Moms Like Me Work In Porn, & We Deserve Support (Romper)
Read the full article by Madison Young on romper.com
After I started to show early in my second trimester, the work available to me as an adult performer trickled off. I compensated by teaching more sexuality workshops, directing erotic films, and performing on webcam, but it was clear to me that despite an industry-wide movement to feature diverse bodies, we aren’t comfortable seeing pregnant or postpartum bodies in pornography. As a society, we aren’t comfortable with pornography in general. And the reality that mothers work in porn is beyond some people’s imagination. But we need to advocate for mothers’ rights, and that includes mothers’ rights in the workplace in the adult entertainment industry.
I’m a feminist porn performer and I have directed 43 erotic films. For me, a huge part of participating in pornography as a medium has been not just to make a living and create political change but also to document my sexuality and my sexual relationships in all stages of my life. For me and many in my field, porn isn’t synonymous with shame — it can be feminist, sex-positive, and diverse.
Becoming a mother was the most taboo thing that I had ever done. My body changed. My sex life changed and my experience in, and relationship to, my work changed. It was incredibly important for me to continue working throughout my pregnancy as I wanted to show the world that women are beautiful in all stages of their lives and that we are still sexual beings with sexual desires when we are pregnant. But during pregnancy and into the postpartum period, there were specific needs that came up for me as a performer.
