Where my [censored] at?!
I'm staring at My screen with at a loss as to what to write. It's not really writer's block as much as the topic at hand has been covered so many times, so many ways, I feel like I might be beating a dead horse with this post. However, with all the other horrible things in the news, there may be some of you unaware of what's going on in the internet red-light district. FOSTA/SESTA.
"But Holly," you say, "that's to stop sex traffickers. Sex trafficking is bad."
Yes, anonymous faceless internet dweller, it is, and I'm by no means saying otherwise. However, the way the bills are constructed is affecting consensual sex workers in a very negative way. Our ways of advertising, communicating with each other, and screening have drastically decreased. It's much more difficult for Us to make a living and stay safe, especially for less experienced or new individuals. Teen Vogue covered the topic in a well written and explained article.
To save Ourselves, many of My peers are now changing Our entire internet presence and way of life. Below is pictured an accurate account of what many of Us are doing right now.
Soon, you may find yourself unable to contact your favorite special ladies because We've changed Our email addresses, website hosts, domain names, servers, numbers, and social media accounts. We've become proactive during this time to set up our own internet hosting and social media network. Some say this is overreacting, panicking over something that isn't law yet, wait it out as there's no way these bills will stick. However, the fact of the matter is that websites have already begun to take down various categories and pages as a preventative measure. Even if it's not law, these bills are already affecting us.
If there's been someone you've been wanting to see, make sure you contact them now! It's lovely to have the support during these stressful times, you can get the screening out of the way, and you never know when the internet Gods will strike. After the fact will be too late. To facilitate safe communication, many of Us are switching over to Protonmail. This is only effective if ALL parties have it! So sign up for Protonmail--it's free.
For Me, I'm not sure which way the wind will blow. I have various measures in place with backup email accounts, Twitter accounts, Switter accounts, and am looking into options for website hosting. I'm hoping that I can get all My proverbial ducks in a row before My various means of communication go dark, for I'd hate to lose My clients or beloved website!
If you would like to help our cause, please go sign the petition here.