About the Free Speech Coalition
Founded in 1991, the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) is the trade association of the adult entertainment industry based in the United States.
Our Mission is to protect the rights and freedoms of both the workers and businesses in the adult industry.
Our Vision is a world in which body sovereignty is recognized, sexual expression is destigmatized, and sex work is decriminalized.
Our industry is home to some of the world’s greatest innovators and thought leaders–much of the technology currently used to experience the Internet via streaming video content, subscription pay sites, and on demand downloads were pioneered by the adult industry years before Netflix and Hulu.
Our organization functions as a resource, an advocate, and a leader for the communities that we serve. We take pride in fighting to alleviate the social stigma, misinformation, and discriminatory policies that affect those who work in and adjacent to the adult industry.
Though the adult industry is often used as a scapegoat for society’s ills, our industry is made of workers who deserve the same liberties, freedoms, and opportunities as any other worker or business owner in this country. Despite the stigma we face as an industry, our resilient and powerful communities have been able to survive and thrive even in the face of discrimination and harassment.
When we harness that power, and aim it toward a common goal, we’ve shown we can succeed.
FSC staff battling California’s Proposition 60 in 2016
From creating programs like the Performer Availability Screening Services (PASS) and the Performer Subsidy fund–which enable adult film performers to work safely while maintaining medical privacy and mitigating costs–to the David vs. Goliath battle we successfully waged to defeat California’s Proposition 60, the FSC has been, and continues to be the foremost organization fighting for the rights of adult industry workers, and we plan to continue doing so in perpetuity, until our industry is given the rights and respect it has been historically denied.
The history of advocacy, litigation and legislation around adult entertainment and sexual rights is as old as the medium itself. Although FSC views litigation as a last resort, it has not hesitated to take serious, swift action when required, in order to defend the rights of its members.
FSC logos throughout history
Over the organization’s 30-year history, it has fought for the rights of producers, distributors, performers and consumers of adult entertainment and pleasure products through battles in the legislature, the courts, regulatory agencies, at the ballot box and in the press.
About the Adult Industry
The adult industry is large, diverse, incredibly varied and has played an important role in the development of our understanding of sexuality and our rights.
The “adult industry” is an umbrella term for a diverse group of workers, entrepreneurs, and businesses that includes content creators, production crew, pleasure products manufacturers, content platforms, webcam performers, brick-and-mortar retailers, website developers, wholesale distributors, cable providers, sex educators, talent agents, lawyers, artists, payment service providers, journalists, video game developers and many others.
Because the industry is so varied, it is hard to measure accurately. Estimates vary wildly as to the annual revenue of the adult industry, and we’re suspect of those who claim a firm number. However, it’s safe to say the industry generates billions of dollars in income each year in the United States.
The adult industry is continually evolving, and working to secure workers’ rights within, as well as outside of, the industry is one of our organization’s top priorities. We recognize that, especially in the adult entertainment industry, the safety and well-being of adult film performers and content creators is of the utmost importance, which is why informed consent, respect of choice and control, and the protection of privacy and identity are non-negotiable tenets of our industry.
Location, Location, Location
The main centers of production for adult video content are Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Southern Florida. However, adult content is produced in all fifty states, and across the globe.
Small Businesses
While big brands may get a lot of the press attention, most producers of adult content are in fact small, performer-owned operations. In today’s industry, performers control the means of production, and share in the profits of their films.
Inclusivity
The adult industry and its performers are among the most diverse in the world, representing every race, gender, age and body type. We are one of the few industries where women consistently out-earn their male counterparts, and we have been at the forefront of battles for LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, and sex worker rights.
Ingenuity
Though piracy and free content have shrunk margins for adult producers, the entertainment portion of the industry has moved aggressively toward live production, such as webcams, niche content and custom clips.
Active Self-Regulation
Performers in the adult industry are regulated by a system called PASS (Performer Availability Screening Services) which tests adult performers for STIs, including HIV, every fourteen days.
Industry News
The two main trade publications for the adult industry are Xbiz and AVN. There are also many blogs and news sites, and consumer-focused publications like Cybersocket and Penthouse.