#BlackPornMatters

Black women and other women of color have banded together to fight racism in the adult entertainment world. The Black Indigenous People of Color Adult Industry Collective (BIPOC) are working on making positive changes in pornography within the business.

The BIPOC Collective wants more equality in pornography and wants to change the history of Black women and other women of color. There is racial discrimination and cultural appropriation. It is a position that dehumanizes its workers and comes with low pay, racist titles, and not enough roles.

BBW porn star Lasha Lane says, “It’s disheartening since a large percentage of (porn studios’) profits are made with BIPOC actors, body types that look like ours, or appropriating our culture. Try watching porn with no hip-hop elements, big butts, or twerking… I’ll wait.”

The group has started with 35 members of porn actors, directors, and producers to restructure how Black women and other women of color are paid and treated. Their demands are to create space for Black women executives and cut out the middlemen, which are agents and managers. Lasha supports a newer system to replace those middlemen, “No more agents or managers. We don’t need them at all! A central registry/Database of Talent, like Central Casting uses.”

Other items on their list of changes are industry support services to help companies put anti-racism and sex worker rights on the forefront of their business models. They want to include education programs that help lead to financial independence and devise a plan to create mutual aid funds to distribute money directly to BIPOC sex workers in need. They would also like to see veteran porn actors on the board of directors at the Free Speech Coalition, a nonprofit that opposes censorship and obscenity laws.

Porn actors believe the racism they face in the industry is on a small scale of what occurs in society daily. It influences negativity toward Black women and other women of color. Master Fetish Trainer Jet Setting Jasmine states, “The work that we are doing will highlight our contribution to both sex entertainment and education, will change the narrative of black sexuality, will improve the quality of work-life balance for performers of color, and will challenge stakeholders in the adult industry to examine their values and alignments.”

Despite a history of racism, many pornography companies have supported the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Yet, their actions speak louder than their support. If production companies and studios do not accept these changes, the BIPOC Collective states they will create their own studios and production companies.

These sistas are serious about gettin’ respect, taking control, being in charge, and getting’ their coins! Are you for or against the changes these women are trying to make? What are your thoughts on the racism that has existed in the porn industry?

Erotic Blessings,

Karma Eve

(Original article seen in Vice World News by Graham Isador)