Sean Ford Urges Voting In Down-Ballot Races, Abolishing The Police, And More In V Magazine’s “Thought Leaders”
V magazine’s fall/winter issue, “The Thought Leaders,” is devoted entirely to the United States election, and it features brief essays from movie stars, musicians, artists, activists, and one multi–award winning gay porn performer: Sean Ford.
[Inez & Vinoodh, via V Magazine]
Each celebrity in V’s “The Thought Leaders” has different areas of focus (Julianne Moore writes about gun violence; Janelle Monáe writes about systemic racism; Taylor Swift endorses Joe Biden), all of which are tied to the importance of voting. Ford’s statement covers the marginalization of sex work, why voting on down-ballot races and initiatives is key, and how to help others directly even if you can’t attend a protest. An excerpt from Ford’s piece:
To a degree, adult performance is sex work, which is a marginalized profession. It’s not the same as people who engage in sex work in more risky scenarios. But adult performers do experience the levers of power being used against them and discrimination in their industry, especially if they’re not white. A lot of them are showing solidarity with marginalized communities and workers of all stripes.
I made a lot of friends at the protests in New York this year. But there are other ways of engaging in direct action if you can’t find a protest to go to. Connect with your community; disrupt the machines of oppression; check on your friends and family. Redistribute wealth to mutual aid funds and groups working for radical change in your own community. I find that people tend to be very strong and I think people will keep fighting, no matter how rough things get. And people will continue to find ways of experiencing joy, which is one of the most revolutionary actions you can take: enjoying life in the face of this onslaught of oppression.
I believe in down-ballot initiatives and getting progressives elected. That’s how I think we can maximize our gains. Everyone should read more Marxist theory and study revolutionary thinkers like Angela Davis. People said that abolishing slavery and segregation were out of the question at the time, but people did it. So we can abolish police. We can abolish prisons if we collectively decide to do that. I would encourage people to think bigger.
Read Sean Ford’s full “The Thought Leaders” piece here, and view all of the statements here.
