March 3 is International Sex Worker Rights Day and is a vital reminder of the ongoing fight for dignity, safety, and autonomy in the adult industry. In this special Model Spotlight, Codi Vore shares her personal journey, the realities faced by sex workers, and why decriminalization and community support matter. She discusses the misconceptions that fuel stigma, her work with the SWAID Collective, and the urgent need for sex workers to define their own solutions. Join us as Codi offers honest insights and calls for real change.
When did you join the adult industry and what inspired you to get started?
In college, I was a very dedicated student with high achieving goals. As I focused on what I thought was my dream job, I realized that I was driving myself into the ground, that I was very unhappy, and I started reevaluating what I really wanted from life. I traded in the goal of a prestigious job title for three new goals: a wide variety of rich experiences, free time to spend with my loved ones, and a chance to do something meaningful for others.
10 years ago, I got into web camming, and since then I have shot movies, traveled, learned from some truly kind and intelligent people, and even helped start a non-profit. The adult industry is where I realized I could really flourish as a creative person and continue to accomplish my three goals for a happy and sustainable life.
What does International Sex Worker Rights Day mean to you?
Sex workers are disproportionately poor, disabled, queer, and victims of sexual assault, and abuse. The ugly truth about sex work is that the “cure” proposed by outsiders is often what creates our problems in the first place. Arrest, deportation, shame, and abuse are often what we receive from so-called “saviors.”
International Sex Worker’s Rights Day is about allowing sex workers to define our own problems and our own solutions. Our lives should not be governed by people who don’t respect us as people, and who see us as too stupid to know what’s good for ourselves. We need community resources, decriminalization, and accessible ways to exist and work legally and safely.
Building on that, what are some of the biggest misconceptions about sex work that you wish people understood?
I think people see sex work as dangerous because it involves sex, but what actually makes it dangerous is that it’s stigmatized and criminalized. The less stigma and criminalization there is in a country or sector of the industry, the less exploitation that occurs. In short, this is because sex workers who have respect and freedom are able to report abuse, find community, work independently, or exit the industry if they wish.
You have been vocal on social media about discriminatory legislation facing the adult industry. How important is it to speak up and use your platform to advocate for sex worker rights?
There are almost no voices in media or the government that talk about the rights of sex workers (another effect of stigma). When these topics are discussed, they are often done salaciously and with no regard for our safety or dignity. For many people, a popular porn performer is probably the only voice they will get to hear on these topics, even though they affect everyone’s freedom of speech and privacy.
What are your thoughts on age verifications laws? Do you think they are helpful or harmful?
Age verification laws are anti-pornography laws in disguise… at best. Here is why:
- They don’t work: As we have seen in the UK, it is impossible to police every site which hosts adult content, and access to these sites is still just as available to minors.
- They promote non-consensual content: Because they are only able to enforce the laws with larger websites who have strict requirements for Model age verification and Release Forms, the content that *is* left to be found easily is much more likely to contain non-consensual and unmoderated adult content.
- They won’t stop at porn: These laws have been explicitly proposed in some cases to include non-explicit, educational gay or trans content as age-restricted pornography. These laws create the groundwork to censor other kinds of speech online, which will affect all of us.
Ultimately, the laws fail to protect children and ignore other, more effective ways of doing so, because protecting children was never the point. The point is to censor pornography, collect your personal data, and open the door for more violations of our free speech.
How would decriminalizing sex work protect people from exploitation?
Decriminalization is the first step of ending violence against sex workers. Legislative efforts are almost worthless without it. By allowing both sex workers and their customers to operate without fear of a criminal record, you give them the ability to report abuse, vet clients, form communities, create unions, and advocate for reforms. You also prevent them from being in a cycle of criminalization and poverty, where a sex worker must rely on abusive people or take risky jobs because their criminal record robs them of other options. Criminalization encourages banks, employers, and landlords to discriminate, making sex workers extremely vulnerable to exploitation. I could go on and on about this honestly. It’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Codi Vore at the 2026 XMA Awards
You co-founded SWAID Collective and have participated in events like the Corn Telethon. What would you like to share about SWAID Collective that folks may not know?
My friends and I built SWAID Collective as a mutual aid fund that gives emergency microgrants to sex workers in need. We understand that sex workers know exactly what they need to help them the most, whether it’s a bus ticket to escape an abuser, formula to feed a baby, or money to see a doctor, and that’s exactly what our fund is for. We also provide harm reduction supplies and contraceptives, like condoms, Plan B, Narcan, and drug testing kits.
In general, we just try to help in whatever ways a person needs, if it’s in our capabilities. Our funds come almost entirely from within the industry, we cover the cost of running the organization out of our own pockets, and we give every single dime back to the people in our community who need it most.
Incredible initiative! What are some outcomes you’ve experienced through your advocacy work?
We will never make a spectacle of other people’s stories, but I know that the help SWAID has provided has saved lives. It has made other sex workers feel relief at a time when they had absolutely nobody. Personally, it’s brought me closer to some of the coolest, smartest, most compassionate people I have ever met.
Are there any creators in the industry whose work you admire and would like to highlight?
I have to highlight my best friend and co-founder of SWAID, Summer Hart, who introduced me to so much of what I know about both organizing and sex work. She has tirelessly worked behind the scenes on legislation, fundraising, community organizing, and so much more throughout her whole career, and she never asks for recognition. She’s also an incredibly creative performer and producer, shooting for mainstream companies, producing elaborate fetish films and running her own VR site. She has a film currently playing in the HUMP film festival! THE HUMP FILM FESTIVAL!
What do you enjoy doing outside of work? Any hobbies or interests you’d like to share?
I’ve been playing a lot of Minecraft with my wife lately. It’s a really great way for us to unplug from work and social media and spend quality time together. Besides that, I’ve been working on my skills as a filmmaker and photographer and making beaded jewelry.
Congratulations on your marriage! Is there anything you wish more people knew about you, beyond your on-screen persona?
How you see me online is pretty much the real me, but I want more people to know that they can send me their old collections of studio porno tapes. I have a big VHS collection and I love watching vintage pornography.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Any particular goals you hope to accomplish?
In 5 years, I hope to adapt with the industry as it shifts and keep making movies with my friends. I would love to be running my own production crew out of Las Vegas and shoot my first feature! Mostly though, I want to stay true to those three goals I set for myself in college: have a variety of rich experiences, spend time with my loved ones, and do something meaningful for others.
Sex work is work and sex worker rights are human rights! We encourage you to speak up and get involved with community initiatives to combat stigma. If you are interested in becoming a content creator, you can start by joining the Model Program here.
Comments