Ainslee Divine (not her real name) is a 46-year-old webcam model who lives and works in Scottsdale, Arizona.

She worked for 15 years as a property management company owner and says her new life means more freedom.This is her story, as told to freelance writer Jenny Powers.

It all started when I was 42 years old. I’d owned a property management company for 15 years, so I wasn’t looking for a career change — just a little fun.

I’d lost a ton of weight and I was feeling pretty good and wanted to show it off, so I started an Instagram account. My husband has always been supportive, and he basically said, “Go ahead, show the rest of the world how beautiful you are,” so I began posting sexy pictures. Early on, I posted a pic wearing a Malibu Strings bikini and the brand reposted it on their feed.

The next thing I knew, I went from zero to 20,000 followers in 45 days.

I wound up meeting a guy through Instagram and we got to talking, and he suggested I started webcamming. He said if I wanted to make a name for myself and make money, that was the way to go. I was completely unaware of what webcamming entailed, but he gave me the short and condensed Reader’s Digest version — a rundown of what I’d need to get started (laptop, lighting, strong internet connection, camera, toys, etc.)  He encouraged me to look at the three main webcam platforms and watch other models which was invaluable.

We also talked about what I’d be willing to do online. The fact is being a webcam model doesn’t always equate to getting naked. We also talked about personality and being friendly and not giving trolls any of my time. All of it piqued my interest — and my husband was open to my exploring this new avenue.

On October 4, 2016, I went live for the first time. The combination of excitement and nervousness on my face must have been priceless, but I was so well-received I found myself instantly drawn to it. Due to my age, I suddenly was considered a MILF, a term that — as the mother of a 23-year-old — I was familiar with, but had not embraced.

Now this is my full-time job. I’m at the top end of my industry and making more money than I ever imagined. 

I cam Friday through Monday beginning at 8:30 a.m., and I don’t stop until I hit my minimum daily goal which ranges from $1,000 to $1,800. About eight months ago, I decided to step up my game and began spending Tuesday through Thursday creating subscriber-only content to post on OnlyFans. I bring in five figures a month on each platform and get paid via direct deposit weekly. During my best month to date, I earned dollars shy of $80,000.

My set-up is pretty simple 

We live in Scottsdale, Arizona and our guest room doubles as my studio. There’s a bed, and as far as equipment goes, I’ve got a laptop, a
4K
webcam for the best picture quality, a big screen I hook it all up to, two big-box lights to light me, and a rack of clothing and a box of toys I use on camera.

Really, I can work from anywhere as long as there’s an internet connection. Sometimes if we’re on vacation and I feel like making some money, I’ll cam or post online for a bit. I’ve cammed and interacted with fans while vacationing in Hawaii, Mexico, Florida, California, Oregon — even Bora Bora. We’re going to buy a boat soon and I’ll be able to cam from there too.

This is a 365/24-7 job, but during the day I take lots of breaks.

Finding balance is important. I’ll lay by our pool, play with our French bulldog, play golf (I’m a 9 handicap), do laundry, and pick up groceries.

I get over 3,000 direct messages a day on Instagram and selectively answer between 50-100 daily. Since I appeal to people worldwide, 30% of the messages I receive are in a language I don’t know. The messages are overwhelmingly complimentary. I’m very proud that all my followers are organic. I’ve never paid anyone to advertise or buy followers. I run my own accounts and don’t use third-party apps, either.

My look, personality, and age niche all make up me and my brand, and most people respond very well to it. You’ve got to have a thick skin in this business, though, because you can’t make everyone happy. Every day a few people will tell me I’m too old or to get a real job. I just tune them out and the platform allows me to block any abusive people from my room.

Read the original story here: https://www.businessinsider.com/webcam-model-working-from-home-2020-8

Last month the website OnlyFans announced that it would ban sexually explicit content from its platform, only to reverse the ban six days later, to the shock of creators and users alike.

The subscriber-only social media site, known for its popularity with sex workers and adult entertainment creators, announced the ban on Aug. 19. OnlyFans CEO Tim Stokely cited a growing lack of cooperation with the site’s business model from banks and payment processors as the reason for policy change, according to CNN.

By Aug. 25, after a wave of press mania and online backlash, the company had reversed the ban in a tweet. “We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community,” the announcement read.

“I was like, no, that’s not real,” said ASU student Adonis Williams of her reaction to the initial announcement.

Williams, a senior studying exploratory humanities, fine arts and design, started creating sexually explicit content on OnlyFans about two months ago, but the job has already become her main source of income. She feels the news has not been taken seriously by the general public.

“This isn’t funny,” Williams said. “This is people losing money and getting out of a job. It’s definitely not taken seriously at all” by the public.

Ginger Banks, a former ASU student and adult film star turned OnlyFans creator, was skeptical of the announcement at first. As a prominent sex worker advocate, she spent the last year monitoring rumors that the company would try to distance itself from sex workers.

Banks was used to dismissing the unverified gossip, but when she saw sex workers talking about the ban on social media, she knew it was legitimate.

“My sister does OnlyFans too. She called me crying, freaking out. She was really scared,” Banks said. “Multiple people called me crying because this is where they get their income.”

Banks called OnlyFans “the most beneficial thing to happen to sex work in decades.” She said the site has granted sex workers greater control over their work and more financial freedom.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the popularity of the site exploded under quarantine guidelines and limited public gatherings.

“I know a lot of in-person sex workers who, during the pandemic, OnlyFans literally saved them in so many ways,” Banks said.

Williams said she feels in control of her work on OnlyFans and that it has been compatible with her lifestyle as a college student. Still, the recent flurry of news has made her worried about her job security.

“My mindset right now is I’m not going to get my hopes up about either decision that’s being made, because no matter what things can change,” Williams said. “I think they can easily do that again.”

The anti-porn lobby

Job insecurity is a familiar struggle for sex workers, but the expanding world of online adult entertainment has created new conflicts between entertainers, interest groups and government.

In December 2020, Visa and Mastercard suspended use of their payment processing services from the popular adult entertainment site PornHub after confirmation that illegal content containing minors was being hosted on the platform following a New York Times story. In response, PornHub removed all unverified content from its site.

Many sex workers argue recent pressure from banks and payment processors is part of a larger anti-porn agenda. Banks said the movement to combat sex trafficking on the internet has been co-opted by an influential fringe of anti-sex work religious extremist groups.

“I kind of saw this happening,” Banks said. “It seemed like the religious extremist groups, after they were moving on from PornHub, it was very obvious they were starting to focus on OnlyFans.”

According to Banks, the religious extremist groups in question are Exodus Cry and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), formerly known as “Morality in Media.” Both trace their origins to religious anti-porn advocacy and have current ties to right-wing Christian groups. NCOSE in particular explicitly touts the goal of ending the internet pornography industry.

These groups have come under media criticism for pushing banks and payment processors to abandon critical platforms for sex workers. In the weeks before OnlyFans announced its short-lived ban on sexually explicit content, NCOSE encouraged a Department of Justice probe into the company.

“They’re manipulating all these people in financial institutions into thinking this is how we’re going to stop sex trafficking,” Banks said. “It is just a lie.”

She said targeting prominent adult content platforms, like OnlyFans, is an illogical method of addressing online sex trafficking. Instead, she said they need to work with major sites which already have the capacity and resources to moderate illegal content.

Based on her own experience, Williams said she believes that OnlyFans “makes sure that safety is their main priority.”

“If someone tries to screenshot or screen record something and post it outside OnlyFans, they’re actually very quick with finding it and making sure it gets taken down immediately,” Williams said.

A BBC investigation widely shared by groups like Exodus Cry determined that OnlyFans moderation policies have “some tolerance” when it comes to banning accounts guilty of posting illegal material. The investigation found documents that outlined a three strikes policy for accounts that uploaded illegal content.

Still, Banks argues that banning payment processing is an ineffective way to combat sex trafficking given the sheer scope of the internet. Undermining mainstream platforms like OnlyFans could empower sex traffickers by normalizing low-profile adult content sites with less moderation and transparency.

“What they’re doing is going to hurt people,” she said. “It is going to push this stuff on to websites that are worse at regulating it.”

She also continues to question the real motivations of anti-porn organizations pushing for banks to abandon sex work platforms. She said personal experience has shown her that groups like Exodus Cry and NCOSE are more interested in abolishing all sex work than protecting trafficking victims.

“I hope people wake up to the discrimination that sex workers are facing,” Banks said.

“Banks shouldn’t do this to sex workers. But we’re in that grey area. We’re in a really grey area in a lot of ways.”

Clarification: This story was updated at 5:25 p.m. to clarify what Adonis Williams is currently studying. The title has also been updated to clarify who provided reactions.

Read original article: https://www.statepress.com/article/2021/09/asu-sex-workers-react-onlyfans-ban