The theme for this year's International Women's Day is "Choose to Challenge." So to help us raise awareness against bias and bring forth positive change for women in our community, we've chatted with some of our top Models who use their platform to challenge these misconceptions and educate people on their work, what it means to be a woman in this industry, how they balance multiple careers, and why it's important for women to show their support for one another.
To kickstart this special edition of Model Citizens, we've got the one and only Asa Akira. On top of being our Pornhub Ambassador, Asa is an award-winning performer, a best-selling author, and a mother; she's our very own PH Wonder Woman!
For this special edition of Model Citizens, we've also got Valentina Nappi, Sofia Rose, LuxuryGirl, Natassia Dreams, and Abigail Mac.
What sort of misconceptions do you think people still have about female adult performers specifically still to this day?
I think the most common misconception is probably that we are one-dimensional, or that because we have chosen to be sex workers, we can’t choose to be anything else as well. Most porn performers I know are nuanced, complex, multi-faceted people who could be described in so many ways other than just “pornstar.”
Why is it important for women to support one another and what is the best way we can show that support?
One of the best ways for us to support each other (specifically in porn) is probably to lend our platforms to each other when possible. The more our stories and voices are heard and normalized, the more empowered we all are. In general, though, I think we can all support each other by seeing each other less as competition -- like we have been programmed to do -- and more as allies. These days, there is room for all of us to be successful; we don’t always have to act like there’s only one spot at the table we are all fighting for. This is a lot easier said than done because there hasn’t always been more than one spot at the table, and we have all been conditioned from a young age to treat each other accordingly.
This theme this year is Choose to Challenge in order to bring forth positive changes. So what are you choosing to challenge?
A lot of my adult life has been spent challenging what I actually believe versus what I was TAUGHT to believe, whether it be by society, media, my family. etc. So I’d like to continue that; especially in areas of sex, sexuality, and what is “normal.”
What does International Women’s Day mean to you? How has your perception of what being a woman is all about changed over the years?
My perception on womanhood is always evolving and has changed a lot of over the years! I used to not think about it at all, but the older I get, the more injustices I see in how women are treated, ESPECIALLY when it comes to sex. And now that I’m a mom, I’m constantly thinking about how to raise a feminist who loves, respects, and treats women as equals. I’m not sure I have an answer to what I think womanhood is all about, but I do believe that as women, we should live unapologetically and however we wish, regardless of what society wants us to be.
What has been your biggest success and challenge thus far?
The biggest challenge of my life thus far is simply existing as a sex worker in a world that believes women should not own their own sexuality -- which I consider my greatest success, too!
You’ve won multiple awards, wrote two books and became a best-selling author, and you’re our Pornhub Ambassador – what do you accredit your success to?
One aspect I can’t deny is pure luck. I’ve been really lucky to have this career, really lucky to meet the right people at the right times, lucky to have entered this business in a safe way with few obstacles. Porn is an industry where it’s super easy to take advantage of newbies coming in; it’s harder than a lot of other career paths to find legitimate information on how to break in. I’m also really lucky to have found a world that I love so much; I love being surrounded by like-minded, sex-positive people who are always pushing to move our industry forward. When you love a job the way I love mine, it’s easier to show up every day with a smile and work hard.
Tell us something people would be surprised to learn about you.
I’m 36 and I’ve never had a cavity!!!
Now that you’re having your second child, how do you balance between your work and motherhood?
It’s hard, and anyone who says otherwise is, I’m pretty sure, lying. I have a super supportive husband who works from home, an amazing nanny, and a natural love for spreadsheets, schedules, and organization. I’m really lucky to have all of these things, and finding any type of balance would be totally impossible without all of it.
How do you balance both?
I feel like schedule-wise, I have the balance thing down. My day is pretty smoothly and equally divided into work-hours, mom-hours, wife-hours, and me-hours. Emotionally, though, the balance has been harder to achieve; in fact, I’m not sure it’s attainable, and I’m trying to find peace with that. I’m always feeling guilty or afraid that I’m neglecting one area more than another. But I’ve been talking to a lot of other moms, and it seems that no matter the situation -- whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, a working mom, a traveling mom, a single mom, a mom living with a huge family -- everyone feels that way! So I try to remind myself of that.
You wrote an article back in 2014 titled “Just because I do porn doesn’t mean I’m not a feminist” and go on to talk about how people make assumptions that you’re not a feminist because of your work. Have perceptions and assumptions of what a feminist is and what feminism means changed since then? What the big thing you think we as women need to tackle now going forward?
For sure, the perception is changing; I think every day, the world is moving in a direction where a “feminist” doesn’t necessarily look like what we were taught as kids. People are starting to accept that just because one woman is empowered by being some type of person, it doesn’t mean another woman doesn’t feel degraded by it; and feminism means that both types of women can coexist. Personally, to me, feminism means that EVERYONE is entitled to the same rights and respect, regardless of gender. Moving forward, I think we need to continue on this trajectory of spreading the word that womanhood cannot be singularly defined as one thing or another; we are all unique, and everyone deserves to live life on their own terms.
Follow Asa Akira on Twitter and Instagram for photos and video updates
Twitter @asaakira
Instagram @asahole
Comments