Sexual consent, and its various definitions, has become an increasingly complicated and controversial topic. As seen in the cases against Bill Cosby, rape coupled with the celebrity-world, adds another layer of public intrigue and questioning.

But how is the already sensitive issue of rape being approached by the media? Specifically, how is the adult film and sex worker industry handling this issue?

The porn industry nets more than $13 billion in profits every year. To put that amount into perspective, Hollywood makes only $8 billion per year. Porn websites’ traffic also outweighs those of Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined.

However, the power dynamics of porn are decidedly male-based, as nearly the entire industry relies on the manipulation of very young girls.

According to studies released by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, only three out of 100 rapists ever receive punishment. The prevalent porn star James Deen is one of the 97% of alleged rapists who remain unpunished. Known for a “boy-next-door” persona and considered to be “feminist friendly,” Deen was accused of sexual misconduct by 10 women.

Tori Lux, Ashley Fires, Amber Rayne, Kora Peters, Nicki Blue, Lily LaBeau, Farrah Abraham, Miss Genocide and Bree Olsen have all accused Deen of various forms of sexual and physical assault. These accusations followed after Stoya, Deen’s ex-girlfriend and fellow adult film actor, revealed her rape by her coworker.

Now, the question comes up: can porn stars be raped? For many, this is an obvious “yes.” Unfortunately, societal standards and the already nefarious state of sexual assault prosecution in the U.S. allow many to turn a blind eye.

Belle Knox first came to infamy after being outed as a porn star at Duke University. She has said there is a problem with “sexual entitlement and double standards [how could a girl who plays out a rape fantasy ever be given the privilege of consent?].”

Another similar case concerns Christine Mackinday who was violently assaulted and raped by her ex-boyfriend, MMA fighter War Machine. He and his attorney are using the defense that the rape charges should be thrown out due to Mackinday’s job as an adult film star.

Stoya had similar experiences of rape deniers after her assault came to light. Lux, another of Deen’s alleged victims also stated, “people — including the police — tend to believe that sex workers have placed themselves in harm’s way, and therefore can’t be assaulted.”

It seems that this is not the case for most amateur and even experienced adult film actresses. Many report physically and sexually harsh circumstances and scenes that were not previously agreed upon during their first films.

The fault of a prevalent rape culture not only lands with the industry, but also with the social norms which rationalize any sort of sexual assault, regardless of gender, as the victim’s fault.

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