One common argument in defense of porn is that performers are all consenting adults. But unfortunately, that is virtually impossible to guarantee—just listen to these personal accounts from ex-performers.
Their experiences show that, in the porn industry, meaningful consent is not as common as many viewers might believe. While some porn companies put up safeguards to try and show they ensure performer consent before a scene, these safeguards are commonly more performative than legitimate.
Because performers’ paychecks are contingent on their expressed consent, they often don’t have the option to say they were abused, exploited, or mistreated. Is a “yes” valid if “no” isn’t a safe option?
In this video, see Aaron, Deanna Lynn, and Alia reveal the realities of “consent” in porn. The unfortunate reality is that the porn industry has an extensive history of bypassing consent and making it difficult for performers to be publicly honest about the painful or unsafe realities of producing content.
These true survivor stories show only a glimpse of what many in the commercial sex industry experience.
To learn more, visit FTND.org.
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