18 LGBT Adult Film Stars Who Are Also Huge Activists

It should be no surprise that many of the queer porn stars who help individuals explore their sexuality in private would also involve themselves in causes to expand acceptance and tolerance of their identities and beliefs in broader society. Sexually liberated (though not necessarily liberal), the following LGBT adult actors devote themselves not just to viewers’ enjoyment but to causes held dear.

A star whose porn career climaxed in the 1980s remains a prominent queer icon for her pro-sex feminism and influence in art porn, which helped her discover her own queer identity, she told Bust. She now lives in San Francisco with visual artist Beth Stephens, and the two have increasingly become active in environmental causes. The couple run the website SexEcology.com, promoting ecosexuality, an approach where people view the earth as a part of their sex lives.

The bisexual porn legend proudly wears the badge of feminist, pressing for such causes as universal health care and equal pay. The Berkeley, Calif., native, whose father was blacklisted in the red scare in the late 1950s, is also an advocate for free speech and a critic of racism.

Genderqueer porn star Jiz Lee also boasts a career as a sought-after lecturer and reputation for activism on behalf of sex workers and feminist causes. Lee remains a vocal advocate for gender equity and realistic body portrayal within the industry as well.

The poz porn star, who believes he contracted HIV on a gay porn shoot, became an outspoken advocate for laws requiring the use of condoms in pornography. Real name Derrick Burts, he appears as Chambers in gay porn and Reid in straight porn.

The gay porn star also advocates for sex workers' rights and has become a voice on the intersectionality of spirituality, pornography, science, and art. This month, he launched the online web series Against Everyone With Conner Habib to offer commentary on array of issues. He calls the series part of a “lifelong project to make the world a better place.”

The multiracial trans porn star made Velvet Park Media’s list of 25 Most Significant Queer Women in 2010 in part for her activism. She currently serves as the external coordinator for the Gender Justice League.

The queer actress and screenwriter spoke out against a proposed California law mandating condom use in film. She married trans man and director Tomcat in 2010 and holds a reputation as an intellectual voice within porn.

The trans actor has become a major figure in raising transgender visibility. He is board member for the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, which promotes human rights pertaining to sexuality, gender identity, and family diversity. The documentary Mr. Angel tells the story of the actor’s work on and off the screen.

The BDSM star also lobbies for sex workers' rights and sexual freedom, and he’s spoken out in favor of gay rights as well.

The longtime partner of Dirk Caber, this porn star has spoken out about being a survivor of ex-gay therapy, something he told the Star Observer took away three years of his life as a gay man.

A queer porn star and San Francisco-area activist, the educator has worked to destigmatize sex work and promote acceptance of polyamorous relationships. She has written about the porn industry and social tolerance for Cosmopolitan, MEL Magazine, and other publications.    

The bisexual actress may be most famous for being outed as a porn star while still an undergraduate at Duke University. She shortly afterward became active in Libertarian politics on campus. She told the New York Daily News in an interview where she listed Ayn Rand, Ron Paul, and Nina Hartley as role models that she may even pursue a political career. 

The Republican porn star has openly mused about her bisexuality. She’s also run for office multiple times in California, most notably in the gubernatorial recall election in 2003, where she finished in  10^th place. Last year, Carey launched a political segment on her Vivid Entertainment radio talk show, The Sexy Side of Politics on SiriusXM, and backed Marco Rubio for president. She even jokingly suggested herself as a candidate for vice president.

The bisexual adult film star and feminist has critiqued President Trump and called out racism within the industry.

In addition to loving lesbian scenes with first-timers, this punk porn star embraces a left-wing worldview, endorsing Bernie Sanders’s Democratic Socialist platform last year.

The gay porn star and self-described communist has toured the nation espousing a leftist political message and sharing May Day art produced by his partner, Karl Marxxx. But he also shocked the porn world when he endorsed Donald Trump, not because he supported any of the Republican’s policies but because he wanted to see the introduction of a destabilizing force in Washington. “At least Trump is inspiring people to resist a really corrupt economic system that is fucking us all over,” he told MEL Magazine.

The founder of Indie Porn Revolution, the queer actress and filmmaker wants to make porn with a sex-positive feminist message that also promotes social justice, she told The Manitoban. She says the porn media can help combat queer stigmatization.

The straight, poz porn star best known as “Buttman” preaches a libertarian worldview in his everyday life. He endorsed Rand Paul for president last year and has supported the Cato Institute, a conservative think tank, for years.