Why is porn the only multi-billion dollar industry allowed to be so openly racist?

Photo by Ramez E. Nassif on Unsplash

By Anna Freeman

The porn business is given a free pass on racist stereotyping and unequal pay structures because it is deemed an 'unacceptable' workforce by mainstream culture

Racism and ethnic type-casting within the world of pornography - both on and off camera - is given little outside critical attention. The industry’s high stigmatisation as default allows racism to flourish with almost no scrutiny. It’s hard to imagine any other multi-billion dollar business playing upon and cashing in on racial difference like pornography does without grassroots activism or public outcry. As a powerful touchstone for education about sex and pleasure - especially for young people - does this reinforce wider understandings of racial fetisishation and unequal power dynamics?

I spoke to four incredibly successful adult actors of colour - Ana Foxxx, Mickey Mod, Cindy Starfall and Kelli Provocateur - about navigating the predominantly whitewashed porn industry, creating space for diversity, and how the marketability of ethnic typecasting makes it hard to affect change.