Let Labor Unite Us
I've been looking back over past labor day posts and the one I wrote five years ago really struck me as touching on many of the themes I've been thinking about lately. I'm reposting it here in its entirety. Much…
Still Harmful to Minors
In 2002, Judith Levine wrote a prize-winning critique of sex-related laws called Harmful To Minors (Thunders Mouth Press). It provides a very carefully researched, clearly written argument that the laws we make in the name of protecting kids often does more damage…
How To Help Young People For Real, Step One: Listen To Them
We are rather schizophrenic in our public policies related to kids in the US. From the sex laws documented by Judith Levine nearly 15 years ago in her classic book Harmful To Minors, to the mess we have made of…
Talking About A Revolution
In the US, July 4 is the day we celebrate the freedom and independence that stems from a revolution. We do this with fireworks, barbecues, parades and all manner of nationalistic displays. There are readings of the Declaration of Independence,…
Civil Liberties Groups Condemn Government Attacks on Escort Service Providers – Cite First Amendment and Human Rights Concerns
We are categorically opposed to human trafficking. We strenuously oppose any measure that makes people more vulnerable to human trafficking. We also stand in opposition to measures that crush constitutionally protected civil liberties under the guise of combatting human trafficking…
91 Bad Words About Young People and Prostitution: The New York Times Edition
It’s only 11 lines and 91 words, but most of them are bad. If you are looking for a clear, concise example of the wrong way to write about young people and prostitution, the story below is perfect. I’d have…
Censorship by Money: Snuffing Out Adult Entertainment by Denial of Banking Services
Adult film stars are reportedly having their bank accounts systematically closed by JP Morgan Chase bank, for no other reason than their connection with porn. According to industry publications and more directly, tweets from adult film performers, Chase has been…
For love or money?
Lets pause for a moment of Marxist musing. When I talk to my students about the difference between “work” and “jobs,” we discuss the way that all productive activity can be understood as work, but that a job is only that…
Witnessing Transformation – Performers into Producers
The beginning of a new year in the adult entertainment industry is always filled with excitement, trade shows, and hopes for success in the year ahead. Now is also the time when the industry tries to identify upcoming trends in…
Criminalizing Online Innovation: State Attorneys General Seek to Amend Section 230
Deceptively invoking the ‘save the children’ mantra yet again, State AG’s are reigniting the battle against online escort advertising websites, this time calling on Congress to amend one of the Internet’s few statutory guardians: Section 230 of the Communications Decency…