Why Supporting SWer Rights Is About All of Us
- Lila Monroe
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Lila Monroe, Industry News
When Joseph sent me Amari Leigh’s LinkedIn post, I stopped mid-scroll. Not because the message was brand new to me, but because of how clear and unflinching it was. Amari’s post wasn’t just words—it was a rallying cry. A reminder that being an ally to sex workers means cutting through stigma, calling out hypocrisy, and recognizing the obvious: SW is work, and it deserves respect.
I think about this a lot as a writer for Only Fans Insider Magazine. Every week, I sit with creators who trust us with their stories. They tell me about starting from nothing, about hiding their accounts from family, about building their fan base one DM at a time. They also tell me about paying off their parents’ medical bills, raising children, mentoring younger models, and finding freedom they never had in “traditional” jobs. Each story chips away at the stigma Amari and Reed Amber are talking about. Each article is one more reason why the conversation can’t just stay on LinkedIn threads—it has to become cultural, political, and systemic.
The Stories We’ve Heard at OFI
When we interviewed Viktoria Winslow, the conversation felt like an anthem. She’s a former ballerina in her 60's who now thrives as a creator and as one of our Advisory Board members. Viktoria doesn’t “fit” the stereotype the mainstream media assigns to sex workers, and that’s the point. She’s proof that visibility and voice don’t have an expiration date.
Erikka Divine’s story stands out too. She spoke about silence—how years of hiding her truth gave way to finally embracing it. Her feature reached over 35,000 readers, but what mattered more was the comment section. Fans and fellow creators rallied behind her, sharing their own experiences of shame and resilience. It was allyship in real time, happening because press gave her a platform.
And then there’s Skylar Mae, who went viral when her father tattooed her stage name on his arm. The media loved the shock factor, but what mattered more was Skylar’s clarity about running her platform like a business. She doesn’t just post; she strategizes, reinvests, and scales. She pays her parents a stipend of $18,000 a month so they’ll never have to work again. That’s not just “influence.” That’s entrepreneurship with heart.
Every one of these features proves Amari right: understanding and support are everything.
When the world sees these creators not as tabloid fodder but as people—workers, parents, entrepreneurs—the stigma cracks just a little more.
Allyship Beyond Buzzwords
Amari laid out seven reasons to support SWer rights, from public safety to workers’ rights to ending violence. Reading them, I found myself nodding because I’ve heard echoes of every one of those reasons in interviews at OFI.
Joseph often reminds me of something from his years running expos and startups: “The industry always wants to jump ahead with tech. But humans don’t move that fast.”
That insight hits home here. Yes, we need better platforms. Yes, we need smarter tools. But what we need most is something older and simpler—respect. Without it, no innovation can fix the vulnerability SWers face.
And allyship isn’t passive. It’s not just posting “SW is work” once a year. It’s choosing to amplify stories. It’s voting for policies that decriminalize. It’s building companies that actually listen to the people they claim to serve. It’s fans remembering that their favorite creators aren’t just screens—they’re human beings building careers in a society that still criminalizes them.
The Bigger Picture
Here’s what strikes me: allyship for SWers isn’t just about this industry. It’s about all work. When workers’ rights are stripped from one group, everyone is at risk. Undermining safety, dignity, and fair treatment for sex workers chips away at the same protections every worker relies on.
That’s why I believe so deeply in press. When Sophie Rain used her birthday to raise money for Feeding America, we covered it not just as a feel-good story but as proof that creators are using influence for action. When creators celebrate anniversaries or holidays by giving back, they’re reminding fans: this isn’t just content, it’s community. That’s the kind of human storytelling AI tools, corporate pitches, and flashy expos can never replicate.
Thoughts To Ponder
Amari and Reed Amber’s post was a reminder, but also a challenge: don’t just say you support SWers—prove it. Prove it by listening. By amplifying. By refusing to let stigma dictate whose stories matter.
I’ll say it plainly:
"Supporting SWer rights is about fairness, safety, and human rights for everyone. It’s about building a world where creators don’t just survive stigma but thrive in spite of it."
And for those of us at OFI, it’s about making sure their voices are heard—loud, clear, and unapologetically human.
Because allyship doesn’t live in hashtags or one-off campaigns. It lives in the stories we tell, the policies we fight for, and the conversations we refuse to walk away from.
- Lila Monroe, Industry News
To learn more about Amari Leigh:
Website: https://linktr.ee/adminbyamari
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sxcoachingbyamari
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