Ethical Porn

I haven’t always been a fan of porn. It still takes a lot out of me to say I enjoy it.

For someone who was around during the DPS video leak, Kim Kardashian Leak, Paris Hilton, The Fappening, revenge porn & even way back when the cable guy would put up late night porn where you didn’t even have control over what would play, to this new era of deepfake porn.

Most new developments in mainstream porn have been terrifying.

Yet, despite all this consumption of porn, society hates all conversations about sex. Even the more open minded individuals dabble in fear-mongering with comments about the alleged ill effects of porn.

Of course it’s a vice. Like any other vice, it can lead to addiction. But should shame be a part of my relationship with porn? Should I be terrified every time I open my laptop & get anxious just by seeing the VPN logo on my device?

When I discovered ‘Ethical Porn’, all these anxieties began to fade.

What is Ethical Porn?

Ethical pornography implies that the production, distribution and consumption of the porn in question is imbued with an ethical code of conduct at all three stages. 

• Made safely and with the consent of all involved parties (both behind and in front of the camera)
• Respects the rights, autonomy, and comfort of the performers + filmmakers with fair working conditions and adequate compensation
• Celebrates sexual diversity and doesn’t enforce harmful stereotypes about varied gender and racial identities
• Is sourced and created without the involvement of piracy
• Is consumed in a manner which helps fairly compensate the sex workers and adult performers involved in this content
• Fosters an environment where regular STI testing is encouraged, STI results are respected and the actors are encouraged to share their preferred forms of protection, lube or other needs.

Without these ethics in mind, we get: 

• Illegal recordings of people who are not paid actors, and continued trafficking.
• Unfairly compensated actors who may have to increase the volume of work they produce or engage with risky production houses or platforms in an effort to make enough money.
• Third party platforms profiting from resharing stolen content of actors and crew who are not compensated by that platform.
• Reinforced stereotypes in sex, racial bigotry and fetishisation through porn.

Choosing to seek out ethical porn is a better choice you can make in an industry that is rife with exploitation. 

We pay for the labour that people do at their jobs; we can hold sex workers to the same standards. Not only does ethical porn ensure that the people behind it are treated fairly, it also helps you practise consent.

We are what we consume, and choosing to consume ethical porn can positively impact your own relationship with sex, pleasure, and your body.

It can be pretty hard to 100% know that the porn you are consuming is unproblematic, but there’s a few green flags you can look out for. 

• If there’s a paywall, that’s usually a good sign. That means that the platform is only allowing access to their content once it is paid for fairly, so that they can compensate their employees
• If it has clearly been made in a safe environment that treats performers with respect
• Does it have multiple takes, with a full cast and crew? Does everyone on screen look like they have consented to be filmed?
• Less drama, more reality. Ethical porn often showcases more realistic depictions of sex: there’s a lot less fake orgasms, and if there’s people with vaginas involved, the trajectory of the video actually caters to how their body works, with more foreplay, teasing, unapologetic use of lube, etc.
• Language that humanises the performers instead of fetishing them. Instead of referring to categories of people with derogatory language for race and gender, the titles reflect a more respectful description of what you’re about to watch.

It’s no secret that Indians love watching porn. The statistics & even our own surveys prove just how much we rely on it and enjoy it. 

But like any form of sexual exploration whether it’s with toys, massagers, delay sprays, BDSM gear, or new positions, it’s important to indulge in them in an informed way.

For your own mental and sexual health, and the lives of people who are vulnerable, we must, at the very least, talk about it openly.