Porn?s First Union President: Performers Should Be 21+ Only
 

The International Entertainment Adult Union is porn?s first union, and its newly-elected president wishes to make some dramatic changes to the industry.

Porn is officially unionized. The filings are in, the ink is dry, and they have been approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. No previous adult union or coalition has managed to make themselves legally official, so the International Entertainment Adult Union is about to change all of that, right?

The IEAU recently elected board members for its adult performer chapter. Much to my surprise, I was elected to this board?despite the fact that I?m not an active performer or a member of this union, and never pursued any position within it. According to ex-performer Phyllisha Anne, the woman spearheading the newly minted union, my peers had nominated me by secret ballot and voted by mail. I was simultaneously flattered and confused by the process. How could I help this fledgling union without first opting in? (According to Anne I was the first board member to decline.)

Up until now, a coalition of performers known as APAC was the closest the adult industry had come to unionizing. A grassroots effort and former safe haven for performers, many were inspired by the community spirit of APAC meetings and felt it was the beginning of something great. However, when former chairman James Deen was accused?but not criminally charged?of rape by numerous female performers, his girlfriend Chanel Preston took over, and some performers began to question APAC?s integrity. The scandal left a void to be filled. Performers want a say in their industry and to be heard by lawmakers, to be part of the discussion not just the topic.

Pornâ??s First Union President: Performers Should Be 21+ Only - The Daily Beast