Once upon a time, porn stars’ biggest dating problem potential mates overreact to our profession. Now we lucky if we can even date.
In the 21st century, most people meet partners on dating apps. When I contact porn stars and other sex workers about their dating stories, I expect to hear about people sending inappropriate messages to sex workers on Tinder. Instead, I get tons of stories about Tinder and other platforms banning sex workers outright just because of their profession. Tinder and other apps ban prostitution. The policy makes sense if it’s to ban sex workers from using apps to sell sex services, but nearly every sex worker has a story about dating apps that don’t fit their profession. surname. Tech companies are making it difficult for sex workers to converse, let alone find a romantic partner.
Tinder gets the most complaints. “Tinder banned me for saying ‘I have an OF’, and nothing you do or say will change that,” the sex worker said. Shiza Panda. Added adult performers Kristopher Koffin, “Tinder completely banned me a few years ago for prostitution.” But the problem transcends Tinder. My friend (and adult actress) April Kelly describes facing censorship on multiple apps. “People thought it was hilarious that I got banned on Tinder (twice) and Bumble took down my account too,” she said. This problem annoys her as often the apps degrade her even though she is not involved in prostitution on the platform. (A Tinder representative said that the app’s terms of service state that “if a member violates any of these policies, including promoting or advocating commercial sex services, they may be removed from Tinder.)
“I mentioned once in a Tinder chat that I was involved in prostitution. The next time I opened it, my account was alerted,” Kelly said. “From that point on, efforts to find Tinder resulted in accounts being deleted. I moved to Bumble, and it went even faster. In summary, various bottom lines make it clear that being a sex worker is not ‘okay’ with Tinder. “
“From that point on, attempts to find Tinder resulted in the account being deleted. I moved to Bumble, and it went even faster. In short, the various paths make it clear that being a sex worker is not ‘okay’ with Tinder.“
Perhaps the creator of OnlyFans Shyoaks sums up the problem in the best way: “Forbidden for all of them lol.” The problem has increased in recent years. For more than three years, Kelly dated on apps without a problem. Now, her account is deleted again and again.
The unsolicited dating app is the latest censorship measure for sex workers, following a wave of right-wing attacks on sex workers. Exodus Cry and other fringe conservative religious organizations have promoted a conspiracy theory that the websites engage in widespread child trafficking. After a New York Times The article presents a series of gruesome allegations about users uploading child pornography on Pornhub, a website that prohibits unverified uploads. Still, conservatives campaigned successfully Visa and Mastercard stop processing payments on Pornhub in the name of child protection. The story around Pornhub has led to increased censorship of legal adult porn stars on technology platforms, even though we didn’t break any laws.
Other types of prostitution face even more discrimination. Prostitutes report platforms banning them just for chatting, even though they don’t sell sex on dating apps. (Last time I checked, dating apps don’t have payment processing functionality.)
Sex workers are facing the most censorship since the ’80s. At the same time, Americans are more obsessed with prostitution than ever before. I have dealt with many scammers impersonating me on dating apps and other social media sites, tricking men into withdrawing money. Dating apps have solved the problem by — you guessed it! —Rate porn stars. Many girls report that dating apps launch them from a platform because the algorithm believes they are a catfish. But Catfish continue to proliferate. Everyone is allowed to be us, except ourselves.
The only place sex workers seem to find a dating respite is on premium dating sites like Raya. It only allows people with high social media following, such as celebrities, so verified Instagram accounts of porn stars could allow us to date. Other safe spaces are gay sex apps, like Grindr, and fetish sites like Fetlife. “Fetlife would be my top recommendation to anyone who doesn’t like it,” Kelly said. “That’s all they wanted!”
These platforms do not discriminate against having a sex life. Prostitutes maybe placed. We often use apps to find romantic and long-term partners, but tech companies ban us from all dating apps, except the most sexual ones. We were demonized for sex, but then we were forbidden to pursue love.
At the end of the day, the central issue of porn stars’ lives is that we are both famous and despised, admired, and loathed. Nowhere is this contradiction more apparent than when we are dating.
