LOS ANGELES — Porn star Tasha Reign, whose PayPal accounts were closed after she received correspondence from the online payment service that she had violated its acceptable use policy, has penned an online opinion piece for Al Jazeera on discriminatory practices employed by financial institutions.
Reign told XBIZ on Friday that she wrote the 1,500-word piece titled "Porn Stars vs. PayPal" to expose the "terrible business practices" that have impacted her livelihood, as well as others in the adult entertainment industry.
"I hope the article not only creates a pertinent discussion regarding sex workers and discrimination but also evokes PayPal to respond to the public regarding this issue," Reign told XBIZ.
"I want a clear explanation from them, thoroughly explaining their refusal of adult actresses transactions and their position as morality police. It seems like people outside of adult are extremely curious as well, which is a great start."
The porn star, who has worked in the biz for four years all while attending UCLA as a women's studies major, said in the Al Jazeera piece that the antics of PayPal, as well as J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., are clear: "[They] are hiding behind protective 'morality clauses' in order to reject my business."
"It’s as though my money is stained by something worse than blood: the bodily fluids of the sex industry," Reign said in the opinion piece. "The slut-shaming by PayPal, Chase and other financial institutions directly affects anyone who may not fit into a narrow, corporate idea of what constitutes an acceptable business."
Reign's acclaimed performances were recognized with a 2014 Female Performer of the Year nomination at the XBIZ Awards. Reign, also founder of Reign Productions, was featured in Playboy 2010’s “Girls of the Pac-10” and named May 2011 Penthouse Pet of the Month.
Reign's Al Jazeera piece, published today, is available here.
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