APAG's Alana Evans Pens Op-Ed Calling SBA Loan Application 'Discriminatory'

APAG's Alana Evans Pens Op-Ed Calling SBA Loan Application 'Discriminatory'

LOS ANGELES — Alana Evans, president of the Adult Performers Actors Guild (APAG) penned an op-ed for mainstream news site The Daily Beast about “how discriminatory it is that the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus excludes sex workers.”

The Daily Beast gave Evans’ op-ed — published earlier today — the title, “Porn Union Leader to Trump: Why Are You Screwing Us Out of Our Coronavirus Stimulus Check?”

"We live and work in a marginalized community," Evans told XBIZ. "While performers are aware of the problems we incur daily, the outside world is often unaware of the discrimination we face. At times, the mainstream media is pertinent to reaching a resolution to our conflicts, uniting the masses in support of our causes."

Evans began her op-ed by explaining to the Daily Beast’s readership that “the adult industry has long been considered one of the highest-grossing businesses, rumored to bring in billions in profits each year. As the novel coronavirus unleashes its deadly fury on the world economy, it should be no surprise that the adult world is taking a massive hit as well. Companies across the globe are closing their doors to customers due to shelter-in-place orders, and the porn industry has had to shut down filming for all, calling a moratorium on production until the crisis has subsided.”

Evans then went on to explain that the sex worker and sex business communities were looking forward to some federal relief in the form of Small Business Administration (SBA) loans.

“As the leaders of our country began to finalize details for aid to workers and small businesses,” Evans wrote, “the applications for relief were finally made available. As a sole proprietor, we would normally qualify for disaster relief from the SBA (Small Business Administration) in the form of a $10,000 loan advance. The COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan would provide economic relief to businesses/sole proprietors that are currently experiencing temporary loss of revenue within three days of approval, and the loan advance would not have to be repaid.”

But then, as XBIZ has been reporting this week (here and here), the adult community discovered that the language of the SBA application asks potential applicants for economic relief to first check if they do not belong to one of several disqualifying categories.

The longest exclusion — which appears to be deliberately worded to target the largest segment of sex workers and sex-related businesses possible — states that the applicant must declare that they do not “present live performances of a prurient sexual nature or derive directly or indirectly more than de minimis gross revenue through the sale of products or services, or the presentation of any depictions or displays, of a prurient sexual nature.”

#PrurientAndProud

“From my understanding,” Evans wrote in her Daily Beast op-ed, “COVID-19 isn’t choosing its victims based on their social or economic background, but our government has decided that millions of tax-paying citizens are unworthy of their federal aid because we have 'prurient' jobs. Even if you meet the entire list of requirements for the disaster relief loan, the fact that your income is derived from the adult industry makes you unworthy of their aid.”

“As this news makes its way through the industry,” Evans continued, “we are seeing many recognize the discrimination that is occurring. Taxation without representation has been a constant theme along with the hashtag #PrurientAndProud, as members of the community offer their support. As a marginalized workforce, we deal with discrimination on a daily basis. We are often told being an adult worker is not a protected class, as if it is acceptable to shun us over our legal tax-paying jobs.”

“When the U.S. government echoes the same sentiment with this type of blatant discrimination, it is time we push back and demand change. At this time, we are looking to our politicians, our union leaders, our labor supporters, and our workers to organize and fight back,” Evans concluded.

To read Alana Evans’ op-ed for the Daily Beast, click here.

Copyright © 2024 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

Fleshy to Launch Interactive Cam Site 'Eremote'

Male pleasure brand Fleshy has announced that it will launch an interactive, bidirectional cam site next month called Eremote.

Rae Lil Black, Rikako Katayama Star in Latest From Vored

Rae Lil Black and Rikako Katayama star in the latest release from Hentaied.pro studio brand Vored, titled "Sinful Taste."

XBIZ LA Show Introduces New 'Crib Crawl' Feature

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the 2025 edition of its flagship conference, the XBIZ Show, will debut a brand-new feature: Crib Crawl, offering attendees the chance to meet and greet representatives from leading brands and organizations in dedicated suites at the host venue.

Sage Hunter Makes Her Hookup Hotshot Debut

Sage Hunter has made her Hookup Hotshot (HUHS) debut alongside studio honcho Bryan Gozzling.

Gal Ritchie: From British Dominatrix to Rising L.A. Starlet

Gal Ritchie left her home in the U.K. and arrived in Los Angeles on Aug. 12, 2023. She remembers the exact date because it was such a key moment in her life.

Pre-Nominations Now Open for 2025 TEAs

The pre-nomination period for the 2025 Trans Erotica Awards (TEAs) is now open.

May Hashira Is Twistys' November 'Treat of the Month'

May Hashira is Twistys’ Treat of the Month for November and will be highlighted online throughout the month.

Lilly Bell, Eve Sweet Star in Latest From Slayed

Lilly Bell and Eve Sweet star in the latest release from Vixen Media Group (VMG) studio imprint Slayed.

Byborg Invests $22.35M in PLBY Group

Luxembourg-based Byborg Enterprises SA is investing $22.35 million in Playboy parent company PLBY Group.

Ariel Demure, Maya Woulfe Star in 'Library Scavenger Hunt' From Transfixed

Ariel Demure stars with Maya Woulfe in the latest release from Transfixed, titled “Library Scavenger Hunt.”

Show More