Vex Ashley

As a society we have always told stories, made artwork, explored and investigated every facet of our human experience. I think it’s a part of what makes us human. Sex is not and should not be any different.

Porn doesn’t have to do or be or say one thing. It doesn’t have to be about selling point or function. It doesn’t have to be shameful or private or disposable. The expansive potential for porn and sex as a medium for ideas is at the heart of the @fourchambered project.

Existing on Patreon gave us the opportunity to make space and have our work sit right alongside all other types of creators. It proved that you can respect and support your porn the same way you do your podcasts and build a community. Do things differently and have it work.

We made space. Sex workers and creators dealing with sexuality were vital in helping to build the site to where it is today. But we knew we weren’t safe, there is no safety and stability for this community, online or elsewhere.

Just to be clear what is at stake, this is my whole income, my livelihood. I have been full time working on Four Chambers exclusively for around 3 years now. I have devoted my whole self to the project and I am going to have to try to start again from scratch.

I’m lucky, the success of the project has certainly been down in part to my privileges and I will be ok. This absolutely isn’t the case for everyone in sex work who is at risk of loosing their livelihoods in any number of ways in these times. This is what is most terrifying.

This is bigger than us & Patreon. It’s a world wide crack down on freedom of expression, on women, on marginalised people, on sex and sex work, on non conventional forms of labour that counter the status quo: the domination of corporations and patriarchy. On dissent.

Thank you thank you thank you to our supporters who believed in the project against the odds. It’s more than I ever could have imagined and I’m so so proud. I want to see it continue.

Not an obituary. Not a goodbye. We’ll keep going. I just need some time to recoup and work out what our next move is. (in the mean time here are some orgs who could probably use your @fourchambered money @BasisSexWork @SexWorkHive @ProstitutesColl @redlightlegal @comebystjames)