Access to banking services is a basic necessity in our society and adult industry members experience financial discrimination at alarming rates. The upshot is that already stigmatized and marginalized workers and businesses lose control of their own finances, subjecting them to extreme risk of exploitation. 

This report, produced by the Free Speech Coalition in collaboration with Sex Work CEO, documents the broad scope of the discrimination faced by performers, content creators, professionals and business owners in the adult industry. 

According to our data, nearly 2 out of 3 people who earn money in the adult industry have lost a bank account or financial tool, and nearly 40% have had an account closed in the past year. The report details, for the first time, the issues faced by adult businesses and workers in relation to banks, mobile payments, credit card processing, loans and insurance.  

Over 600 members of the adult industry took part in the survey, and the report includes the experiences of performers, creators, business owners, executives, industry professionals, employees and others who earn income from adult entertainment. The study is ongoing, and additional reports will be issued. The data will be used to help us advocate for banking fairness legislation and regulation. If you do adult work and haven’t taken the survey, you can do so here. 

Read the executive summary or download the full report.

For questions about the report, contact [email protected].