ethical porn

porn is often a young person's first introduction to sex. it can be a really great way for people to learn about their bodies and explore sexual fantasies. however, when it is produced unethically, the mental and physical health of performers is put at risk, as well as that of those watching. 

abuse and exploitation are present in every industry because it allows those in power to continue profiting off their employees and sacrifice workers' well-being with little to no consequence. the financial incentive of producing porn unethically just reinforces exploitative behavior like manipulating performers and paying them unfair wages or not at all.

it can be quite dangerous for young people to consume mainstream porn because it almost always depicts an exclusively male gaze. if there is a female performer involved, her satisfaction is secondary. in heterosexual porn, she is more often used as a prop to satisfy the man. scenes end with the male cumshot and female orgasms are rarely even portrayed. 

oftentimes the stereotypes depicted in mainstream porn contribute to social inequality, objectifying sexualities and racial groups and fetishizing underage women. for example, the "teen" category is by far most frequently used female role in porn titles, over twice as frequent as "milf," which is the second most common female role.

for porn to be considered ethical, the following conditions must be satisfied:

-performers are over 18 years old

-judgment is not impaired by drugs or alcohol

-performers are informed about the industry lifestyle

-all parties are consenting participants who are informed about details of the shoot prior to arriving, and performers are allowed to change their minds

-individuals have a say in who they perform with

-performers are paid a fair wage that is decided upfront 

-environment is health-controlled and personal boundaries are respected

-diversity in race, gender, and body type without categorizing porn to exploit certain ethnicities and age groups

i've been made fun of for buying porn in the past. now i realize that it is so important to pay for your porn because it validates ethical standards in the industry, ensuring that ethical porn can continue to be produced.

here are some of my favorite sites to access ethically produced and distributed porn:

erotic films - this sex-positive adult film site was started by erika lust, a feminist director dedicated to prioritizing female pleasure. i love erika lust films because they're very artistic, stylized, and often have super interesting stories. categories include sex education, lesbian, gay, trans, romance/comedy, bdsm/fetish, and female directors. if you sign up for the newsletter, you can get your first film free!

o'actually - this site curates porn that focuses on depicting genuine female orgasms and prioritizes performer diversity. it's also much more than a porn site, offering sex-positive blog entries and podcasts.

pink and white - this site was founded by queer filmmaker shine louise houston and plays with existing expectations regarding gender and sexuality. pink and white productions emphasizes diversity in race, body type, and gender expression.

bright desire - this site features feminist porn that depicts real sex between real couples, in addition to erotic literature, all available for members of the site.

make love not porn - this site allows couples to submit their own erotic films and view others' videos in a variety of different categories. 

xo,

hannah