By Mickey Mod
It is assumed that the process is already unethical.
It is assumed that people working in the sex industry in any capcity are devoid of agency and consent.
The narratives supporting the shame of our sexuality are so strong that we have trouble imagining that people can be willing celebrate it.
Porn is not immune to the culture of shame, and it has long been a caricature of that shame that has been traditionally passed down in its business practices.
The dangerous idea is that sex is shameful and the expression of sexuality must not be taken seriously.
When we allow a place without critical observation, we allow the acceptance of a range of problematic parts in society to remain unchecked.
Sex workers are not free of that shame, but we choose to deal with it differently.
When we use the term “ethical porn,” we are recognizing the work that we’ve done in order to work on that shame.
We recognize the evolution of the dialog around sexuality as an inextricable part of our humanity and as something to be celebrated and shared.
It has long been the privilege of cis hetero white men to discuss, project, and have their sexual needs satisfied by the rest of the world.
That notion is so ingrained in society that sexual expression is accepted as belonging to that group and that anyone outside of it must be a victim or a prop in that representation.
Ethical porn is, if anything, the documentation of the existence of anyone outside that group as human beings who choose their sexual pleasure.
Consent is a key component in recognizing that existence and agency.
Consent is at the core of anything that can be considered ethical porn because our sex work is a currency that is unable to be manipulated by power structures that seek to continue the narrative of sexual shame.
We put these beliefs into action by providing transparency in the production process, by providing a space for performers to be actively engaged in and in control of the art they create with their bodies, and by celebrating of the pleasure that comes from being a human being.
—
Mickey Mod is an Adult Performer, Erotic Filmmaker, and Vice President of APAC. Follow him on Twitter @theMickeyMod.
Photo Credit: Ashes Wendesday
Comments are closed.