Our own Aaron Walker did some lawsplaining last month as the Supreme Court came down with several decisions. Among them, the court upheld a Texas law requiring stronger age verification for access to pornographic websites. The very last person we want to hear talking about pornography is mad scientist Elie Mystal, but The Nation’s justice correspondent is pleaded with the Democrats to become the pro-porn party.
I have an argument for the Democratic Party. It involves actually fighting for free speech, and exposing Republican hypocrisy on the issue. And the way to do that involves fighitng for porn.
My latest about the SCOTUS porn case in @thenation https://t.co/1OJ6svsFhG— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) July 2, 2025
Taylor Lorenz agrees wholeheartedly:
YES PLEASE!!!!!!! I’m screaming to the void about this. So grateful for your piece
— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) Jul 2, 2025
Mystal writes:
I have many thoughts on how the Democratic Party might start to win back young men who have abandoned the party for fascism. None of them involve abandoning women’s rights, women’s leadership, or the LGBTQ community. But one of my suggestions is that the Democrats should embrace pornography and other examples of sexiness and smut under the umbrella of free speech.
Democrats must be the party of free speech and artistic expression. That is the liberal position. Republicans have hijacked the free speech issue, but the only free speech conservatives actually believe in is the “freedom” to shout racist and sexist crap online. That argument works on certain types of men—men who think using slurs makes them “edgy” and counterculture. Men who get uncomfortable when they don’t know the right thing to say. Men who don’t know how to talk to women.
…
Now, to be clear, pornography is viewed and enjoyed by all sorts of people, male and female, gay and straight, trans and cis. Indeed, one of the highest, best uses of porn (I can’t believe I just wrote that) is that it helps young people figure out what they’re actually into. Sex-positive porn enjoyers are not a political demographic the Democrats generally have a problem with.
Young, cishetero men who like jerking off to boobs the size of back problems are. They have been led to believe that Republicans are the protectors of free speech in this country. Some of those guys don’t care about free speech: They vote Republican because Republicans support their desire to treat real-life women like the sex objects of their fantasies. There’s nothing that can be done to save these people.
Anyone who uses the word “cishetero” is not to be taken seriously.
Truly disturbing combination of subject and byline pic.twitter.com/abnPScjG0x
— David Polansky (@polanskydj) July 3, 2025
Thought this was well established already.
— VictualBro (@Victual_Bro) July 3, 2025
SCOTUS ruled states can make laws requiring age verification for p**n sites so kids can’t access p**n and Taylor Lorenz and Elie Mystal are freaking out pic.twitter.com/ofeMfryoRJ
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 3, 2025
Groomers want to expose kids to porn at an early age? Color me shocked!
— Eyes Backward (@EyesBackward) July 3, 2025
Believe Democrats when they tell you who they are.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) July 3, 2025
Kinda odd which amendments they choose to fight over. The 2A mentions nothing about being 18 to own a firearm, yet theyre ok with that being age restricted.
— Corey (@BlueFinn42) July 3, 2025
Well, they do seem pretty adamant about showing it to young kids in schools.
— Jeff Snavely (@JeffSnavely) July 3, 2025
I thought they already were the pro porn party
— Kevina Gafa 🇺🇸 (@KevinaFaga) July 3, 2025
Taylor screams into the void because that’s the only thing that will listen anymore
— CouchTigerSass (@CouchTigerSass) July 3, 2025
Confirmed: i am officially in clown world.
— Kal-El’s Cape (@_latimoresays_) July 3, 2025
The hills some people choose to die on are wild
— Laura Kaye 🇺🇸 (@NonsenseEnd) July 3, 2025
What does child age verification have to do with free speech? These people are sick.
— 𝕏erias (@xerias_x) July 3, 2025
The Democrats already are the pro-porn party. As Mystal writes, “it helps young people figure out what they’re actually into.” They have no problem with people marching naked in front of children in so-called Pride parades. They host drag queen brunches on Sunday morning and teach kids how to slip dollar bills into scant clothing.
This is another issue the Democrats are welcome to.
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