Democratic Senator Dick Durbin Joins Press Conference Alongside Anti-Porn Crusading Group NCOSE

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin Joins Press Conference Alongside Anti-Porn Crusading Group NCOSE

WASHINGTON — Democratic U.S. Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin participated in a joint press conference Wednesday organized by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham to marshal support for the controversial Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act (EARN IT), alongside crusading anti-porn group NCOSE (formerly Morality in Media).

Graham announced the event through a post on X.com, promoting it as “a press conference on the need to pass legislation to protect kids online and hold Big Tech accountable.”

The post touted the participation of Durbin, and staff from NCOSE, Protect All Children from Trafficking (PACT) and International Justice Mission (IJM). Graham championed an earlier version of EARN IT when he chaired the Senate’s Judiciary Committee, a position now occupied by Durbin. 

Durbin hailed Wednesday’s press conference as an example of bipartisanship, noting that one year ago, the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, passed five online speech regulation bills with the unanimous support of all Democrats and Republican committee members. Durbin claimed that those bills were designed to make minors “safer online.” According to an IJM statement, speakers at the press conference included NCOSE CEO Dawn Hawkins, a conservative Mormon activist who was key in changing the branding of Morality in Media to downplay its religiously-inspired pro-censorship core mission.

Leading free speech groups, including Free Speech Coalition, Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, have expressed serious concerns about the EARN IT Act, which has been floated by anti-Section 230 lawmakers for several years.

Woodhull President and CEO Ricci Joy Levy called the 2022 version of the EARN IT Act “an attack on internet freedom, an attack on the First Amendment and an attack on human rights.”

A Woodhull rep explained that the EARN IT Act “would make internet platforms legally liable for any illegal sexual content posted to their platforms or service — even if they aggressively block and immediately remove such content.”

The rep added that the proposed law “incentivizes internet platforms to broadly censor legal speech under the pretense of pursuing illegal content.”

Durbin’s appearance alongside NCOSE continues the trend of Democratic lawmakers raising the profile of the organization they largely avoided before 2015, when Hawkins spearheaded the group’s "secularwashing."

Under Hawkins’ leadership, NCOSE has found success sharing projects and podia with supposedly progressive legislators, who align themselves with the group in the name of bipartisanship, although the well-funded anti-porn and anti-sex work organization claims to be nonpartisan.

As XBIZ reported, in March Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez issued a press statement about her deepfake legislation proposal, which prominently highlighted NCOSE and Hawkins’ support.

Ocasio-Cortez’s office refused to answers questions about why the legislator, who has professed support for sex workers’ rights, chose to highlight an organization that seeks to criminalize all sex work and eradicate adult content, and that has an extensive, well-documented history of championing state censorship and opposing LGBTQ+ rights.

Wednesday’s press conference was posted on YouTube by Graham, although his account disabled comments on the video.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

WannaCollab has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect in South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Show More