chief Congemi's attacks on Fetish in the Fall, I
would like to point out that this was intended to be a private event for consenting adults. The Police Chief cites no laws that were being broken, and he refused to discuss any concerns he had about this event with the organizers. Instead, in an obvious political move, the Police Chief sent out a press release to the media as well as a letter to hotels telling them not to book this event. This caused the hotel which was planning to host the event to pull out of negotiations.

If this was a gay conference or a NAACP event, would the Kenner police also send a demand letter to hotels ordering them to refuse to do business? There are millions of Americans, including your own constituents, who engage in sadomasochism, and these people need to get the educational information and social opportunities provided by conferences like Fetish in the Fall. They are parents, teachers, doctors, lawyers and accountants. They are responsible, law-abiding citizens who have the right to privacy as affirmed by the Supreme Court of the United States.

It is not up to the police department to police the morals of Kenner.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Your City or State
(For the media, add your phone number for verification)

Please send your letters to:

Mayor of Kenner, Louis J. Congemi (brother of the Police Chief):
mayor@kenner.la.us

Kenner City Council Clerk: clerk@kenner.la.us

Chief Administrative Officer: cao@kenner.la.us

And to the media outlets who have covered this story:

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kenner sex fetish gathering hits kink: Organizer blames unconsenting chief
October 11, 2003
Times-Picayune
By Stephanie Doster

Fearing the event would "seriously jeopardize the family atmosphere" in Kenner, Congemi mailed letters urging 15 motels to decline any requests to host the event, dubbed "Fetish in the Fall." The conference, which was to feature seminars and demonstrations of bondage and other types of sexual expression, would have been held Nov. 20-23, police said.

Fetish in the Fall organizer Bob Hannaford accused Congemi of harassing people who differ from the chief in their sexual orientation. The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, a Maryland organization that says it represents about 10,000 people, also criticized Congemi.

Congemi called the event "borderline illegal" and "demeaning to women."
[cont.]

To read this article, go to:
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1065851865229310.xml

To respond, go to: http://www.nola.com/contactus/ and cc:
sdoster@timespicayune.com

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Fetish event organizers cancel event following Congemi request
October 10, 2003
WWLTV.com

The organizers of a fetish convention scheduled for late November have canceled the event after Kenner police Chief Nick Congemi asked local hotels not to host it.

"Fetish in the Fall" spokesman Bob Hannaford said in a statement that the event was called off "in order to avoid any further harassment and persecution from the Kenner Police Department."

In his letter to the hotel managers, Congemi said, "allowing the event to take place would seriously jeopardize the family atmosphere for which Kenner is noted." [cont.]

To read this article:
http://www.wwltv.com/local/WWL101003Fetishevent.a3cf5af.html

To respond, write to: sbreland@wwltv.com

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Fetish Convention Won't Happen In Kenner: Congemi Urges Hotels To Turn
Away Group
October 10, 2003
WDSU-TV

A group has canceled its convention after the Kenner police chief urged local hotels to turn away those associated with "Fetish in the Fall."

Event sponsor Elayne Angel said Congemi's actions were discrimination. "It's clearly discrimination," Angel said. "If it were square dancing or something he wouldn't make a stink. I think that people who protest what other people do have poor boundaries. That's a boundary issue and it's none of his business. If he doesn't want to go he should stay home." [cont.]

To read this article, go to:
http://www.theneworleanschannel.com/news/2545954/detail.html

To respond, write to:
http://www.theneworleanschannel.com/wdsu-tv/1711407/detail.html

Channel 6 website Question of the Day:
http://www.TheNewOrleansChannel.com/questionoftheday/

###

A project of NCSF and the NCSF Foundation

The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is a national organization committed to creating a political, legal, and social environment in the United States that advances equal rights of consenting adults who practice forms of alternative sexual expression. NCSF is primarily focused on the rights of consenting adults in the SM-leather-fetish, swing, and polyamory communities, who often face discrimination because
of their sexual expression.

National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
822 Guilford Avenue, Box 127
Baltimore, MD 21202-3707
410-539-4824
media@ncsfreedom.org
http://www.ncsfreedom.org

 

[Bikewer]

We have a similar event here in St. louis, held at one of the airport-adjacent motels. Though it never attracted any "official" attention, this year a religious group (Baptists, as I recall) created quite a fuss, since they were having a convention at the same time. (not the same venue, thought)
The Event went on without any problems.

 

[MissTaken]

Wow!

I almost suggested they start over and tout it as a Masqerade event in closed circles, but what a step backward!

I am writing and would encourage anyone who posts at other forums or are part of munches, chat groups etc to spread the word.

Thanks, WD.

 

[AnelizeDarkEyes]

Thanks WD.

IMO, they would have been better off just to hold it in New Orleans proper. Somehow, I don't see the fetish/BDSM crowd clashing with that atmosphere. If you've been to the Quarter, or strolled down Bourbon (go past the tourist district, towards Esplanade), you have just the idea I mean. I'm not speaking of the clubs and so forth, but the open minded attitude towards people of all genders, and persuasions.

I wonder if people would have been willing to pay more for lodging, and have the convention, than to not have it at all?

~anelize

 

[MissTaken]

Another point to consider, is this event any more demoralizing or threatening to family values than Gun Shows or Survivalist Conventions wherein all sorts of weapons are randomly sold to buyers for whatever intent.

 

[MissTaken]

Here is a thought:

What about appealing to the hotels from the perspective of the pocket book impact?

 

[AnelizeDarkEyes]

Another point to consider, is this event any more demoralizing or threatening to family values than Gun Shows or Survivalist Conventions wherein all sorts of weapons are randomly sold to buyers for whatever intent.

Welcome to the South. Where the wives are all PERFECT ladies, NRA membership comes with your birth certificate, and every closet is LOADED with skeletons. LOL

~anelize




This has been your morning stereotypical post. *snicker*. Back to our regularly scheduled programming

 

[MissTaken]

Welcome to the South. Where the wives are all PERFECT ladies, NRA membership comes with your birth certificate, and every closet is LOADED with skeletons. LOL

~anelize




This has been your morning stereotypical post. *snicker*. Back to our regularly scheduled programming

*chuckles*

Rings of the deep North of NY!

 

[Netzach]

Sounds like a burb trying to assert itself as a family spot, as opposeed to the actual city of voodoo and mardi gras proper. Where I personally would be more MUCH more inclined to travel!

NOLA, residents, am I wrong or is this a nice boring burb?

Anyone surprised?

 

[MDcouple11]

Something similar just happened in Maryland last week. Black Rose was to have their convention in Ocean City, which is MD's popular beach tourist spot. In years past, it had been held about 2 hours away (still in MD) with no incident. But I guess they wanted a nicer locale.

Well, people started complaining in OC about how it was a "family spot" and didn't want Black Rose coming in driving the families away. It got big play in the media. It was eventually cancelled, unfortunately. I was listening to the radio the other morning and the DJs called the people who organized a protest against it. (The DJs seemed like they thought it was stupid to cancel it). Well the people said they had tried to contact members of Black Rose but got no response. They said "if these people have so much to hide, then we don't want them in our town. They even wear masks, they are the same at the KKK." Can you believe that?!?!? The DJs were totally making fun of the protesters. They couldn't really give any concrete reasons WHY they were so upset about it. Just some silly people. It irked me.

 

[MissTaken]

Good points, MD.

That media does BDSMers no service by ridiculing us or portraying BDSMers as all being of the leather community. Then, they prefer to present only BDSM ers who are in leather, wielding large whips and bearing many tattoos and using rough language.

That is fine for whomever, but it is not an accurate portrayal of BDSM.


However, the soft spoken school teachers, law enforcement officers and business folks who engage in the lifestyle aren't likely to garner ratings, right?

 

[Netzach]

Good points, MD.

That media does BDSMers no service by ridiculing us or portraying BDSMers as all being of the leather community.

Pardon me? Those scary people who brought you all your demos? Those terrible people who pioneered most of what passes for the scene in the US?

Then, they prefer to present only BDSM ers who are in leather, wielding large whips and bearing many tattoos and using rough language.

That is fine for whomever, but it is not an accurate portrayal of BDSM.

That is a very accurate and fair portrayal of MY BDSM community, thank you. Except the rough language, the leather folks I know tend to talk decorating, gardening, and cycle repair amongst the Ladies.

However, the soft spoken school teachers, law enforcement officers and business folks who engage in the lifestyle aren't likely to garner ratings, right?

Nor are they the only ones entitled to their way of life. So sorry if the rest of us are spoiling your fun.