The War on Porn Regular Updates about the Assault on The Adult Industry
Adult content creators support Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump by more than 65 percentage points — more than 7 to 1 — in a new poll of over two hundred sex workers conducted by market research firm SWR Data between October 18-23, 2024.
With more than an estimated 2 million adult content creators in the United States, many with substantial social media followings, adult creators make up a potentially powerful voting bloc.
Among those eligible to vote, 74% said they would vote for Harris, while just 9.1% said they would vote for Trump. More than 7% said they would vote for someone other than the two leading candidates, and about 9% are undecided.
Harris performs strongest amongst strippers (78% Harris) and those working on studio sets (81%), while Trump is most assertive amongst webcam models (11%) and phone sex operators (11%).
Trump supporters in the sex industry are more confident of their vote. All said they were highly certain in their choice of candidate, versus just 80% of Harris voters. They are slightly more likely to vote.
However, Harris creators are more than three times as likely to speak with their fans about politics “very often” (20% Harris, 6% Trump) or “occasionally” (37% Harris, 19% Trump). Half of Trump creators say they never discuss politics with their fans, while just 18% of Harris creators refrain.
“With censorship and bodily autonomy on the ballot, the stakes could not be higher,” says MelRose Michaels, adult performer and co-founder of SWR Data. “We’re seeing a highly political, highly engaged sex worker population embrace its voice and flex its muscle. While there’s certainly still significant concern in the community over Harris’ role in passing FOSTA, there’s much greater concern about the possibility of a second Trump administration and the potential repercussions of Project 2025-like theocracy.”
SWR Data, a market research firm serving the adult industry, was launched by Mike Stabile (Polari Media) and MelRose Michaels (SexWorkCEO) in 2023. SWR conducts both public and private market research for platforms and organizations, using a slate of thousands of working creators and fans to help them better understand and adapt to the needs of the rapidly evolving adult market. SWR Data’s research has been featured in the New York Times, Wired, NPR, Daily Beast, Mashable, and dozens of other national and international publications.
Additional data, including datasets and crosstabs, is available upon request. In some circumstances, SWR may be able to introduce adult creators who are willing to discuss their vote with the media.
To receive future reports, join the SWR Mailing List. To learn more about working with SWR Data to understand the adult creator market better, contact info@SWRData.com.
