SAN FRANCISCO — Kink.com has publicly released it shooting protocols in an effort to encourage producers to adopt policies that champion consent on their own sets.
Kink.com reps report that the documents are the first step in building a larger online resource geared at improving consent practices on adult productions.
"Kink has over twenty years’ experience in producing safe, consensual, hardcore material," said Alison Boden, CEO of Kink.com. "We are not perfect. But from our mistakes, we’ve learned to build systems that better protect performer consent. We want the knowledge that we’ve accumulated to be accessible to the broader industry, so that producers understand how consent can function, and so that performers on every set can feel safer and more in control. We don’t believe that safer sets should be marketplace advantage."
The Kink Consent Resource page includes links to a variety of checklists, similar to those used by producers that work with Kink.com. A basic checklist, which is suitable for vanilla scenes as well, is available as a PDF download or in an editable format. Addendum for BDSM, fetish and male-male scenes are also available.
Also included are Kink.com's shooting protocols, and links to performer resources, such as Pineapple Support's mental-health services and Free Speech Coalition's INSPIRE program for new performers.
Boden further explained that the consent-based protocols should be viewed not only as a moral obligation to ensure performers' health and wellbeing but also as "good business."
"Our team has begun talking with producers and performers about how these can be implemented successfully. We have built the largest BDSM and fetish company in the world using these principles, and they’ve made us a stronger, more successful company."
Notably, a number of performers have joined the conversation, throwing their support behind Kink's #consentlist campaign.
"I’ve always felt respected on a Kink.com set, in part because of consent checklists," performer Casey Calvert tweeted. "They’ve now made those lists public, along with an awesome collection of consent resources that everyone should check out."
Kink’s Consent Resources can be found at Kink.com/consent. Producers and performers who would like to learn more about how to use them should contact consent@kink.com.
For more information, follow Kink.com on Twitter.