ADULT movie stars are not necessarily the first people you’d turn to for an in-depth discussion on morality, feminism and the politics of policing desire. My unfailingly wise mother always told me that what happened in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom.
However, when the Government dragged UK pornography from under the covers and into the headlines, it roused the ire of the normally bashful British pornography industry. Incredibly, it the Government's blundering efforts to police the industry has created strange bedfellows of the pornographers and ardent feminists who see it as an affront to women.
In a presumably well-meant attempt to protect the nation’s youth and crackdown on potentially harmful material, The British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) has banned a mind-bogglingly diverse list of acts from being depicted in video-on-demand pornography.
The list ranges from acts so benign they’d be at home in a Carry On film (spanking and caning) to those that cater to a more niche market – such as physical restraint and aggressive whipping.
In a move that has angered feminists, female ejaculation was also banned – because it’s apparently indistinguishable from the expelling of urine (also now forbidden).
Freedom of expression campaigners greeted the ban with fury and pornographers, feminists and anti-censorship campaigners marching on Parliament in a bid to get it overturned.
The CEO of County Durham’s Dusk Films is one of those calling on the government to rethink their strategy.
A softly-spoken man in his mid-thirties, porn star and director Paul Taylor presents a compelling argument for the education and empowerment of youngsters as an alternative to “pointless and arbitrary” censorship.
A former animation student, Mr Taylor now spends his working day directing – and having – sex with a string of young women, making him a less than conventional feminist.
However, he is outspoken and firm in his condemnation of regulations that he insists target women and harm lawful businesses.
His objection to the new laws is multi-faceted and he’s passionate in his defence of an industry he believes is unfairly maligned as sleazy and exploitative.
Firstly, he claims the laws simply won’t work – the immediate accessibility of pornography produced abroad means the measures will not stop anyone watching censored acts.
However, he says the tough restrictions will threaten the – legal and taxable – UK industry and put legitimate businesses at risk.
Mr Taylor is adamant in his belief that censorship will do nothing to protect children but will destroy the livelihoods of British workers.
“Some people will end up fined or in prison because of the job they suddenly can no longer do – they’re not raping or murdering, their work became illegal overnight,” he says.
“This could destroy people’s lives as it’s difficult to go back to civilian life and find different work when this is all you’ve done – employers at places like McDonald’s won’t be keen to see it on your CV.
“People don’t see this as a serious job but it is, people are paying bills, putting food on the table and paying taxes – it’s a legal profession.”
Calling for the government to prioritise education over censorship, he says: “I don’t want kids seeing my stuff - it’s entertainment for adults. Censoring the UK industry won’t solve that as they can see it anywhere – it’s sex education that needs to be stepped up.
“Porn and sex are different things and there needs to be education around that – children need to know it’s all staged and not the normal way people have sex.
“Sex education should teach kids that porn is controlled, intentional and consensual – and parents need to get off their backsides and learn to monitor what their children are doing online.”
Mr Taylor’s feminism comes to the fore as he accuses the government of being sexist in its ban on female ejaculation and acts commonly associated with female-led domination.
“It’s incredibly sexist – they think they’re protecting women but women are the boss in this industry,” he says. “Women are choosing to do this and there’s no evidence to say evil porn barons are forcing them into it.
“If someone’s getting chained up and whipped it might look like she’s in pain but she’s consented, safe words are used and she’s given permission for it to be published.
“If a performer doesn’t want to do something, we respect their limits, they don’t need protection from the Government.”
He adds: “A friend of mine just launched a fetish site and now can’t do most of the acts on it.
“If the woman’s in charge of a session, she’s got a guy with a dog collar on and is making him clean the house she’s the one in control; so who needs the protection?”
Mr Taylor says the Government should work with the adult industry, not against it.
“If they’d sat down and asked us to help them protect children, we’d work with them. They didn’t ask the experts, and they’re making laws in an area they know nothing about – all of this could have been avoided with a proper consultation.
“We’re legal businesses and pay our taxes like any other business so the Government should treat us like any other business– sit down with us and work together to make the law fit what they want to do and what we want to do.”
Encouraging others to address the issue with their MPs, he said: “Real sex has always been shocking in this country and the government are acting like the morality police.
“Who are they to tell us that consenting members of society are in the wrong and who are they to say we’re not in control when we’re tied up?”
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