So. I don't like porn, right?
I'm sex repulsed, so anything depicting genitals is gross to me.
I also know that the porn industry can be highly exploitative, unsafe, and even actively harmful. This extends to both the producing and the consuming side. Things depicted in porn are often unrealistic, dangerous, or flat out illegal, especially in regard to consent.
There's also pornography that deliberately crosses lines and depicts incredibly vile scenarios. In a few cases, those scenarios aren't fictional.
I therefore do not believe that children should have access to porn. I believe there are types of porn that no one should have access to. I'm also aware that these things are constantly happening regardless.
Children can access pornography with very little oversight. Hell, in plenty of cases, they weren't even looking for it and were exposed to it anyway. I firmly believe we need better regulation for children on the Internet. Quite frankly, I do not believe children should be on the internet, save for a few well managed safe sites (which are dwindling by the day). Knowing that this is unrealistic, I think it's important that we safeguard children online as much as possible.
I am telling you all this because it's very important that you listen to me for this next part.
Blanket Censorship of "explicit" material is, and always has been, one of the first limitations of freedom on the way to fascism.
Even if it starts with only truly pornographic material (which it never does), it will soon cover whatever is deemed "inappropriate".
This means it will come for all queer content next.
We already frequently observe this with openly trans people (especially transfems) right here. On this website, that no finance company has power over because it's highly unprofitable to begin with.
To the ones in charge of censoring, all queer existence, no matter how benign, is unnatural and therefore inappropriate. Pornographic.
If you think I'm exaggerating or pulling a slippery slope fallacy, I'm not. We've seen this happen plenty of times. We are watching it happen right now.
Within months of Hitler securing power, Nazis stormed University Libraries to burn all books they deemed inappropriate. Among them was the entire Institute for Sexology. They burnt thousands of books, scientific ones, and research about sexuality and gender. Groundbreaking work. All that survived was whatever its founder had with him while touring other countries (including himself. Magnus Hirschfeld was a gay jewish man. They would've killed him). A bust of said founder was demolished, broken into pieces, and the biggest piece was impaled above the heap of burning books.
Because they had just done a good deed. They had saved their country from indecency. Protected their children from degeneracy.
Of course, things are different now. Books are harder to burn now that they're digital. So rather than attempt to destroy a library that'll just be restocked, it's much easier to just lock you out.
When publishing sites pull their controversial or adult content, it's not gone. You just won't find it. When social media bans all "inappropriate content", it can still be posted elsewhere. You just won't know where. And if you do find those places, well, let's just say they've crossed one established line already. What's a few more? The protections you would need may not be afforded to you.
I won't pretend to have a perfect solution. Hell, I'm not even pretending to have any solution.
But what's happening right now? Across multiple websites?
Do not let them weaponize "decency" to pave the way to erase you.
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