As the parades and parties charged into the weekend after the Supreme Court deemed denying marriage rights unconstitutional, I realized there was a voice I’d not heard. The adult entertainment industry is, of course, steeped in sexuality, often having insights that the civilian world would find surprising and very important.
With that in mind, I sent out a number of interested feelers to the fine folks I know in adult, and got back a few incredibly poignant, bitingly intelligent, and cut-to-the-core true responses about the joyous ruling.
Kelly Madison, of PornFidelity fame, to name just one of this powerhouse’s many successful ventures, commented:
“I was relieved, felt my faith in the Supreme Court had been revitalized, and most importantly, felt happiness for the LGBT community. And for those that live in fear and worry that somehow a law is going to make your child gay, well, wow, I am so sad for you and your lack of understanding.
“Yesterday I found this quote on the Internet [anonymous social media contribution] that sums up how I feel, but also defends what I do for a living:
“NEW POLICY: ANY DUDE WHO MASTURBATES TO LESBIAN PORN MORE THAN TWICE CAN NOT LEGALLY OPPOSE GAY MARRIAGE. YOU DON’T GET TO JACK OFF TO SOMEONE AND THEN DENY THEM EQUAL RIGHTS, ASSHOLE; IT DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY. “
The performer, director, educator, and creator of the Guide to Wicked Sex jessica drake said:
“I’m thrilled with the ruling on marriage equality, but in the bigger picture, we simply cannot consider it the end-all victory until everyone – gay, queer, transgendered people, and those in polyamorous relationships – have the same rights as everyone else, equal protection under the law, and no discrimination. I’m glad I was around during this time to witness the decision of the Supreme Court, and hopefully even more change takes effect in my lifetime.”
Director and owner of Girlfriend Films Dan O’Connell remarked:
“It’s about time the gay and lesbian community is given the same right to marriage as the majority. I can’t believe that it has taken this long… it’s a reminder that there are still some real knuckle-draggers in our midst. The arguments against gay marriage are always baseless and seem like they are merely cover-ups for hate and prejudice. I hope this will lead to even more freedoms, such as the right to die for the terminally ill.”
Casey Calvert, a performer, writer, and advocate for intelligent discourse regarding adult – she’s written some igneous commentary on the mainstream’s shoddy viewpoint – stated:
“I think that the marriage equality ruling is a long time coming. We certainly can’t stop now and think that everyone is equal in this country, but this is a step in the right direction. I think that next, the court needs to set precedent to ensure that this decision is enforceable. With the Hobby Lobby precedent, it is still going to be a fight in some states.”
One momentous victory is cause for much celebration, but the battles that wage in other social and cultural sectors are far from over. To help move these causes forward, it should be pertinent to start listening to many different perspectives, one of these being the varied and rich frame of reference from the adult industry. They’re closer to certain parts of experience than the grand majority of folks, so when it comes to matters like the acceptance of natural desires, I can’t think of a more valuable voice.
