Why the OnlyFans Debacle Matters

The crusade against porn is about a lot more than pornography.

Kaia Bell
Actaeon

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Note: I originally wrote this to explain what was happening when OnlyFans announced its ban. It has since reversed its decision, but the larger crusade against pornography — which is actually a crusade against bodily autonomy — remains an important issue to know about. From the original article, I’ve lightly expanded the discussion of the rhetorical strategy because this issue feels increasingly urgent.

On August 19th, OnlyFans announced that it will be banning sexually explicit content. This is significant because OnlyFans was built on sexually explicit content and when it puts its ban into effect, it’s going to be severing a major source of income for a lot of content creators across the globe.

Since this is something I’ve been following for a while, and since there seems some confusion about what’s going on, I thought I’d write up a quick explainer.

What is it?

OnlyFans is a platform that allows creators to monetize their content. For online sex workers, it’s a business tool. It allows them to work for themselves on their own terms and make a living. Because OnlyFans allowed adult content, a lot of adult content providers set up shop over there. The company currently has 2…

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Kaia Bell
Actaeon
Editor for

Sex, history, and erotica with a touch of deeply felt kink. Site: kaiabell.com