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The FSC's lobbyist in Sacramento is Kilgore Rangerette aka pornographer Kat Sunlove, publisher of the politically correct Spectator, a sex weekly out of San Francisco. 

In 1992, California legislators banned vending machines for pornographic publications, because they allowed anyone, including children, access to explicit material. Sunlove jumped into bed with her fellow smut peddlers and fought the case all the way to the US Supreme Court. The pornographers lost. The PTA crowd won. 

"I'm delighted when people tell me they jack-off to the material in the paper," Sunlove told WIRED. "But, in all honesty, I think to myself: For a couple of more bucks, I'd probably buy a Penthouse… It's in full color, it's grand, majestic photography of these gorgeous women. We can't compete with that level of pornography." 

Kilgore Rangerette starred in the Scene section of the 3-3-98 Sacramento Bee, one of California's three best newspapers. Reporter Darragh Johnson, however, was too lazy to find out her real name. 

He writes:

"Kat Sunlove is mainstreaming sex. Known as the "Dear Abby of S&M," she's come to Sacramento to put a fresh face on the sex industry, complete with a wardrobe of tailored blazers and conservative earrings. A porn star turned policy wonk, she is the new Capitol lobbyist for the adult entertainment industry. This promises to be a rocky journey. Legislators are leery. Some have compared her plight with ex-convicts who agitate for their rights." 

"They deserve to have a voice, but they make people uncomfortable," said Assemblyman Kevin Murray, D-Los Angeles. "No one wants a story in The Sacramento Bee that says they hung out with the porno people." 

Johnson: "In January, Sunlove kicked off the legislative session with a reception for the legislature's power brokers. She chose the basement of Brannan's, a watering hole across L Street from the Capitol. The wood-lined walls sport vintage posters -- Reagan, Goldwater, Muskie, Nixon/Agnew. It's a cozy place. "We all go there," Murray says. 

"Sunlove planned the party for a Tuesday night. She fretted over the hors d'oeuvres and got so nervous that she couldn't shake a head cold. 

"In the end, it didn't matter. No one came but some staffers and a corps of family values protesters who picketed. At one point during the evening, Sunlove walked up to the bar and noticed state Sen. Steve Peace, D-El Cajon. She invited him over, but he refused." 

"Not in this political lifetime," he told her. Later, he distanced himself even further. 

"I think they're wrong," he says from his Capitol office. "They are so far out of the mainstream in their views. I believe legislators are driven more by personal experiences than by lobbyists or money or anything else... And this is an issue where legislators have very strong views, and they ain't gonna change them based on who's lobbying them." 

Sac Bee: "The industry consists of video producers, actors, manufacturers and distributors, the exotic dancers, Internet providers, owners of juice bars and adult bookstores, and everyone in between. Sunlove thinks there is strength in those numbers. Because sex sells, she believes she's on the brink of a powerful and well-funded grass-roots pornography movement. 

"She plans to start registering everyone involved in the California sex industry to vote. She talks about allying herself with the Motion Picture Association of America and cable TV and, for example, any business worried about restricted access and discriminatory taxation." 

EroticaSF@oranj.com posted on RAME in mid March 1998: "…Kat Sunlove…is bright, charming and articulate and appears mainstream enough that she would not instantly intimidate the sexually phobic. In the San Francisco Bay Area sex community Spectator Magazine and Kat are greatly respected and they have helped unite and educate the community about political issues and safe sex. Because of the work of Kat and her allies, (and, of course, the well-organized and politically active gay community) politicians do not routinely tread on the rights of sexual minorities in the SF Bay Area. 

"Spectator magazine and Kat have a long history of quickly responding to negative political situations, at least occasionally with significantly positive results. 

"Fighting for sexual freedom is an uphill battle. It is important for everyone who believes in the rights of consenting adults to enjoy their sexuality to work together. Our enemies would love to see us get mired in interpersonal conflicts and turf battles. Let's move forward and support her efforts. Instead of debating the personal merits of Kat Sunlove, write your state senators (if you are in California) to oppose the Juice Bar Bill. The members of the Free Speech Coalition can and should consider the merits of Kat's work after she has had an opportunity to get established and prove herself." 

7/30/00

Free Speech Coalition Rep Accused Of Smashing Competitor's Newsracks

Kat Sunlove serves as the Free Speech Coalition's lobbyist in Sacramento, succeeding Mike Ross. She also operates "The Spectator," a long running San Francisco Bay Area sex newspaper that once employed David Aaron Clark.

According to Yank.com, a competitor to the Spectator, Sunlove and company have been vandalizing their newsracks. They've got several sources backing up their claims.

This could be another nail in the coffin for the stumbling FSC, which recently invested $13,000 in a redesigned website but any visitor to www.freespeechcoalition.com can tell they did not get their money's worth.

Sunlove emphatically denies the Yank.com story. Here are some excerpts from the stories on Yank.com:

See the article that caused Spectator Newspaper reps. to steal 1000’s of Yank Magazines from our newsracks. Not only were papers stolen, but a massive vandalism spree of painted out windows & sledge hammered racks ensued... Spectator Newspaper is published by a corporation whose president, Kat Sunlove, is a Free Speech lobbyist in Californias state capitol of Sacramento.

Spectator Magazine and its parent corporation Bold Type Inc. has profited mightily from the First Amendment. B.T.I. has even set up a legislative fund for it’s front person Kat Sunlove to lobby for free speech in California’s state capitol of Sacramento, yet at the very same time behind the scenes,

B.T.I. has also waged a nonstop war against Yanks 1st amendment rights. Here now is the sordid story of publisher Kat Sunlove’s Spectator newspaper and the men that hide behind her skirts, and how they have turned a blind eye to the massive assault by their representatives on Yank. Also covered, is how they have used innuendo and slander to inflame a core group of confidants with one purpose in mind, the destruction of Yank Magazine and the Bod-Father...

Yank’s expose in issue 268, on the five+ years of vandalism to our newsracks and massive theft of our newspapers by representatives of Spectator Magazine triggered an attempt by Spectator thugs to quash the story. Vandals smashed vending machines, painted out machine windows and stole 1,000’s of copies of Yank magazine all across the Bay Area. The sickening irony is that all this comes from a magazine whose publisher, Kat Sunlove, acts as a representative & lobbyist for free speech on behalf of the adult industry. The height of arrogance and hypocrisy that has been exhibited by B.T.I.’s publishing organization and it’s Executive Board makes one wonder if persons within their corporation are unhinged. WHY WOULD THE SPECTATOR - A SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA ICON OF FREE SPEECH - DO THESE ANTI FREE SPEECH ACTIONS?

Jay Moyes writes: Dear Luke, While it's hard for me to take your site seriously, I had to take notice of this morning's article on The Spectator and Yank magazine. As a former employee of Kat Sunlove and one that assisted in repairing and installing some of the racks, I may have some input for the case.

First off, it's no secret that the sex racks are the target of constant vandilism. The Spectator itself has a reward for anyone caught attacking it's newsracks. Vandals have damaged, and even stolen entire newsracks belonging to The Spectator for over 10 years.

Second, it's also no secret that paper carriers moonlight. While my work was only for The Spectator, there was another carrier that also delivered The Sun, and other sex trade newspapers. If it's one individual responsible, that person may be trying to protect their territory. I'd speculate that a feud may be occuring, completely oblivious to Kat and the Spectator crew.

This just doesn't seem like something Kat, or Layne would do, or ask of their staff.

Luke: I've talked to people who've worked there (at The Spectator) who do believe that it is the kind of thing that Kat and company would do. And other people close to her say absolutely not. It would be totally out of character.

Sunlove told GeneRoss.com: "There is no way. We have never vandalized his racks despite his claims. Everything he says is in fact true of him. We have him on videotape almost usable in court. We took it to the police who rousted him. We have spent a lot of money trying to prove this. You have to understand that news rack distribution is a very different world. And the folks who do that work are street people. He has racks all over the Bay area as we do."