AOC Partners with Anti-Pornography Group NCOSE on DEFIANCE Act

Democratic New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has partnered with the anti-pornography lobby NCOSE, an organization with a history of advocating for state censorship and opposing LGBTQ+ rights, in introducing the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act of 2024 (DEFIANCE Act).

The DEFIANCE Act proposes to establish a federal civil right of action for individuals who are victims of deepfakes. Ocasio-Cortez’s office issued a press statement last week highlighting this partnership, with NCOSE, formerly known as Morality in Media, listed as the second organization endorsing the legislation.

NCOSE's Role and Stance

NCOSE is described as a religiously-inspired anti-porn lobby that aims to criminalize all sex work and eliminate adult content. The organization has a well-documented history of championing state censorship and opposing LGBTQ+ rights. NCOSE CEO Dawn Hawkins provided a full quote in Ocasio-Cortez’s press statement, asserting that the proliferation of nonconsensual, sexually-explicit deepfake images has harmed hundreds of thousands and threatens anyone with an online photo. Hawkins stated that the DEFIANCE Act is a critical step for survivors to seek justice through civil remedies and that this federal law will deter abusers from creating exploitative content.

XBIZ contacted Ocasio-Cortez’s office and her Communications Director, Sidney Johnson, for comment regarding the congressperson’s awareness of NCOSE’s history, including its past stances against free speech, promotion of censorship, and opposition to LGBTQ+ rights. XBIZ also sought comment from Ocasio-Cortez on her partnership with Hawkins, who is described as a religious conservative activist. Hawkins has spoken about the Mormon roots of her "War on Porn" campaigns and her efforts to rebrand Morality in Media as NCOSE. As of publication time, Ocasio-Cortez’s office and Johnson had not provided a comment. The story was updated on Saturday, March 16, at 12:30 p.m. with a comment from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez' Chief of Staff Mike Casca.

Criticism and Previous Positions

The partnership has drawn criticism, particularly given Ocasio-Cortez’s previous support for sex workers. In 2020, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, "Sex work is work. The federal gov has done almost nothing to help people in months. We must pass stimulus checks, UI, small biz relief, hospital funding, etc. Keep the focus of shame there, not on marginalizing people surviving a pandemic without help."

Christopher Kane from the LGBTQ+ politics site the Washington Blade also noted the alliance between NCOSE and Ocasio-Cortez. NCOSE typically partners with religious Republicans for its campaigns, while Ocasio-Cortez is a progressive New York representative and a member of "The Squad." Aides to Ocasio-Cortez did not respond to a request for comment from the Washington Blade regarding how the move might conflict with her history of supporting the LGBTQ community and her reputation as an ally in Congress.

Kane pointed out that while Hawkins’ quoted remarks are inoffensive and relevant to the legislation, the NCOSE CEO has appeared insincere in her attempts to backtrack on her organization’s opposition to LGBTQ+ rights. NCOSE was created in 1961 as Operation Yorkville, a pro-censorship, clergy-aligned group. The Washington Blade listed recent incidents where NCOSE staffers and board members opposed LGBTQ+ rights. The group is primarily focused on opposing pornography, a term that NCOSE has previously applied to publications such as the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and Cosmopolitan magazine.

Legislative Details and Co-Sponsors

The DEFIANCE Act was reintroduced by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) alongside Representative Laurel Lee (FL-15), Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). This bipartisan legislation aims to grant survivors the right to take civil action against individuals who knowingly produce, distribute, solicit, and receive or possess with the intent to distribute nonconsensual sexually-explicit digital forgeries. The reintroduction builds on progress made by the passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which was signed into law earlier this week.

Representative Ocasio-Cortez stated, "We are reintroducing the DEFIANCE Act to grant survivors and victims of nonconsensual deepfake pornography the legal right to pursue justice. I am proud to lead this legislation with Representative Lee, and Senators Durbin and Graham to provide victims with the federal protections they deserve."

Representative Laurel Lee added, "I am proud to co-lead the bipartisan DEFIANCE Act, which gives victims a civil right of action when predators attempt to use exploitative AI-generated intimate images—so-called deepfakes—to intimidate, shame, or harm them. We’ve seen stories across the country of women and girls as young as 12 years old victimized by this new and growing form of sexual violence. The time for action is now. This legislation will complement the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which was recently signed into law. Together, they both create both accountability and recourse. I am grateful for my colleagues’ work on these issues, and look forward to moving this bill through Committee."

Key Facts

• Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez partnered with NCOSE to introduce the DEFIANCE Act.
• The DEFIANCE Act proposes a federal civil right of action for deepfake victims.
• NCOSE, formerly Morality in Media, seeks to criminalize all sex work and eradicate adult content.
• NCOSE has a history of championing state censorship and opposing LGBTQ+ rights.
• Ocasio-Cortez previously expressed support for sex workers in 2020.
• The DEFIANCE Act is co-led by Representative Laurel Lee, Senator Richard J. Durbin, and Senator Lindsey Graham.