Kat Sunlove, the legislative affairs director for the Free Speech Coalition (FSC), told AVN.com that this week’s Celebrate Free Speech Lobbying Days was “one of the best years ever.”
“I had one of the lobbyists who’s been to several of these say, ‘This is one you’re going to remember,’” Sunlove said, noting this was the eighth year of FSC Lobbying Days. “It felt very special in lots of ways. We had a particularly dynamic group of people with strongly held views. We had bright people who were able to pick up on very complex views and topics and really look at the legislation.”
Sunlove attributed the well-rounded group, which embarked on two days of political action at the capitol Monday and Tuesday, partially to word of mouth.
“One of my favorite sayings is ‘things take time.’ It’s a process,” she said. “Over time some of the people have returned year after year and talked about what an inspiring experience and what a kick it is.
“This time we also had an especially interesting lineup of activities. We changed our model just a little this year. Monday night we had public community forum titled ‘Today’s Porn: Entertainment or Addiction,’” and it went over really well.”
Sunlove said that the forum provided a healthy look at the issue and both sides were respectful.
“I think everyone came out with an increased understanding,” she said. “There was a lot of participation from the audience. We were videotaping and there certainly wasn’t a limit to the questions.”
Overall, Sunlove said that the lobbyists “learned that it’s a very self-empowering kind of experience to walk into a legislator’s office and sit down and talk with him.”
“I don’t think many people realize it’s easier than you think, and they listen,” she said. “There are a lot of new members because of the new term limits, so our message is not a tired one.”
Sunlove told AVN.com there were lobbyists from Missouri, Washington and all over California involved.
“It was a really good trip. I worked so hard getting ready for it,” she said. “A lot of 60 and 70-hour weeks, but once we start, it’s so much fun and so exciting to see the fruits of my labor.”
