SAN FRANCISCO—Kink.com announced that the company has hired Eric Paul Leue, a longtime advocate for sexual health and sexual rights, to be the Director of Sexual Health and Advocacy.
“Eric brings a fair-minded and judgment-free approach to the health and safety of performers,” said Peter Acworth, founder of Kink.com “He understands that sexual minority populations, whether adult performers or members of the kink and LGBTQ communities, often face stigma. With him, we will work to develop relationships with health providers, improve safety protocols and create educational programs for our performers, so they understand their rights, on and off set.”
Leue and Acworth first spoke during the hearings for the controversial AB 1576 condom legislation, and found common ground.
“We both saw the need to develop regulations that would maximize the safety of the performers, but not infringe on their rights," Acworth said. "He had many ideas, and it made sense to bring him on board to help execute them. He’s well-respected for his work both in sexual health sectors and in the kink community.”
Leue, who won the Eagle LA Mr. Leather and Mr. LA Leather titles earlier this year, has been an outspoken activist on an international level for over a decade, and is currently nominated for a WEGO Health Activist Hero 2014 Award. Leue has become one of the most vocal driving forces in support of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which could help protect performers on and off-set. While the adult industry has not seen a workplace transmission of HIV in over a decade, Leue says one of his first initiatives is to broaden the discussion.
“Prevention and sexual health is a matter of personal choice; what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for the next. If we truly care about performer health, we need to continue our efforts for stigma-free sexual education and focus on a real life approach: making all options available, and enabling people to make informed decisions about their health. The adult industry has been an early adopter and successful forerunner of this way of thinking.”
In his role at Kink, Leue will split his time between San Francisco and Los Angeles to work alongside existing efforts, be an additional resource especially for off-set prevention efforts, and build stronger ties between community health leaders and the adult community. He will also work for timely and responsible legislation to protect the well-being and personal rights of adult performers.
“As a family man and leather man, I have a deep understanding of the realities of sexually progressive communities, and how misinformed assumptions about our sexuality, education, and health needs by others can actually harm us, even when their intentions are good," Leue said. "I believe that direct, open-minded and honest communication and collaboration with affected communities is the only way to advance the conversation, not only in regards to performer health, but also the general public.”
For more information, email Mike Stabile, Media Relations, Kink.com, or call 415-496-5493.
