Many industries in the U.S. have been dramatically impacted by COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, in recent days — and that includes the porn industry.
Since Wednesday night alone, In rapid succession, Trump banned travel to 26 European countries; the NBA suspended their season; and beloved actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson announced they tested positive for coronavirus.
For several weeks there have been cries for people to practice social distancing and working from home, if possible. But for many people — such as those in food service, drivers, and delivery people — that is not a luxury they have.
Many porn performers, of course, fall into that category.
Conversations about the coronavirus in the adult industry began as they would in any other industry, according to spokesperson for Kink.com Michael Stabile. He compared it to guidance from the CDC: Work from home if you can, be extra diligent, etc.
As the cases in the U.S. increased — especially in industry hubs like Los Angeles and Las Vegas — the conversations shifted to what could potentially happen if there was an industry-wide shutdown. The last time such a shutdown happened was in 2018 when a performer tested positive for HIV (in the industry, performers are tested every two weeks through the PASS program).
Some studios have already begun adjusting their schedules. For example, Erika Lust Filmsis delaying shoots, and Erika herself is looking for more performers and directors in less affected areas, according to the company's content manager.
"The last thing you want is a situation where the risk is relatively high and people are worried about making rent"
Porn performer, director, and film maker Vex Ashley told Mashable that she's putting a temporary pause on shooting for her ongoing project Four Chambers until she knows more about how the situation is going to develop. "I have films to edit and release to tide us over," she said in an emailed statement.
Stabile estimated the biggest risk would be for performers traveling for their shoots, but Kink.com is willing to work with performers if they are not comfortable. Stabile, who also works with the Free Speech Coalition, is working to make communication consistent across the industry.
As of now, as with other industries, it is a lot of discussing what is the best course of action — and how can people pay their bills should productions shut down. "The last thing you want is a situation where the risk is relatively high and people are worried about making rent," said Stabile, "and they go into situations where, you know, to shoot where they shouldn't, you know, or at a time when it might be more risky." While Stabile said that those are the risks, these are also conversations the industry is used to having.
Furthermore, Ashley believes that the world at large can learn from porn performers in this moment. "When your body is your business you already value hygiene, cleanliness and precaution more than the average person and you're probably well versed with all the things you don't usually have to consider when you're not around other people's body fluids regularly," she said. Disclosure of illness is common in porn, and shoots are adapted or called off if need be.
Sex workers — like with freelancers, gig economy workers, and the like — will be hit harder than those with salaries and health insurance. It is also important to note because some sex work is also illegal in many places, workers can't seek the same benefits others can.
"Sex workers, like all workers, are probably going to be hit by the climate of fear," said Ashley, "but unlike a lot of workers they can't rely on sick pay or government subsidies to help tide them over because in some countries their work is still criminalised so they're one of the most vulnerable groups in a situation like this."
"Sex workers, like all workers, are probably going to be hit by the climate of fear"
What's more, crew members of these productions are also in a difficult position. In 2020, performers can work from home with platforms such as OnlyFans and FanCentro at their disposal. The cam site Stripchat, Stabile said, has doubled payouts for Italian performers, and other companies may follow suit in order to help performers in the short term.
But if productions stop, then crews don't work. This is of course true of mainstream productions as well, which Stabile argued may be more unsafe in this situation due to a larger amount of people, and those who don't know how to handle bodily fluids.
As with other elements of society, these are subject to change as we learn more about coronavirus, how many people are infected, and what the best course of action is. Stabile pointed out that the government will not bail out the adult entertainment industry.
If coronavirus affects the industry longterm, there will be need for further discussion as to how to compensate people. Especially, because, let's face it: When we're all working from home more, there's likely to be an uptick in porn viewing.
