Porn, Condoms, Feminism, and other internal conflicts

Many people who know me, know that I love (some) porn. And not just to get off. I’m the kind of girl who will curl up with a bag of popcorn and watch porn with friends. But that doesn’t negate the fact that like many feminists, I have some issues. There is a discourse to be had around the kind of public sex people have; and as always, a critical analysis is always key.

It is not a secret that many feminists have pointed out the “woman problem” within the porn industry. The images depicted in mainstream porn have become more and more hostile towards women. When you examine the role of women of color in the porn industry, it gets worse with some of the most problematic racial stereotypes being marketed front and center. These are legitimate concerns. (Although not reflective of the entire porn industry. Queer porn anyone?) As is the less complex argument that porn is bad for women because it exists to satisfy a male gaze, I guess.

But I’m a firm believer that discourse can’t happen without considering and prioritizing the lived experiences of people within the industry. So I can not ignore the fact that some people choose porn as their job and feel great about it. I can’t overlook the bills that porn performers need to pay each month and the families they need to feed. I can’t push the woman who feels more beautiful at the end of each shoot to the side. And what about viewers? Are we all monsters, just itching for the next overdone bukkake scene? How accountable are we to our sexual fantasies? That’s another can of worms for sure.

The new battle in California over the porn industry condom mandate has presented us with yet another opportunity to talk about porn. This week a fourth porn actor has come out as HIV positive adding fuel to it’s fire. Both viewers and porn industry insiders are forced to question it’s boundaries. The question posed: should the porn industry have condom laws?

As a sex positive feminist and lover of all kinds of consensual, safe sex work, I can’t say that I’m completely sold on the idea of a condom mandate. Sure, it seems like a simple equation: Condoms = no HIV transmission. But porn does not exist in a vacuum. People in the porn industry have sexual lives outside of their work and they remain at risk of STD’s if they choose not to use condoms off camera as well.  Legal mandate aside, I’m more concerned with whether or not actors have the ability to make a conscious decision to wear a condom if they want. Are performers able to make decisions that are in the best interest of their health or tied to the economic pressure of having a scene that will sell?

The porn industry self-polices a lot, of course. As Kayden Kross told NPR, “We’re the most tested population in the world.” And I trust porn performers to make decisions that are in their best interest when they have the resources and support to do so.

Bu another lingering question for me is: what does it mean that viewers don’t want condoms in their sexual fantasy images? What does this say about us as a society when condoms are a hindrance to us getting off? Does not wanting to see condoms translate into not wearing them in our own sex lives? Maybe, but if we are going to point fingers about condom usage in the real world, let’s start with abstinence only sex education programs and inadequate access to healthcare services.