The porn revolution
What Is Ethical Porn?
‘Ethical Porn’ has certainly become a buzzword and can be hard to define as it’s constantly evolving.
It’s becoming a little too black and white, by labelling indie porn as the only ‘good’ porn and everything else is ‘bad’, but it's not that simple. Ethical porn simply put, is porn that sticks to ‘workers' rights’. The performer's pay, safety & treatment is put first & is fair. Consent, sexual health, credit etc are paramount.
Something that isn’t essential for porn to be ethical but we often see with the sites I’ve listed is porn that prioritises the actual pleasure of the actors. Porn that celebrates diverse representations of sexuality and race and shows more realistic experiences (like condom use, body hair, varied body types etc) - which in turn (I find) makes for a lot hotter watching!
A huge amount of the internet’s porn is now self-made, making it much easier to support the actors themselves through places like Only Fans too! You can read about the differences between porn & real-life here.
Is there such a thing as free ethical porn?
Yes! While the above message is a good rule of thumb, some websites provide free trials or free shorter content.
You can find some great content for free on sites like Tumblr as well as free trials on the sites I recommend here (many femme-owned).
But it’s best practice to pay for your porn (just like you would pay for any other service) - think of it as another subscription, like Netflix.
How can we avoid porn that is unethical and exploits or harms creators?
It’s important to highlight that much like any industry, there is always a risk of exploitation but the porn industry has no less regulations or protections than most of the mainstream film, TV, & theatre industries.
To avoid supporting unethical porn, I would either stick to the recommended sites & individual performers or when you are searching for porn to watch enter the website with a critical head:
- What kind of language are they using? Does the website use sexist, racialised, discriminatory buzzwords (including advertisements)?
- Is the website transparent about who’s behind the camera?
- Does their website mission align with ethical values?
- Is there a variety of body types, body hair, race, sexuality (without fetishising)?
- Is the site transparent about who is filming/behind the camera?
- Are the advertisements on the site promoting 'shamey' (non sex positive) messages like "CLICK 4 PENIS ENLARGEMENTS'?
‘Ethical Porn’ has certainly become a buzzword and can be hard to define as it’s constantly evolving.
It’s becoming a little too black and white, by labelling indie porn as the only ‘good’ porn and everything else is ‘bad’, but it's not that simple. Ethical porn simply put, is porn that sticks to ‘workers' rights’. The performer's pay, safety & treatment is put first & is fair. Consent, sexual health, credit etc are paramount.
Something that isn’t essential for porn to be ethical but we often see with the sites I’ve listed is porn that prioritises the actual pleasure of the actors. Porn that celebrates diverse representations of sexuality and race and shows more realistic experiences (like condom use, body hair, varied body types etc) - which in turn (I find) makes for a lot hotter watching!
A huge amount of the internet’s porn is now self-made, making it much easier to support the actors themselves through places like Only Fans too! You can read about the differences between porn & real-life here.
Yes! While the above message is a good rule of thumb, some websites provide free trials or free shorter content.
You can find some great content for free on sites like Tumblr as well as free trials on the sites I recommend here (many femme-owned).
But it’s best practice to pay for your porn (just like you would pay for any other service) - think of it as another subscription, like Netflix.
It’s important to highlight that much like any industry, there is always a risk of exploitation but the porn industry has no less regulations or protections than most of the mainstream film, TV, & theatre industries.
To avoid supporting unethical porn, I would either stick to the recommended sites & individual performers or when you are searching for porn to watch enter the website with a critical head:
- What kind of language are they using? Does the website use sexist, racialised, discriminatory buzzwords (including advertisements)?
- Is the website transparent about who’s behind the camera?
- Does their website mission align with ethical values?
- Is there a variety of body types, body hair, race, sexuality (without fetishising)?
- Is the site transparent about who is filming/behind the camera?
- Are the advertisements on the site promoting 'shamey' (non sex positive) messages like "CLICK 4 PENIS ENLARGEMENTS'?
😮💨 I appreciate that's a lot to go through but it's super important to consider all these things when browsing for the material thats gets you off. Now, it's time to discover my favourite websites below, in no particular order - many female-owned!
CHEEX
"CHEEX is a new community for everyone who is curious about sexual stimulation and education. We strive to depict sexuality in a way that is close to reality: diverse, fun and consensual."
I even did my own audio erotica story with them!
Use the code: CLITERALLYTHEBEST for a 7-day free trial.
GRAB YOUR FREE TRIAL
Erika Lust
"Erika Lust is an award-winning filmmaker creating sex-positive, indie adult cinema that portrays sexually intelligent narratives, relatable characters and realistic hot sex. In an industry that often fails to show a true representation of sex, Erika's focus on female pleasure, cinematic values, diversity, and an ethical production process, have helped to change how pornography is consumed."
Erika has three different sites, with different types of movies:
GRAB YOUR FREE MOVIE
Afterglow
"Afterglow combines high-quality ethical porn with sexual wellness exercises and education. Find original story-driven porn, guided masturbations and more!"
FREE MOVIE
PinkLabel.TV
"Porn that Pushes the Genre. Discover original, underground, historic, award-winning indie adult films from festivals around the world streaming on-demand. Watch the best in erotic cinema by filmmakers with feminist, queer, and ethical perspectives."
WATCH NOW
Bellesa
"At Bellesa, we believe that sexuality on the internet should depict women as we truly are- as subjects of pleasure, not objects of conquest. We also believe that sex should be fun, empowering, and 100% shame-free. We are all deserving of pleasure.If you enjoy the free and ethically sourced porn videos, erotica and sex ed here- you’ll really love Bellesa Plus- the Netflix of Porn."
WATCH NOW
Make Love, Not Porn
"In 2009 Cindy Gallop spoke at TED about her direct personal experience of technology’s impact on our sex lives and launched. makelovenotporn.com. You responded. Young and old, of every gender, straight, gay and every which way, from every corner of the world you said ‘Me too,’ and ‘Yes,’ and ‘More.’ This is for you. All of you."
WATCH NOW
Spit
"Spit is a Toronto-based queer porn collaborative. Our aim is to create porn that is reflective of the vast differences in lived experiences, person to person. We seek to celebrate these differences and create space for the variety in sexuality to shine. Our content is developed ethically, meaning our performers are paid for their work and we do our best to put their needs first."
WATCH NOW
A Four Chambered Heart
"From a background in analog photography, art school bullshit and digital sex online, Four Chambers is a project, an idea and an ongoing collaboration with the intention to explore the aesthetic and conceptual potential of pornography as a creative medium for ideas."
WATCH NOW
Ersties
"We believe in a new kind of pornography. Movies filled with passion, joy and natural beauty. From solo to girl on girl, we are always authentic and always empowering, with fair compensation and transparency on every level.
The result? Genuine, sensual adventures you won’t be able to get enough of."
WATCH NOW
Joy Bear
"We see a world where sex is positive and not taboo. Joybear is working to create that world. It’s why we produce erotic films with a more natural approach to sex...and lots of kissing.
Sex can sometimes be confusing. We believe that no matter your preference, you (and anyone else who wants to play) should be safe and have fun always."
WATCH NOW
Lickerish Library
"Stories to stir the senses.
We produce our own authentic erotic content in the form of seductive stories and cinematic imagery. By employing intelligent, candid language and striking visuals we celebrate female pleasure and paint a picture of what women really want and need."
READ NOW
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