by Matt Skully

I, like many others mourned the death of tumblr.

There was a wave across social media in the days and weeks that followed tumblr’s announcement of their ban on explicit content that ranged from annoyance to outraged. I was not an avid user, nor did I contribute to it a great deal; but for me it was the reality of censorship and that the threat of it should, especially in this modern-day climate, be taken very seriously.

Tumblr and its reputation for pornographic content made it quite a contender in the internet age. You can, of course, find porn elsewhere, but what set tumblr apart – or at least the 18+ sections of it – was the fact it was a platform to celebrate all types of sexuality, as well as explore other issues relating to sex – including fetishism. It was also a platform for more artistic and educational depictions of sex and wasn’t just about sleaze. For some, the loss of explicit content had a direct impact on livelihoods. Tumblr was a safe space for sex workers, porn curators & creators, and people involved with camming.  

The new Tumblr guidelines were a blow to the sex and fetish community, and a great loss.

Various friends and places of business like Torture Garden and the gay fetish platform I used to work for – Recon, were then hit by more censorship, when our Instagram accounts were abruptly deleted out of the blue. The content of the TG Instagram page has always adhered to the Instagram guidelines, and after a month of emails to get it back and never once having a response – let alone warnings in the first place -Torture Garden created a new account and started again.

When it happened to the account I was helping to run, the frustration of losing this and the content curated over the years, was a huge punch in the gut. Anyone who’s ever frantically run into an Apple store when their phone’s fucked up and been told “you’ll lose anything you haven’t backed up”, will know that dreaded feeling of losing personal documented history. It was gutting to lose pictures, memories and content that we have produced and shared over the years on a mainstream platform. Instagram didn’t generate us money, nor did we pay for it. What it did give us was another way to interact with kinksters and the fetish community. It allowed us to reach out to make new friendships and partnerships, and was a tool to promote fetish and the evolution of the fetish community in a positive way. 

As a space that has also curated a variety of artistic expression, Torture Garden having a presence in the mainstream is important. It highlights the creativity of event goers, supporters & artists, and also helps educate. 

I have personally met incredibly interesting performers who’s work acts as political pieces, pushes boundaries when it comes to understanding of gender and sexuality, while also shocking me or making me think about my own activism within the community. 

Growing up in the age of the internet has been an enlightening journey…

…it has the ability to do great things and not so great things. Growing up, I felt I was bombarded with imagery and a narrative on what my life should be like as a gay man. Most media channels that presented any sort of homosexuality did so in a way that I, and many of my peers, felt made it seem like the only way to find acceptance was through emulating hetero- normative ideals and relationship dynamics. As a young gay man into fetish, the narrative I was often pushed was that of a specific body type, specific sexual practices and a world that felt impenetrable (pun intended). The internet has made it easier to find other paths, and what places like Tumblr, Instagram and the TG site do is help us cultivate and learn about alternative lifestyles (often with pictures – which helps), be inspired and have confidence in our own and others sexuality. 

There is also the safety issue, where else on the internet are you going to find etiquette rules or safer BDSM practices (whether they be physical, mental or emotional), than in spaces and platforms that had been curated for every one to enjoy in a healthy way? 

There is so much information on the internet, or in podcasts and books, and I would always advocate to always continue to educate yourself (I still do)…but what initially jump starts that journey? Is it a picture of a gimp in full rubber captured at the Halloween event? or is it an image of a beautiful Domme in nipple tassles and a corset (free the nipple, Instagram!). 

“Instagram is a global platform for people of all ages and we have rules around nudity and sexual solicitation to ensure content is appropriate for everyone. We allow sex positive content and discussion, but we do not allow content that facilitates or coordinates sexual encounters between adults.” 

This statement is incredibly vague, and is purposely so.

As a tool that profits off the selling of products, feeds and bombards us with imagery and an illusion of what your life would be, and capitalises off those insecurities (diet tea anyone?); there seems to be an unwritten rule that celebrities and sponsorship deals that generate money for the platform, can dance around these terms and conditions while others can not. Having performer friends flagged for solicitation, posts removed for nudity when technically the nipple is covered with tassels or an object, or even hashtag removal causes unfair, unjust and often inconsistent treatment of its users. 

Shadowbanning, deletation, removal of tools and being flagged or threatened is an everyday reality for sex positive people. As a huge advocate of boundaries, the only ones I seem to have trouble with are the ones Instagram appears to lay out for me. The lack of consistency around posting content does bring out an inner brat, which often results in me edging my way to be punished. 

The banning of hashtags is another tool that we should be paying attention too. While many may roll their eyes at the moan of hashtags being removed, this has bigger implications and coerces its uses – as evidenced in the online coverage during Black Lives Matter protests.

The push for sites to clean up their act may, on the surface, be seen as a safety measure…

…(usually for children); or to show they conduct themselves by the moral standards of the masses. The reality of companies like tumblr and Instagram reinforcing society’s restrictions, though, is that it’s most  damaging on the people who want to explore their own sexuality and the people who need them most! I am extremely happy that Torture Garden has the new  Social app, where knowledge, experience and art can be shared safely. 

Matt Skully is a long time member of the fetish scene, having previously worked for Recon. You can sometimes see him on the door or on stage at TG. Follow him on Instagram @skully1888