You’ve heard of social media “influencers,” but the latest breed of celebrities online are the “sexfluencers”.
They are using subscription platforms like OnlyFans to successfully publish online sexual content, but they still face the stigmas surrounding traditional sex work.
OnlyFans is a subscription-based social networking platform where users can sell and buy original artistic and entertainment content, including sexually explicit adult content.
Users can pay a monthly fee to follow their favorite creators.
Sophie Pezzutto, a PhD candidate at the National University of Australia who became a sex worker while writing her dissertation, said sex workers used social media in the same way as other influencers.
Sophie Pezzutto says online sex workers often create their own brands. (Provided by: Sophie Pezzutto)
“Sex workers are, in many ways, like people who influence sex in the sense that … they take advantage of social media, but also the Internet more broadly,” she said.
“I spent time with food influencers. And soon after, I spent time with porn artists. And really what they do is very similar.
“They make extensive use of social media, generate a very large and global online following and have a brand.”
The popularity of subscription sites, such as OnlyFans, grew during the pandemic, with more than 130 million people on the platform.
Even celebrities, such as American rapper Cardi B and actress Bella Thorne, are creating content on the platform.
The stigma of sex work remains
While subscription sites have increased the visibility and accessibility of online sex work, content creators still face online abuse for what they do.
Diddly began posting ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) videos on YouTube and sexually explicit photos and videos on OnlyFans after struggling to find work while studying in college.
He said he faced daily online harassment.
“Someone online always has something to say about it,” he said.
“The most common thing is that I don’t have respect for myself to be able to do something like that … that my parents shouldn’t love me, that I shouldn’t have a father.
Diddly has not suffered discrimination in person because of her job, but online is a different story. (Supplied by: Diddly ASMR)
“Another good thing is that I’m uneducated, I’m too stupid to be able to do anything else.”
But it’s not just anonymous trolls who discriminate against people like Diddly.
He said he had also faced blockages while trying to get branded deals for his non-explicit content.
“Generally, when a brand doesn’t want to work with you, it just doesn’t respond,” he said.
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“This brand decided to email me and specifically cite the reason they don’t want to work with me, which is the fact that I do OnlyFans.”
Diddly’s experience is common for sex workers.
A recent survey by the Scarlet Alliance, Australia’s top sex worker advocacy body, found that 96% of workers faced discrimination because of their work.
Executive director Jules Kim says there is still a lot of work to be done to reduce stigma, including in line with sex workers whenever they have to explain themselves.
“We have to justify a little bit why we do what we do,” he said.
“There are often these prepared answers that people have about why they may be working sexually or selling photos, videos or other content online.”
Flexible living for online sex workers?
For Perth sex worker Fei Luna, becoming a “sexfluencer” has been a life-changing change.
Ms. Luna is a stripper at a Perth club and does content for the OnlyFans subscription site.
Fei Luna has been undressing at a Perth club for about three years. (Supplied by: Fei Luna)
“I can be with my daughter a lot longer than I could be working 40 hours a week and doing a part of what I’m doing,” she said.
“I live in a beautiful house, I can spend a lot more time with my family … I can also spend a lot of time with my friends.
“Working in a club full of women is an advantage.”
In the last three years, Luna has gained thousands of followers on various social media platforms sharing her life as a sex worker.
“I post pretty much everything. I have a lot of people asking for customization so I can do what they like if they have like a certain niche or a certain twist …,” he said.
“But yeah, I do things with boys, things with girls; I have it all.”
He said people underestimated the amount of work he put into creating online tracking.
“You have to post on Reddit, you have to post on Twitter, you have to have all these different accounts … it’s a lot of work,” he said.
“I’ve gained like 10,000 followers just from being open and kind of showing that, that human side to me, as well as the mother and the sex worker.”