Sex Ed
What Is Ethical Porn?
From a very young age, I knew that my sexuality was a big part of me. I was always curious about it as a child, and when I came of age, I realized that sex was a way for me to explore and express myself, as well as connect with other people. I don’t think there’s any shame in being a ‘sexual’ person. Sex is natural, and I’m happy being open about my sex life with my friends and –to an extent- my family. It makes me uncomfortable to have to ‘censor’ my sexuality. I think pornography is a very grey area and I’m the first to admit that there are some issues around its creation, distribution and consumption. However, I think that again, it’s natural to be curious about it and for it to arouse someone.
Porn interested me from a young age. I grew up with older brothers and would sometimes stumble across their collections. I would feel really guilty for looking, but by the time I was a teenager, I was regularly watching it. I must admit that now I barely ever do. I’m very fussy/particular about what I do and do not like, and not much of the ‘mainstream’ porn even turns me on. I’m more interested in indie porn that borders on the line of video art, BDSM scenes and group scenes. I was a young teenager when the idea of performing in pornographic movies interested me. It was something I wanted to ‘give a go’. Little did I know that it would be one of the most liberating and self-loving experiences of my life as well as causing such a rift in my personal life.
What Is Ethical Porn?
To me, ethical porn is a part of the industry that is just and fair; in which performers are treated with respect, paid fairly and have a safe environment. The footage released is without fetishization of unethical, harmful concepts portrayed by many companies (such as fetishizing race, age etc). The performers are not pressured to appear a certain way, and are able to present themselves however they feel comfortable. The scenes are distributed to sites which enable companies to obtain profit for their work as opposed to being stolen and posted on tube sites without performer and director consent.
Which Porn Stars & Companies Make Ethical Porn?
I honestly do not know of any large American companies that make ethical porn. I’d like to think that KINK.com do, especially since cutting ties with the infamous James Deen (an ex porn star known to have raped and assaulted numerous women). Everyone who works for them seems to speak highly of them, and having watched some documentaries on how they like to operate, it seems they treat their performers well. Here in Australia we are so lucky that most of our companies here are founded on the idea of ethical porn. Director Michelle Flynn of Light Southern was my first experience of ethical porn and was how I heard about it. I’ve shot a couple of scenes with her as my director. They were solo scenes – something I’m surprisingly uncomfortable with but wanted to give a go. She made me feel at ease. She let me decide what to wear, allowed me to do my makeup and hair however I wanted and made me feel at home. She talked me through the model release forms.
Before I even shot for her, I had a meeting with her at her then office in Fitzroy where she gave me some advice on staying safe and working with the right people. Anyone would be lucky to shoot with a director with such a warm and kind approach. I’ve also heard that Girls Out West work from an ethical porn model, as well as Indigo Lush. Additionally, I’ve shot for international sites which I know come from this model, such as Yanks and Ersties. Many of Australia’s porn stars shoot ethical porn, however still shoot for companies that I wouldn’t consider to be of the same standard. However, I don’t think this is a reflection of them as people. I’ve also done this.
Why Do We Hardly Hear About Ethical Porn?
I think it’s crazy that people don’t know what ‘ethical porn’ is. People want to spread stigma about the industry, claiming that performers have ‘daddy’ issues, drug habits, are victims of assault etc. Whilst this may be true for some, it definitely is not a representation of porn performers. On the flip side, people want to say that it’s such an easy job, often making jokes that they will ‘drop out of school and become a porn star/ stripper/ escort’. Porn is not evil, but it is not an easy job either. I think people don’t realize the true issues of the porn industry. They do not realize that the problems lie within the stigma and is largely caused by the consumers. I think people don’t hear about it because they are unaware of the issues in the first place. However, I must again convey that from what I’ve seen, the industry here in Australia for performers is a much safer and ethical environment overall.
Is There A Way To Watch Porn Ethically?
Of course! Purchasing porn is the first step. Support your smaller companies, support independent companies. Stay away from tube sites. Of course, I can say all of this but most people probably won’t listen.
Wednesday O is a young Melbourne performer currently on hiatus. She hasn’t released any scenes in almost a year, but has worked for companies such as Aussie Fellatio Queens, Yanks, Ersties and Light Southern. She started off as a cam girl on Chaturbate when she was eighteen and studying Psychological Science. She currently holds a degree in counselling and hopes to one day work in sex therapy or with victims of sexual assault. Follow Wednesday O on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wednesday_o/
Tumblr: www.wednesday-o.tumblr.com
Chaturbate: https://chaturbate.com/wednesdayo/
Featured image courtesy of Shutterstock, all other images courtesy of Wednesday O
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Wednesday O is a young Melbourne performer currently on hiatus. She hasn’t released any scenes in almost a year, but has worked for companies such as Aussie Fellatio Queens, Yanks, Ersties and Light Southern. She started off as a cam girl on Chaturbate when she was eighteen and studying Psychological Science. She currently holds a degree in counselling and hopes to one day work in sex therapy or with victims of sexual assault.