Adult Industry Open Forum

Who’s Watching Us Watch? – A panel on age verification, rights, and the politics of porn access

Age Verification laws are rewriting the rules of sex online. From mandatory ID checks in the UK to proposals to gate sex tech sites in the US, new regulations are reshaping how we access sexual content. The choices being made now will define the future of the adult industry, online safety, and our relationship to sexuality.

In this urgent panel, we’ll ask: how do these laws work, why were they introduced, and is age verification really the answer to making the internet safer? We’ll also explore how sex education and porn literacy can build a better, smarter online environment for everyone.

With voices from OfCom, policy, sex education, and porn, and moderated by the Digital Intimacy Coalition, this conversation will tackle the real questions shaping digital freedom.

History of feminist porn: Looking at the evolution of “feminist” porn/porn for women as a genre and movement

By Noelle Perdue

Porn historian and writer Noelle Perdue traces the history of feminist porn – from its radical DIY roots in the 70s and 80s to today’s algorithm-shaped aesthetics – asking what we really mean when we talk about “porn for women”. Building on her essay “A Case for Genre” for Lust Zine, she critiques how labels like “ethical” or “feminist” can flatten erotic expression, and instead calls for deeper, more nuanced conversations about genre, desire, and representation. Expect a sharp, funny, and thought-provoking unpacking of porn history that resists moral binaries and opens space for new ways of thinking about the stories we tell – and sell – through sex.

Beyond the F-Word: Porn, Politics & Pleasure Today

Feminist porn once promised to challenge stereotypes, center female pleasure, and reclaim sexuality from patriarchal frames. But what does feminism in porn mean today? In an era where influencer-style stunts – like “fucked 100 guys in one day” – dominate headlines, and when many loud feminist voices position themselves against sex-positivity altogether, can “feminist porn” still hold meaning?

This panel takes stock of feminism and porn now: the possibilities, the contradictions, and the fractures. Where can feminist thinking open space for inclusivity, diversity, and empowerment within porn – and where might it risk becoming limiting or moralizing? How do we respond to hostile narratives, while staying true to feminist commitments to autonomy, freedom, and multiplicity?

Building on the keynote about the history of feminist porn, this session looks forward: What does a feminism that embraces complexity, inclusion, and desire look like in the adult industry today?

Porn Isn’t the Enemy: Reclaiming Sex Ed Through Pleasure and Literacy

For too long, porn has been painted as the villain of sex education – a threat to healthy sexuality rather than a potential tool for learning, exploration, and empowerment. But what if the real problem isn’t porn, but the lack of porn literacy?

As global conversations around sex shift toward pleasure, consent, and inclusion, it’s time to challenge the tired binary of porn versus public health. This panel brings together adult industry insiders, educators, and activists to ask what happens when we stop blaming porn and start talking about how it can support inclusive, pleasure-forward sex education. Together, we’ll explore how porn literacy can reshape the way we teach, learn, and talk about sex – while centering the lived experiences of those most often erased from these conversations.

Fetish & Fantasy: What Porn Teaches Us About Kink

From latex to rope, fetishes and kinks are more than just “niche” – they’re expressions of desire, identity, and creativity. Porn has long been a playground for these fantasies, shaping how we understand them and offering both representation and inspiration.

This panel explores the psychology behind kink and fetish, and the role porn plays in normalizing, educating, and expanding our erotic imagination. What can porn reveal about the roots of desire? How can it provide a safe space for exploring fantasies? And what can mainstream culture learn from porn’s long tradition of celebrating sexual diversity?

From Censorship to Solidarity: Imagining Porn’s Future

Porn has always been political, but today the stakes feel higher than ever. From censorship laws and banking discrimination to coordinated attacks on bodily autonomy and sexual freedom, the adult industry is caught in the crossfire of cultural and political battles. At the same time, sex worker organizations, community initiatives, and allies are building resistance, solidarity, and creative strategies for survival and growth.

This panel looks at the future of porn through the lens of politics and possibility. How do we confront the systemic pressures facing the industry – while keeping alive a vision of pleasure, autonomy, and empowerment? Where are new alliances forming, and how can we imagine porn not just as content, but as a site of rights, culture, and political struggle?

Jiz Lee: Coming Out Like A Pornstar

Zahra Stardust: Indie Porn

The Code Berlin