Cambridge, MA
(and online)
May 14, 2024
Melissa Gira Grant
Kendra Albert
Organized by
Initiative for a Representative First Amendment
Hosted by
In 1873, Anthony Comstock convinced Congress to pass a broad, powerful law to “suppress vice” in all its forms: obscenity, abortion, nearly anything involving sexual health or expression.
Now, 150 years later, the act that bears his name is back to haunt us, once again being used to limit and criminalize bodily autonomy.
It’s time to put Comstock—and his legacy—in the grave for good.
Speakers
ComstockCon will bring together organizers, historians, attorneys, journalists, artists, writers, and others to trace the connections between the political context in which the Comstock Act was passed and how it constrains our present. Our speakers are experts on the many targets of the Comstock Act, from abortion and contraception to obscenity and free speech. They bring together feminist, queer, and reproductive justice analyses, and we’re honored they’re joining us.
ComstockCon is a convening inspired by the fallout from the Dobbs decision and broader attacks on bodily autonomy.
We imagine (and want to build) a constituency as broad and interconnected as those Anthony Comstock sought to harm. We hope you’ll join us.
Our dream is that attendees will represent the breadth of the movements and issue experts working against the Comstock Act. In-person attendance will require a brief application, as spots at our in-person event are limited. We anticipate making rolling decisions over the coming months, so please, fill out the form soon if you’re interested.
Sign up for our mailing list for conference announcements and information about the livestream:
Abortion, Bodily Autonomy, and Obscenity (1873-2023)
The Afterlife of Anthony Comstock
October 31, 2023
The Afterlife of Anthony Comstock, a panel held on October 31, 2023, is a preview of ComstockCon.
Panelists Gillian Frank, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Whitney Strub, along with ComstockCon co-organizers Kendra Albert and Melissa Gira Grant, examined what and who Anthony Comstock and his contemporary allies sought to control (by restricting contraception and abortion, policing sex work and obscenity, and penalizing queer and trans people) and discussed how these intersections are re-emerging.
Are we in the midst of a Comstockian resurrection, or has he never left us?