Over the last week or so, we’ve seen public callouts by performers addressing mistreatment on set and an overdue exposé on notorious talent agent Derek Hey. These brave voices add to a chorus of empowered performers speaking out against abusive elements in the industry over the past several years and are undeniably part of the larger movement that has brought awareness of abuse of power in all sectors of society.
Like many of us, I consider this industry my chosen family. For the past 13 years, I’ve felt at home here, and it’s where I feel most free to be myself. It’s the place where I’ve had the honor of meeting countless wonderful and caring people. That’s why it’s difficult to hear the stories of abuse that are coming out. But with this much light shining into the darkest corners of our industry, some very important discussions are happening around performer rights, the role of talent agents, and best practices on set.
This includes conversations behind the scenes, and hopefully those discussions will result in more professionalism in our industry and safer sets for cast and crew. In that spirit, I’d like to make myself available to any performers or producers who might have questions or suggestions for how, together, we can live up to our own ideals. You can reach me on Twitter as well as through this Google form, where you can choose to share your name and contact info or remain anonymous. I look forward to hearing anything performers and producers would like to share, including what makes them feel safe on set and what they feel are helpful practices for establishing consent and ensuring performer safety. I plan to share any insights publicly and with fellow producers (while maintaining confidentiality).
In this difficult and upsetting time, I’d like to give a shout-out to some people in the industry who’ve undertaken positive actions this week. Undoubtedly I’ve missed many more, so feel free to add to the following list in the comments.
- Lotus Lane of the Free Speech Coalition launched the Inspire Program this week.
- Katy Jayne started an Independent Female Talent bulletin board.
- Inspired by Katy Jayne, new forums for independent performers were added on TheAdultDVDTalk.
- Jacky St. James opened up her Twitter DM for #metoo stories from the industry. (Now she is sending people to her website contact form.)
This is just a small sampling of recent actions. Many caring, conscientious individuals in the industry have been working hard over the years to promote safety on our sets, and I feel a great deal of gratitude for the example they have set.
Please take care of yourselves and each other.
Much love,
Fivestar