Two Excerpts From Coming Out Like A Porn Star

Coming Out Like A Porn Star is an anthology edited by award winning indie porn talent and author Jiz Lee consisting of essays by porn performers and industry workers on privacy and disclosure. It was featured by Reason’s‘ Elizabeth Nolan Brown as one of the best sex work books of 2015. Foreworded by renowned Black porn… Continue reading Two Excerpts From Coming Out Like A Porn Star

What Media Coverage of James Deen’s Assaults Means For Sex Workers

Stoya in 2012 at the AVN awards. (Photo by Michael Dorausch via Flickr)

Content warning: this piece contains general discussion of rape. I got a call from a reporter from Mother Jones the other day, her voice nervous. She was one of the many journalists who called the sex worker health clinic I work at, St. James Infirmary, looking for comments about the public sexual assault accusations made… Continue reading What Media Coverage of James Deen’s Assaults Means For Sex Workers

When Feminism Is A Brand

(Photo by Toban B. via Flickr)

This piece was originally posted by the author on Medium. Content warning: the links in this post lead to articles detailing the rape and sexual assault of sex workers. We need to talk about the ever increasing number of men like James Deen who utilize feminism as a marketable identity to cover up their abusive… Continue reading When Feminism Is A Brand

Fuck Your Feminist Porn

(Still of 1920s silent film porn by Narisa Spaulding)

Last year, I was short on cash and struggling with full service work. For the first time in my life, I approached a porn company. This was no ordinary porn company—they made this known every step of the way. They were “alternative” and “empowering.” They were “feminist” and made “erotica.” They were a company that was… Continue reading Fuck Your Feminist Porn

Look At Her Work: Candida Royalle’s Legacy

Candida Royalle at the 2013 Cinekink Awards. (Photo by Cropbot, via Wikimedia)

Candida Royalle was born in 1950 to a New York City that, to her, appeared buttoned-up and fucked-up about sex. She left that city, and the world, for good just a few days ago after several years of wrangling with ovarian cancer. Following in her musician father’s footsteps, Royalle pursued an arts education, funded first… Continue reading Look At Her Work: Candida Royalle’s Legacy