So they're trying to ban smut in Oklahoma: part 2

Here's the what I didn't tell you before.

On Monday, I explained that they’re trying to ban porn in Oklahoma, what that could mean for smut writers and readers everywhere, and why losing smut (and romance en masse) would be a devastating blow to women’s equality.

Today, we’re going to discuss an uncomfortable truth that no one likes to think about. I’d say “get excited” but it’s honestly too sobering for even me to even crack jokes. So.

Buckle up.

If you are at all familiar with the adult entertainment industry (IE: the people involved in making porn), you’re aware that they’re considered sex workers. Not prostitutes*, not necessarily; but sex workers. Get used to that term, I’m going to use it a lot.

Now in states where porn is legally allowed, that means that the authorities are keeping an eye on things. No, not just for their own pleasure— although, that too— but to make sure that everything that goes into the production of explicit content intended for adult consumption is done with the express consent of the sex workers involved. That oversight also provides some level of protection against violence, which sex workers are at a higher risk of experiencing.

Make porn illegal, and you have people creating it illegally.

Have people creating porn illegally, and it becomes even more taboo than it already is.

When it becomes even more taboo, more harm is done because who are the sex workers participating going to run to when they’re assaulted on set? Or made to work without pay? Or threatened with exploitation if they don’t comply? They’ll be held liable for participating in illegal activity, and no one will be riding in to save them.

And this is the part that you’re going to want to be ready to sit down and breathe deeply for… more children are trafficked and sexually assaulted in places where sex workers aren’t legally protected.

Those legal protections? They mean that people are watching for bad actors in a host of different outlets where sex work happens. Which means that they’re much more likely to be caught sneaking an underage girl on camera than they would be otherwise.

So as counterintuitive as it sounds, keeping porn legal? That is actually protecting children.

Because porn is like aboriton. Making it illegal doesn’t make it go away, it just removes the ability to ensure that it’s done safely, and egregious harm is going to be done.

Sick as it is, American society is obsessed with youth, and girls in particular are sexualized at a VERY young age— don’t ask me how many times I’ve been grateful that my daughter’s response to creepy old men telling her how beautiful she was as a toddler was to growl at them.

Keeping porn legal forces the industry to make sure that it’s complying with safety standards that prevent child exploitation. Remove those protections and make it illegal anyway, and guess what’s going to happen?

Children are going to be exploited at a much higher rate than they already are— because yes, we all know that it’s already happening. Making porn illegal will make it much worse.

Now. Do I think that everyone with access to wifi should be able to freely access all of the naughty content that the internet has to offer regardless of age? God, no.

Are children’s grownups ultimately responsible for keeping them safe from seeing things not meant for their eyes online? Yes.

Are children’s grownups also responsible for being aware of what their child is reading, and of any other media they’re consuming? Also yes.

But am I *highly suspicious* of bans that are aimed at censorship in states that lean more than a little towards ignoring the separation of church and state when so many church denominations that tend to bend over backwards to hide sexual abuse in churches?

You bet your ass.

As a reminder, this bill is largely being presented as a way to protect children. Should it pass, I can almost guarantee you that it will do the exact opposite.

Get loud, friends. Because if it passes in Oklahoma, it won’t stay isolated to Oklahoma.

Picture of my face because images help my stuffs rank higher, I’m sorryyyyyyyyyyyy.

Until next time, dear readers.

-XOXO,

Jess

*we respect sex workers of all kinds around here, so don’t you go bad-mouthing prostitutes, got it? Good.

PS. Alas, I am a mother who has to exist in… all of this. I don’t love asking for money for my work, but these kids of mine need things like shoes and shelter, and fancy medical procedures so we can confirm a diagnosis and come up with an earball treatment plan. I do keep the bulk of my content free, because I don’t love hiding things behind a paywall; but if you like the occasional recipe that is curated by my chef husband (I got him to record his recipe for tortilla soup, y’all), those are indeed behind a paywall. Paid subscribers have open access, however, and you can become one of them by clicking this button here and managing your subscription settings.

If you don’t want to commit to a paid subscription, but like the idea of knowing you’re a reason why I’m able to keep going and keep communicating about the horrors (and maybe continue to shield my children from the worst of it), you are welcome to make a one-time donation (think of it as a tip for the author) via this button here.