December 16, 2017—Los Angeles—It has come to our attention that the recent suicides in our industry are being processed in a manner that may be harmful to other performers. Both mental health and cyberbullying are real issues that need to be approached professionally, and it is clear more resources need to be made available to our community. APAC will continue to prioritize both topics.
Social media platforms are an avenue to reach many people at once, to attract and elicit fans, and to use celebrity and influence to promote what we believe in as individuals. These platforms can also have a negative influence on a person or on an entire group of persons by being host to violent communication, threats, and bullying. As performers who use social media as an integral tool for our career and brand, it is important to note the negative and positive interactions held in online spaces.
The adult industry is a marginalized community, and we face stigma from microaggressions to legislation written without our input that impacts our bodies. Stigma and hate are also prevalent in public online spaces where we are accessible and vulnerable to harassment. It is essential that we as community members do not give in to the ease of public online call-outs, harassment, and hate. These acts do not further conversations needed to overcome the issues that affect us. When we attack one another online, it does not heal the hurt we as a community and individuals are experiencing.
As colleagues, it is more pivotal than ever that we stand together and support one another. Please take a moment to reflect upon the conversations you are having on and off set, as well as on social media. We cannot cure the mental health issues our industry is facing with cyberbullying, and we cannot blame the opinions of someone else for our own pain and suffering.
As an industry, we urge all performers to come together against harassment of all kinds. Giving in to the volatile online communication is easy, but as an advocacy committee, we are asking our community to do the difficult thing of practicing empathy and compassion to better support and understand one another.