#Ssos and why this community matters

This week’s Big News  for all of us whose work involves sex in any way is more of the same, depressing shit. First, Patreon, which was proving a good income generator for writers, artists, photographers, film-makers dealing with erotic/adult themes, suddenly turned on its members. Then someone noticed that Twitter has sneakily started shadowbanning accounts that discuss sex, sex education, erotica, etc.

(If you use Twitter and write about sex, or share sexy pics, especially if your RTs/likes/replies have recently plummeted, check to see if this is the reason why.)

If you read this blog or visit this site, you’re probably not one of those who wails that the Internet is full of porn already, but if you know someone who is, you might like to point out to them that most of the most easily accessible ‘porn’ is produced by big companies, who generally have enough money and clout not to be too badly hurt by the latest round of restrictions – but the porn these big companies produce tends to be the most mainstream, male-gaze-friendly, lazy, heteronormative and frankly boring that there is. As always, when censorship bites, it’s the ethical, indie, interesting, feminist, LGBTQ, inclusive, radical stuff that gets hit the hardest.

Thing is, many if not most of us have been here more than once, and we understand that there is a genuine community among the sex-positive/erotica-creating folk, and many of us are sticking together and signal-boosting one another as much as we can.

This is one of the things that’s starting up, initiated by @Girlonthenet and you can all join in the chorus. Pick a few of your favourite erotica authors, sex bloggers, other adult entertainment folk and promote their work. Pop a few quid in a relevant crowd-funder like the one @WhoresofYore is doing, if you have it to spare. Leave reviews for your favourite erotica authors. And pay for your porn: free porn is usually either produced under coercive, unethical conditions or it has been stolen from an ethical producer and is being marketed in a way that prevents that producer from getting the money their work should earn.

Because we all need to pay the rent, and we all produce work that people like and want. Sites like Patreon should have no problem with allowing suppliers to connect with customers and earn a living by making art/media that features consenting participants performing perfectly legal acts. The more we stand together, the more noise we can make…