COVID-19 & The Adult Entertainment Industry
What’s going on in the adult entertainment industry?
As cities start to move through the phases of reopening, many are heading back to work. That's not the case for those working in the adult entertainment industry, many of whom lost their source of income at the onset of COVID-19 and shelter-in-place orders.
For women who earn their livelihood through in-person sex work, the pandemic has led to a significant spike in unemployment & income insecurity. Some have tried to shift to online sex work—but risks, such as concerns about maintaining privacy & anonymity online, & barriers to entry, like equipment costs, are always present. The influx of people moving to online work also makes it difficult for many women to make money off their content. Others have taken this as a moment to shift away from the adult entertainment industry. But finding jobs in other sectors during this time also presents challenges, so some women feel they have no option but to continue doing the job they know—sometimes on the streets, risking their health & safety.
Exploitation is widespread in the industry during typical times, but significant & sustained drops in income, alongside fewer opportunities, can create conditions where women have even fewer options than normal: “When there’s more girls outside and less demand, people start doing things they wouldn’t normally do and end up in situations that are very unsafe,” says Suzanne Myers, an escort & community organizer, in this article from Yahoo News.
“Anytime there’s this type of panic,” says sex worker and activist Molly Simmons, “clients understand that as a shift in power…. When work is really scarce and everybody is really worried about their money, there are some clients who try to take advantage of that. They will push for lower prices, they will push for not having to screen, they will push for unsafe work practices…. Because they know that workers are really desperate for money.”
Although many women working in strip clubs or other forms of legal sex work have acess to some government support, such as unemployment aid, those who work in illegal parts of the industry or are not US citizens, including undocumented workers, are left without these safety nets.
At EdenMade, a Because Justice Matters ministry dedicated to supporting & empowering women working in the adult entertainment industry to live freely & fully into their true identities, we believe all women should have options. COVID-19 amplifies the injustices that were already happening in the industry, which is why we will be launching an online outreach program to provide support, & hopefully increase options, for women in the industry. Harmony Dust, the founder of Treasures Ministry, recently wrote, “Don’t be fooled by the closure of strip clubs in some places. The sex industry is not shutting down. It is simply adapting to, and in some cases, capitalizing off of the coronavirus.” Stay tuned to hear more about how we’re meeting women where they’re at and walking alongside them in these newfound options.