In a statement issued Wednesday, the UK Adult Professionals trade association issued a statement on its response to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, outlining the organization’s “next steps for combating racial prejudice towards black people and minority ethnicities.”
“Exhibiting prejudice to black and minority ethnicities is a problem spanning generations,” UKAP said in its statement. “Generations who normalized the behavior into mainstream culture and porn was not exempt from this. It is important that people who are not black or minority ethnicity do not avoid the learning and labor of making amends to these issues. This work must be steered under the leadership of experts of the experience who are people of black and minority ethnicities.”
In its statement, UKAP also emphasized that the “resolution to racism will not be a ‘white win.’”
“It will not be an achievement of white problem-solving either,” UKAP added. “Resolving racism will be a win reflecting leadership from people that are black and minority ethnicities, and white people respecting the experiential expertise. Both parts of this resolution benefit us all collectively.”
In outlining its plan, UKAP said it is setting up two working groups to execute its planned response. One is the “Experience Share” group, which will be comprised exclusively of “black and minority ethnicity adult industry professionals.” One of the main functions of the Experience Share group, which will be compensated for its time, will be to identify problems for the other group, the “Study and Response” group, to learn from.
The Study and Response group will be open to UKAP of any background and will not be compensated. UKAP said the purpose of the Study and Response group is to “at identified problems with a listening and problem-solving mindset.”
“All proposals will undergo critique and approval or rejection from the ‘Experience Share group’,” UKAP added in its statement. “There is no barrier for a member of the Experience Share group volunteering to be in the Study and Response group.”
UKAP also listed a set of nine “themes” the groups intend to cover:
- Roles in porn’s impact on the public: Exploring history, stereotypes, & more
- Roles in porn’s impact on the performer: Exploring relationships to communities and self
- Performer hiring discrimination & exploring differences in rates
- Content creation and creating your own image
- Lighting on set and photoshopping, including in scenes with performers with varied skin tones
- Awards using different structures an identifying diversity barriers
- “Comparative value” performers having contrasting treatment in other work and retirement
- Where studios avoid improvements, and investigating black and minority ethnicity ownership
- Any other comments
UKAP is now seeking members to join each group. In its statement, UKAP offered a series of questions that seem designed to help people determine whether they’re best suited for the Study and Response or Experience Share groups – or perhaps both.
“Do you have experiences you could share? Are you open to look for the barriers for performers that are black or minority ethnicity, barriers you had previously overlooked? Can you join either the Experience Share group or the Study and Response group, or both? Could you or your organization donate to compensate for the time and expertise of the Experience Share group?”
Those interested in joining the UKAP’s effort are encouraged to contact admin@ukap.info for more information.
UKAP describes itself as “a group of studios, performers and content creators working together as a voluntary, non-profit organization for the past 17 years, to bring together the UK’s Adult Industry and provide quality support and advice with the aim to improve the sector.” For more information on the organization, visit UKAP.info.
