Fighting Purity and Porn Culture
My Interview with Red Light Exposé on finding bodily autonomy, ending the policing of sex trade survivors, and female liberation.
When combating the commercial sex trade, there’s a wealth of related issues that need to be discussed in the same vicinity but rarely are, such as how to combat the sexualisation of the human female body, nudity, talking and thinking about sexuality in a non exploitative way, taking back your own bodily autonomy, healing after sexual trauma, liberation, and wrestling the female body back from porn culture entirely. These issues affect survivors and how they feel about themselves, and while it’s vital to do the work to end sexual exploitation, these women shouldn’t be left holding their trauma and feelings of shame around their body as they fight against the very monster of an industry that traumatised them.
To find solutions, I've been speaking to the marvelous Elly Arrow on Red Light Expose, a woman’s rights activist combatting the commercial sex trade on this groundbreaking, survivor-led podcast.
Here, I talk about combating purity and porn culture alike, confronting the social policing of sex trade survivors that happens in the movement, working with female ex Muslims and their fight to own their own bodies and sense of self, the ancient power of bodyart as a tool for liberation, and cultivating joy in the feminist movement so we don’t burn out.
Having these conversations is important, especially for survivors who come to grassroots feminism and conferences looking for answers, only to get socially policed and leave as a result. To my knowledge, conversations like the one Ellie and I had on aesthetics haven’t arisen at all, at least not from the angle of supporting survivors and apostates alike as they experiment with adornment and ideas on their own journeys to reclaim their bodies after sexual violence. I would love if this podcast finally opens up this conversation to a wider audience, who may not have even known how these policing and negative comments were taken by survivors.
I also go into my work with Maryam Namazie and the Council of Ex Muslims of Britain, Painted Powerful, and working with the non sexualised, autonomous female body.
Usually, this vital podcast gives a voice to those who have been exploited in the commercial sex trade, and platforms those who are doing research and activism to combat the porn industry, such as the fantastic Gail Dines. Their platform is of growing importance now that women who have been badly abused and damaged by the commercial sex trade are increasingly speaking out.
There’s no funding for grassroots podcasts like these, so if you have any change to spare, do donate to their fantastic work here.
And if you don’t subscribe to them already, do give them a click, as every little helps.
If you are a sex trade survivor, or you know someone who is who may need help, you can contact You My Sister, a grassroots organization who support survivors of the sex trade.
UPDATE: Hidden in this podcast is a code for 10% off of Women Create, exclusively for Red Light Exposé listeners. Have a listen, and you can claim one of 24 discount 2 day passes. Good luck!