BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Times today published a profile of Hustler’s Liz Flynt, highlighting the ongoing successes of the adult empire built by her late husband Larry Flynt.

Penned by Times staff writer Hugo Martín, the article emphasized Liz Flynt’s embrace of the moniker “pornographer” and a no-shame attitude she learned from her soulmate, the Free Speech icon himself.

“Since she took the helm of [Larry Flynt’s] empire after his death eight months ago,” Martín wrote, “she says she has taken on all the monikers that defined his rise in the industry, and she vows to continue his rebellious legacy.”

“If they are going to give me that label, I’ll wear it,” Liz Flynt said.

According to the Times, “Flynt is one of the latest women to take on a leading role in what was once a male-dominated industry. For several decades, women have increasingly replaced men in the C-suites of some of the most profitable pornography and adult-oriented businesses.”

Noting that “the way adult entertainment is produced and consumed is fast-changing,” Southern California’s leading newspaper asked Flynt how she plans to compete with websites such as OnlyFans.

Hustler doesn’t offer entertainment created by users, she explained, because “verifying the age of the performers is difficult and Hustler wants to provide only ‘high-quality content.'” Instead, she plans to grow the company’s audience by “expanding the reach of its videos and movies through Hustler TV on more than 500 cable and satellite providers around the world.”

The feature touches on many of the areas surveyed by XBIZ Premiere earlier this year for its August cover story penned by News Editor Gustavo Turner.

The Times noted the Flynt empire now publishes “15 specialty magazines throughout the year, plus the monthly adult-oriented publications, dozens of which are displayed on a desk in the foyer of the 10th floor of the company’s headquarters.”

“The company oversees 37 retail outlets — purveyors of sex toys, lingerie, books and DVDs — with two more planned to open in the next few months,” the article continued. “The shops continued operating during the pandemic. When the company opens at least 50 stores, Flynt said she may consider taking the retail branch public.”

Read the complete profile at LATimes.com.

Main Photo: Liz Flynt (source: XBIZ)

NEW YORK — The New York Times’ Opinion section — which has routinely foregrounded the voices of anti-porn activists, SWERFs and assorted sex-work deniers under editor Kathleen Kingsbury — yesterday published a rare op-ed penned by a sex worker.

The op-ed, titled “This Is What Will Make Sex Work in New York Safer,” was written by Cecilia Gentili, founder of Transgender Equity Consulting, director of gender inclusion at CAI Global and Stonewall Community Foundation board member.

The Argentine-American sex worker and activist described how she has spent the last decade of her life fighting for the decriminalization of sex work for adults, to “heal all of those times [she has] been harassed, beaten and raped — not by clients but by law enforcement officials.”

Gentili focused her piece on two competing bills “purporting” to decriminalize sex work in the New York State Legislature.

“But while both attempt to address the very valid concerns about sex trafficking,” Gentili noted, “only one meets the needs of sex workers.”

Gentili urged New Yorkers to support the “Stop the Violence in the Sex Trades” bill sponsored by State Senator Julia Salazar.

“This bill aims to decriminalize the industry — including sex workers, clients and managers — though carefully continuing to protect minors and trafficked people,” she wrote. “The origin of this bill dates back three years, to ideas promoted by a group I helped found, Decrim NY. Our lobbying led to the overturning of a criminal statute against loitering that law enforcement had long used as a pretext to harass trans women regardless of their involvement in the sex trade.”

“We knew that the best way to help sex workers was not to decriminalize only their actions but also those of their clients,” she added. “The legal pressure that clients face is absorbed by sex workers: A smaller client base means lower wages and poorer working conditions, with clients who are more likely to act in ways that make sex workers’ lives more difficult.”

Writing in support of Salazar’s bill, Gentili affirmed that “criminalization of either side of the sex trade does not help protect sex workers but rather merely perpetuates the social stigma that treats sex work as an inherently harmful activity — a stigma that I have long worked to eradicate.”

The competing bill — endorsing the so-called “Nordic model” — is called the “Sex Trade Survivors Justice and Equality Act” (aka, the “Survivors Bill”). Sponsored by State Senator Liz Krueger, this is a bill that is “threatening to derail the Salazar bill for total decriminalization” by decriminalizing “only sex workers but not their clients or their managers,” Gentili pointed out.

“Partial decriminalization doesn’t work, and we have evidence,” the activist noted.

To read “This Is What Will Make Sex Work in New York Safer,” click here.

WASHINGTON — Four House Democrats introduced another Section 230 reform bill last week, titled the “Justice Against Malicious Algorithms Act” (JAMAA, or JAMA Act).

According to the legislators’ announcement, the bill aims to “remove [the] liability shield when a platform knowingly or recklessly promotes harmful content.”

The new bill would mean the first erosion of Section 230 protections since FOSTA-SESTA in 2018, and only the second one ever.

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. and Health Subcommittee Chair Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., announced the bill on Thursday and introduced it to the House on Friday. The timing follows on the heels of the so-called “Facebook whistleblower” testimony earlier this month.

According to a statement by Rep. Pallone’s office, JAMAA “would lift the Section 230 liability shield when an online platform knowingly or recklessly uses an algorithm or other technology to recommend content that materially contributes to physical or severe emotional injury.”

Pallone stated that the bill was prompted because in his view, “social media platforms like Facebook continue to actively amplify content that endangers our families, promotes conspiracy theories and incites extremism to generate more clicks and ad dollars.”

“These platforms are not passive bystanders,” Pallone added. “They are knowingly choosing profits over people, and our country is paying the price. The time for self-regulation is over, and this bill holds them accountable. Designing personalized algorithms that promote extremism, disinformation and harmful content is a conscious choice and platforms should have to answer for it.”

Co-sponsor Doyle also said their proposal for a radical revision of Section 230 — the 1996 piece of legislation known by digital right activists as  “the First Amendment of the internet” — is necessary to address “the harm [social media platforms] do to our society.”

Co-sponsor Schakowsky referred to what she deemed “the severe harm” caused by platforms, while co-sponsor Eshoo said JAMAA builds onto her previous proposal, the “Protecting Americans from Dangerous Algorithms Act” (PADA or PADAA).

According to the legislators, the bill “would remove Section 230 immunity if an online platform knowingly or recklessly uses an algorithm to recommend content to a user based on that personal information, and if that recommendation materially contributes to physical or severe emotional injury.”

The group clarified that their proposal “does not apply to search features or algorithms that do not rely on personalization. It would also not apply to internet infrastructure such as web hosting or data storage and transfer or to small online platforms with fewer than five million unique monthly visitors or users.”

For the text of the bill, click here.

Main Image: Rep. Frank Pallone (Source: Rep. Frank Pallone’s Twitter)

BARCELONA — Sabrina Night (aka Sabien DeMonia) has announced she has left her ambassador position with Cherry.tv and is now working as a growth strategy advisor and model liaison for SugarBounce.

After over a year as the first official Cherry.tv ambassador and the face for their ads and marketing materials, Night has left the platform. Her exit is effective immediately, and she will no longer be doing live shows.

“Sabrina has inked a deal with SugarBounce, a blockchain ecosystem that’s fully decentralized,” said a rep. “The adult entertainment platform is currently offering livestreaming services, and then will venture into NFTs, crowdfunding and much more.”

Night will be working closely with SugarBounce CEO Navin Ray. “Her role will be growth strategy and she’ll serve as a model liaison,” the rep added, “helping them choose what models to sign and assisting with the onboarding process.”

Night described the career move as “bittersweet.”

“It was a great run and fun to be part of something from the ground up. But it was definitely time to move on and I’ve very excited about my new role at SugarBounce,” she said. “They have given me a position with a lot of responsibility and respect my experience and connections.”

For more information, visit SugarBounce.com and follow Sabrina Night on Twitter.

LOS ANGELES — Fun Factory is launching a limited-edition “Blow & Glow Kit” in time for the holidays.

The new kit includes two sex toys, Manta and Nos; a scrunchie; a massage candle; games “to spark connection”; and access to exclusive sex tip videos from the 2020 XBIZ “Sexpert of the Year” Ashley Manta.

“With an uptick in visits to Fun Factory’s blog posts about blowjobs, and a well-documented downtick in sex between couples during lockdown, we have launched the ‘Blow & Glow Kit’ to reinvigorate couples’ sex and help inject fun back into play,” explained a rep.

The exclusive videos, accessed via a unique QR code received with each kit, include tips for oral and hand sex, and “elevated ways to use sex toys during play,” the rep added.

Manta said, “I couldn’t have made a better kit if I’d designed it myself. The ‘Blow & Glow Kit’ is endlessly versatile, both in terms of the types of stimulation it offers and the acts it facilitates.”

Global Head of Marketing and Education Kristen Tribby noted, “The last 18 months have been hard on couples, but we want to change that and inject fun back into sex — that’s the way it should be.”

Tribby added that the “Blow & Glow Kit” allows users to “explore different ways to have sex with award-winning and bestselling toys, exclusive tips and games to help you expand on your fun and connect through play.”

According to the rep, the Manta toy features “a powerful bass-tone motor which turns the penis into a vibrator. The toy fits around the shaft for stroking or focused sensation and can be used during oral sex for a vibrating deep-throat feeling.”

Nos is a vibrating C-ring “that lets partners sync orgasms,” the rep added. “It has a super-flexible fit and allows for harder, longer-lasting erections. It is also designed to hit the clit during partnered sex with its dual-motor vibration.”

For more information, email contact@funfactory.com for order inquiries and follow the company on Twitter.

Oct 18, 2021 12:10 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES — Erotica site DigitalDesire.com and its assets have been acquired by International Media Company BV (IMC) and is now part of the Adult Prime Network.

DigitalDesire was originally launched in 1997 and features over 3,500 nude photosets and nearly 1,800 videos from the late photographer and filmmaker J. Stephen Hicks, who passed in 2013.

“The content of DigitalDesire is flawless, beautiful and it will be a great expansion of the AdultPrime portfolio,” IMC CEO Roald Riepen said. “I have known this brand ever since I started working in the adult industry and to be able to take over the full collection and continue the legacy is a great honor.”

The site’s content will soon be available for affiliate promotion via PayBig.com.

Visit DigitalDesire.com and follow AdultPrime on Twitter.

LOS ANGELES — MindGeek and 50 models who had sued Pornhub’s parent company over their distribution of GirlsDoPorn content have reached a settlement, court records show.

Yesterday, the models — listed as Jane Doe 1-50 — filed a joint motion to dismiss the case with prejudice.

On October 6, the court had ordered the Parties to “file a joint status report on the status of settlement negotiations within ten (10) days of the date of this Order.”

The models’ lawyer, Brian Holm, told Vice’s tech vertical Motherboard today that “The Parties reached a mutual resolution to resolve the dispute and the terms are confidential.”

The lawsuit against MindGeek was filed in December 2020 by Holm, the same attorney who represented the models in the earlier civil lawsuit against GirlsDoPorn and owner Michael Pratt, which unravelled when a parallel investigation by the FBI resulted in criminal indictments for human trafficking and sexual assault charges.

XBIZ has reached out to MindGeek for comment.

For more from XBIZ’s coverage of the GirlsDoPorn case, click here.

LOS ANGELES — Jules Jordan Video is seeking a sales rep for DVD sales, VOD and broadcast platforms.

Applicants must be “experienced and motivated,” located in the greater Los Angeles area and have knowledge of QuickBooks, Word, and Excel.

To apply, submit a resume to julesjordanvideo@gmail.com.

Oct 15, 2021 5:57 PM PDT

NEW ORLEANS — DomCon New Orleans returns Halloween weekend for the expo’s first in-person show since 2019, set for October 28-31 at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel.

“DomCon New Orleans offers the kinky public the latest innovations in fetish wear, bondage gear and pleasure products. Throughout the weekend, there will be classes and workshops covering BDSM techniques, legal issues, role-play and relationships,” a rep explained. “When the sun goes down, DomCon guests enjoy fetish parties and relaxing social events.”

For this year’s event, the Mistresses of Ceremonies will be Mistress Madyson DeLaRough, Mistress Mia Darque and Madame Margherite.

This year’s list of workshops and panels include “Fetish Work, Sex Work and The Law” with Becca Cleary; “Mindfully Mindfucking” with Sir Ezra; “Femdoms Unite — The Ups and Downs of Femdom Culture” panel discussion; “Beginner Male to Female Makeup” with Mz Emily; and “Verbal Domination” with Simone Justice.

The expo will also be host an array of additional events, such as the Red Carpet Social; The ‘DomCon-nection’ speed dating meet-and-greet; a BIPOC social; Animal Role-Play Awards; the Second Line Parade; a Cross-Dressing Pageant; and the Mistress Tea, among other events.

Requirements from local health officials dictate that masks be worn indoors and all DomCon guests must show proof of vaccination.

More information can be found at DomCon.com; follow the expo on Twitter.

Oct 15, 2021 5:50 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES — Marley Moore headlines the second release from Rebecca Vanguard’s newly launched Tru6lack.com.

“After a moment of sexual serendipity, the alluring auteur was able to book Marley and capture spellbinding new content sure to satisfy fans,” a rep enthused.

The three-part scene features Coach Cardher.

“I am proud to announce that the next scene for Tru6lack is available now,” said Vanguard. “Marley does not hesitate to show her experience and skills. Coach Cardher holds on for dear life when Marley is on top of him.”

“I have been following Marley on Twitter for a while,” Vanguard added. “So when I saw she was coming to Los Angeles, I just had to reach out to her. I am very grateful she gave me a chance and allowed me to shoot this amazing sex scene for Tru6lack. I am obsessed with all of the photos we took together in a pink dungeon in downtown Los Angeles.”

Find the new release on the official Bentbox page for Tru6lack, where performers receive a revenue share with each sale.

Follow Marley Moore, Coach Cardher and Tru6lack on Twitter.

Find Rebecca Vanguard online and on Twitter.