An anti-censorship rally is scheduled to precede the opening of Sex Exposition in New York City this Saturday. The event will gather participants from the sexual health community to protest social media censorship of sex-related wellness content.
Rally Details and Speakers
The rally will take place outside the Metropolitan Pavilion at 10 a.m. on Saturday, before the annual Sex Exposition opens its doors. Lou Featherstone, an Instagram influencer and menopause activist, will lead the rally alongside Kim Airs, a veteran of the pleasure products industry. Featherstone and Airs will distribute rally posters and engage expo participants. The event will feature music, a party atmosphere, and uncensored signs.
Featherstone stated that her TikTok account was removed, resulting in the loss of her followers, after she posted content featuring "middle-aged arse and a high-cut leotard." She also reported that a photograph discussing her scars and body struggles was removed, with platforms citing it as sexual due to her "grasping my tits." Featherstone described this as frustrating, noting that the post and its comments were helpful to many people. She expressed enthusiasm for participating in Sex Exposition and sharing her views on social media censorship, observing that brands and content creators like herself have been penalized for content deemed explicit or sexual, even when it is educational and inspirational for older women.
Airs highlighted the perceived unfairness of mainstream celebrities displaying "NSFW material" on social media without consequence, while she has been "unable to promote products that other companies advertise under false pretenses." She hopes that open discussion will clarify that "our marketing doesn't harm kids and that sexual health information should be allowed to be shared freely."
Cheyenne M. Davis, a journalist, content creator, and mediator, will also speak at the rally. Davis, who identifies as a "fat, Black femme who is queer and nonbinary," reported experiencing significant censorship on social media, particularly on Instagram and Twitter. Davis cited an instance in April 2021 when an Instagram photo of themself with a "round trick in my mouth" was removed. Davis noted that their body-positive, sex-positive, and kink-positive content often does not appear in followers' feeds, while similar content from individuals who are "generally white, slim and cisgendered" appears to face less censorship. Davis also stated that "Sensitive Content" warnings have been applied to their posts even when fully dressed. Davis believes social media platforms uphold "white superiority and value politics" and use "censorship and algorithms as digital eugenics to erupt marginalized people," creating an "ostracizing, dangerous" online environment.
Industry Perspectives on Censorship
Jimmyjane, a pleasure product brand, reported experiencing social media censorship when posting words related to "sexual wellness and body parts, tools or visuals with more skin exposure." Katerina Lin, director of marketing and ecommerce for Jimmyjane.com, emphasized the importance of improving content moderation policies, stating that "sex is an important topic that every human needs to learn more about, safely and informatively." Lin added that current policies reinforce "stigma and misconception of sex in our society," neglecting its health benefits and increasing negative judgment globally. Jimmyjane aims to influence policies to "inform and empower our community to better understand ourselves, while leading healthier and happier lives through prioritizing our enjoyment."
Nanci Smith of Stealth Shaft Support stated that "everyone needs to have a chance to learn about sexual health" as it is part of overall wellness. Smith argued that censorship prevents people from discovering products that aid both sexual and mental health, and encouraged protest as a means to be heard and effect change.
Maureen Pollack, co-founder and inventor of the WaterSlyde, reported being banned for "adult nudity" even when a post did not include a human image. Carly S., a social media professional and Romantic Depot representative, expressed skepticism about social media platform updates to terms of service, observing increasingly restrictive rules. She noted that Instagram has removed posts containing emojis like the eggplant or peach, forcing industry professionals to self-censor by editing or removing old posts. Carly S. also stated that "platform censorship often affects the most marginalized individuals first."
Glen Buzzetti, CEO of Romantic Depot, explained that platform strictness has led his company to create more interactive, "fun PG-rated entertainment content" for educational purposes and to vet all posts for compliance. Federico from Kubiaksado, a leather and vegan leather manufacturer, reported an Instagram account closure for showing products where "a part of a body" was visible. Writer and visual artist Biodun Abudu stated that social media guidelines have "emotionally and mentally impacted" him, affecting his promotion and ability to support his family. Abudu stressed the importance of protest to bring attention to these issues and initiate conversations that could lead to change.
Benjamin Jay, founder and CEO of Odile Toys, reported being denied promotion on social media despite focusing on the health aspect of his products without showing nudity or using explicit words. Caitlin Oponski, a new vendor at Sex Exposition for FirmTech, expressed excitement about the anti-censorship rally, noting that their clinician-hosted content from urologists, sexologists, sex counselors, and ER physicians has also been removed or blocked.
April Davis, content creator and speaker with The Vaginal Blog, reported "endless censorship" on Instagram for using sexual words central to her sex education mission. She stated that she constantly devises creative ways to discuss important topics without making them "ridiculously adolescent" by avoiding anatomically correct terms. Davis highlighted that Instagram censors her for using words like "vulva," which are crucial to her educational system.
Daniel Saynt, founder and principal accomplice of NSFW, a members-only social club, stated that as a bisexual, sex-positive online community, NSFW has faced censorship and account bans across nearly all platforms. Saynt reported "numerous account closures," arguing that these restrictions penalize companies promoting a sex-positive culture due to "fear and stigma around anything sexual." He emphasized the importance of sex education and teaching people to build stronger sexual relationships.
Historical Context of Anti-Censorship Efforts
The Woodhull Liberty Foundation views censorship as a critical contemporary issue. Mandy Salley of the Woodhull Liberty Foundation stated that the Constitution grants the right to protest and use one's voice in opposition, asserting that failure to protest today could lead to the loss of that right tomorrow. Salley described censorship as "un-American and a threat to the heart of freedom."
Sex instructor Pegstress Peggin Tha Stallion noted that censorship of her social media accounts, due to her sex education content being deemed "adult subject matter," restricts youth from educating themselves and hinders their sexual health.
Historically, groups like Women Against Pornography (WAP), a radical feminist activist group based in New York City, were influential in the anti-pornography movement of the late 1970s and 1980s. WAP, established in 1978, gained support for its anti-pornography campaign, holding a March on Times Square in late 1979 with over 5000 supporters. WAP also conducted informational tours of sex shops and pornographic theaters in Times Square. In the 1980s, WAP focused on lobbying and legislative efforts against pornography, supporting civil-rights-oriented anti-pornography legislation and testifying before the Meese Commission. In the late 1980s, WAP's leadership shifted focus to international sex trafficking, leading to the founding of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. WAP became less active in the 1990s and eventually ceased to exist by the mid-1990s.
In contrast, a conference titled "The Sex Panic: A Conference on Women, Censorship, and 'Pornography'" was held on May 7-8, 1993, at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. This event brought together over 170 anti-censorship feminists, including artists, writers, therapists, lawyers, educators, sex industry workers, and activists, to discuss women's freedom and sexual free speech. Leanne Katz, executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), stated that the conference aimed to counter "myths that censorship is good for women, that women want censorship, and that those who support censorship speak for women." The NCAC's Working Group formed, and the conference was organized, to address these issues. The conference highlighted that "sex panics" and "unholy alliances between women’s advocates and morality cops" are not new and have not benefited women. It also noted the growing sophistication of the contemporary anti-pornography movement among certain feminists, which aims to "protect" women at the cost of reducing their freedom.
More recently, hundreds of arts organizations and professionals signed an open letter denouncing censorship, spearheaded by the NCAC and New York’s Vera List Center for Art and Politics. This statement, "Cultural Freedom Demands Collective Courage: A Nation-Wide Statement of Values and Principles for the Field of Arts and Culture," responded to the National Endowment for the Arts terminating over $27 million in grants. The cultural sector has faced challenges since President Donald Trump's second term began in January, with bans on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the federal government, leading to the closure of DEI offices at the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Institution. Many
