Note: We’ve read the email sent out by Jack Conte. We still endorse this letter in full, our demands have not changed, and we will continue gathering support. You can read our additional response to Jack, and Patreon, below the signatures, here.

We’re writing you today both as adult creators and concerned individuals about free, legal, expression. We’re deeply disappointed in your handling of clarity with regards to adult content on your platform, and the mixed messages we have been receiving. Not only that, the most vulnerable among us – disproportionately queer, trans, disabled, people of color and those whose first language is not English – are literally scared for our lives. After hard-won fandoms finally supporting us on Patreon, just one missed payment can mean homelessness.

Over the last couple years we have been courted by you, worked closely with you on promotion, creation, and even website features, and have been assured by you that Patreon was a home for all types of creators – including those that make adult content. And it’s been well reported that you were ending “payments discrimination against adult content” – something you proudly confirmed to us in email and behind the scenes in one on one messages with your employees.

However, there has always been an issue with your stance on “porn” versus “adult content.” This stance has never been clear and is reminiscent of the phrase “I know it when I see it”, most infamously used in 1964 by Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart to describe his threshold test for obscenity. This is an outdated, legally unclear, and importantly, extremely problematic view of adult media.

This problem has only been brought further to the forefront in recent days, where you have long had a checkbox on your site that says “Content contains sexual imagery or nudity.”

Which now exists alongside new language in your October 17th update, to the Adult Content section, which says this:

“Lastly, you cannot sell pornographic material or arrange sexual service(s) as a reward for your patrons. You can’t use Patreon to raise funds in order to produce pornographic material such as maintaining a website, funding the production of movies, or providing a private webcam session.”

Which is exactly, as you well know, how many of your most popular creators operate. We send our patrons signed prints. We let them pick what kind of movie to make. It’s even how you’ve recommended we operate – using Patreon to fund a movie, or creating a website to reliably deliver rewards to our patrons! We’ve got the support conversations to back it up.

After an Engaget article covered these new developments, this was added:

Update: A Patreon spokesperson has clarified that its stance hasn’t changed, just the way it articulates the policy around pornography and other adult content. Which is to say that producers of pornography and sex workers more generally have always been “operating outside of the Community Guidelines.” The decision will leave a number of sex workers looking for yet another way to secure payment for their labor.

As we see it, this is further confirmation of a betrayal of your loyal creators and their loyal patrons. You’ve made a statement to cover yourself, but completely ignored those who generate the money on your platform and use it to pay their rents. Your platform strikes a pose in favor of freedom of expression, but there is no way your current contradictory stances can result in any sort of comfort to the creators. We hear buzz that like tech companies past, it’s all about funding and we worry that we’ll always be disposable people. We see that you’ve stated that you will “work with” creators to make sure their pages aren’t taken down, but that is not enough.

What is lost in that discussion is that the most vulnerable people will be the hardest to “work with”. These will disproportionately be queer, trans, and people of color. These will be creators less steeped in the language of “erotica” – just knowing that they want to create and entertain and that their skills lie in a sexual area. We must listen not just to creators trained in classic mediums, art school graduates, those fluent in theory and all the other ways that adult content is made palatable to the cultured class, we also must listen to and represent those who simply make porn. Who want to be creative with their porn, yes, but most importantly want to be self directed.

Your platform has given these people a light. We know people who would be homeless if it wasn’t for making porn on Patreon – and it’s not a small number. We know people who now employ many queer performers, workers, subcontractors – all working to make beautiful content. And while we understand the desire to police illegal content off the platform (and support it!), all of this legal content is beautiful. Who is it, at Patreon or anywhere, who decides what is art? When is there too much porn, not enough aesthetics?

Your fuzzy position on “adult content” vs. “porn” gives you the freedom to discriminate at will. And it makes content creators live in fear of that discrimination, itself leading to self censorship of important viewpoints.

We ask you to end this discrimination. Porn is a multi-billion dollar industry mostly in the hands of well heeled men. You were helping us hold it in our own hands. We ask you to take a stand on behalf of the sex workers who use your platform, their fans, and everyone who supports freedom of expression. Take a stand behind your creators who make revolutionary independant content. Stand behind your women and LGBT creators.

Do not go quietly down the path of least resistance and join every other platform we are discriminated against on. As journalist Violet Blue noted, “We are barred from Facebook, Instagram, Paypal, MailChimp, WordPress.org, Squarespace, Square, Kickstarter, Chase, Snapchat, AdWords.. Add that Tumblr and other sites make us unfindable. Now imagine trying to start or run a business and being unable to use these tools.”

To reiterate, we specifically ask that you:

Guarantee that adult content creators, of any legal content, will not have their sources of income revoked. Keep your promises to adult content creators and end the system of arbitrarily judging what is and isn’t acceptable expression.

You at Patreon have been our friends in the tech world, you have told us so. Imagine how hard it must be for us to survive without the tools you had to start your business. Remember that our fan bases have been a pillar of your community and supported that very business. Lukewarm assurances that you’ll “work with us” are not enough – proudly stand with creators and their porn, or admit that you won’t be there for us.

Please do not abandon us.

With much concern,

The undersigned.

And those who have been unable to sign – for fear of their safety and financial well being.

To those who want to sign, the option is below. Solidarity is appreciated.

Liara Roux – is Creating Pretty Things

Violet Blue – is creating cybersecurity news, and a San Francisco memoir

ChibiNeko – is creating Cosplay

Zina H – is creating reviews, articles, and essays about pop culture and fandom.

MarshmallowMaximus – is creating Soft & Sweet Pin-Up Photography

Pandora Blake – is creating sexual freedom

Conner Habib – is creating a podcast & web seiries on sex, the occult, and radical philosophy

Luna & Marion – are creating Adult Content, Photos, Cosplay, Modelling, Videos, Art, V-Games

Alexis Flower – is creating I Roved Out

Megan Rose Gedris – is creating comics

NomnomNami – is creating games about girls who like girls

Caitlin Doughty – is creating Death Videos

Kassandra Leigh – is creating Fetish, Fantasy & Fashion Photos.

Annie Segarra – is creating Videos, Artwork, Writing

Felix Biederman / Chapo Trap House – is Creating Chapo Trap House Podcast

Belle – is creating Adult video games

Jetta Rae – is Creating Praxis, Pro Wrestling, and Pralines

Merritt K / Stay Mean – is creating Podcasts

Aftermath Team – is creating erotica games.

Chlove / Go Get a Roomie – is creating queer webcomics!

River Lovett – is Creating Art

Jujala – is creating Animated SFM Smut

Miles-DF – is creating digital art

Sabrina Nichole – is creating Photography

LOK Team – are creating LOK: Rebirth

Jamie Zawinksi / DNA Lounge – is creating a nightclub and live music venue in San Francisco

Valerie Halla – is creating Goodbye to Halos

Alice X – is creating Friction

Totem Pole – is creating The Cummoner

Belissalovely – is creating e-girl stuff

Tarusov – is creating Pin-Up & Sexy Comics

Bacchus – is creating erotica research and curation

Ashe Grey – is creating adventures & good vibes

Take Back Your Sex – is creating Sex Entertainment, Education, and Advocacy

Zack Morrison / Paranatural – is creating comics!!!

Toni Babelony – is creating KYTHERA and NSFW illustrations.

Kay Lynn Syrin – is creating Cosplay, Photosets, and Videos

Mitch Alexander – is creating some really gay games, to be honest

Ginger (ero-hime) – is Creating Photos, Videos, Cosplay

Bailey Poland – is creating texts on feminist rhetoric in a digital age

Street Fight Radio – is creating Radio Shows

Demesejha – is creating Music

MikeMasters – is creating adult games

Saber Tompson – is creating Plus Sized Nude and Fine Art Photography

Laura Kerrigan / Season of the Bitch – is Creating the Season of the Bitch Podcast

Ashley Tea – is creating a whole buncha magic

Kumars Salehi / Delete your Account – is creating the Delete Your Account Podcast

Trungles – is Creating Comics and Images

Studio Snickerdoodle – is creating lewd girls in spaaaaace!

Dramamine – is Creating Smut

Ariel Ries – is creating Witchy

Gargron – is creating Mastodon

Glitched Puppet – is creating Adult Comics

Rrostek – is creating 3D Adult Animations

Riley J. Dennis – is creating YouTube videos

AnimoPron – is creating adult 3d animations with gaming-girls

Rii – is creating cosplay and fashion photos

Kyell Gold – is creating Stories

Forevernyte / Deadly Hunger Studios – is creating Comics and Animations

Mews – is creating cuties and lewds!

GoAskAlex – is creating watercolour, music, nudity, and mischief

Circlet Press – is creating Erotic Science Fiction/Fantasy Books

Rafu – is creating role-playing games

Anna Cherry – is creating NSFW Cosplay, Gaming and STEM content

SlimeMaid – is creating Spirit Zones

Tenleid Cosplay – is creating Cosplay tutorials, exclusive prints and more!

Evan Dahm – is creating Comics

Trevor Strunk – is creating Critical analysis of videogames

Pyro Steed – is creating Stories

Sarah Calanthe – is creating sensual photos and videos

Girl on the Net – is creating audio erotica

ThaumX – is creating an adult life simulation game

Rae D Magdon – is creating Super Sexy Stories

stringmouse – is creating pin-up photos, art

ColonolYobo – is creating Adult Animations & Posters

Ayumi Nini – is creating Cosplay & NSFW

The Scryfall Team – is creating a Magic: The Gathering search engine and other game tools

Alice Mae – is Creating Cosplay, Photosets & Pervy Visuals

Elaine Tipping – is creating Comics and Art

Gween Black – is creating Custom Art, Videos, Doodles and Photoshoots

Alice Voidstar – is creating Octodon

Andreas M. Antonopoulos – is creating Videos, Live Q&A, and Books about Bitcoin & Open Blockchains

mZmm – is creating The Hotel

Steven Brust – is creating books, blog posts, songs, political essays

wxcafe – is Creating social.wxcafe.net

Allison Moon – is creating sex-positive art & education

Freja Joir – is Creating Pretty Pictures

Travis Legge – is creating Roleplaying Game Supplements, Podcasts, and vlogs!

Sarah Jamie Lewis – is creating Anonymity & Privacy Research

Sporkbot – is creating NSFW art

Caelyn Sandel – is creating Games and Stories

Meryl S. Kavanagh – is creating fiction, music and art

The Brainstorm Crew – is creating The Brainstorm Podcast

Rhys P. – is creating Art, FICTION, COMICS(?)

Eliott Tender – is creating Content for Low Lifes!

Laurelai Bailey – is creating social and political commentary

thumbcramps – is creating cute girls!

Cybrespace – is creating an online space for cybrepunks of all varieties

Twisted Moon Magazine – is creating poetry

Lauren Seale – is creating Gay Erotic Fiction

Richard Silva – Is creating digital paintings, videogames, music, etc.

Snao – is creating Visual Art

Lexi Faye – is creating various videos, photography, streams, music, and general transy

Satsukii – is creating Digital Artwork

LitenDaisy – is creating Lingerie, Cosplay & Pinup inspired Photos.

catling – is creating sugar-sweet character art

blacksquares – is creating Music, Videos, Comix, Art!

Madison Roberts – is creating Music: Folk, filth and filk

Struggle Session – is creating sexy, cutting edge, Leftist nerd audio content.

Ben Zaehringer / Berkeley Mews – is creating comics

Topless New York – is creating Art and Advocacy

Harper Madi – is creating videos, photosets, and more

Skunkfrakker & Veelicious – are creating Besti: a VR simulation for adults

G.C. Houle – is creating Comics and Illustrations

Greg Slepak – is creating solutions for digital and economic security

Erika Lynai – is creating Sex Education & Sex Toy Reviews

Mutant Standard – is creating emoji

Mc Morgan – is creating Illustration and Art

Eva / What’s My Body Doing? – is creating evidence based, feminist sex-ed videos

Autistic Made Art – is creating Greeting cards, art, and stories.

Distressed Egg – is creating Adult Art and Comics

Lynn Cyrin – is creating Websites, Culture, Community

Banana Punch – is creating NSFW Art and Comics

Fringecrow – is creating Fantasy/Scifi, Furry and Transformation Art

Blattarieva – is creating weird comics

Antonius M Hogebrandt – are creating lyrical tapestries with threads of contemporary issues and myths

Admiral Squish – is creating filthy, filthy smut

Niki Smith – is creating Comics

Del’s Doodles – is creating Colouring Pages

Mitchell Hall – is creating queer games

Michael Lutz – is creating criticism, traditional fiction, and interactive fiction

Nicnak – is creating art!

Funkit Toys – is creating Modular Fucksquiggles

Brian Wolf – is creating Cute ‘n’ Queer Games and Comics

Emily Ritchie – is creating sketchbooks

Joshua A.C. Newman – is creating xenoglyph

Tiffany White – is creating music, games, comics, and dorky streams

Ashley Schandelmeier – is creating TAMD content

Helena Havoc – is creating erotic artistry

Ryan Bloom – is creating Videos and games and videos about games

James Iles – is creating role-playing games.

Breeoche – is creating NSFW and SFW art (mostly butts)

Eros Photography – is creating Photography

Nero O’Reilly – is creating NSFW Comics and Art

Professor Otaku – is creating Retro Anime Reviews

RM Honeyboy – is creating weird and strange illustrations for the sick and sad

LiteraturaBDSM – is creating Yaoi-bondage-comics-

madam data – is creating music and music software

Muskwalker – is creating furry stories

Jacqui Grace – is creating Art and Stories

Naughty Nessa – is creating Nude Art & Fetish Photos

Madam Kistulot – is creating Erotic Mind Control Fiction

Rey Tucker – is creating a very smol fox-friendly Mastodon instance

xax – is creating HELL GAME

Sticky Scribbles – is creating Cute and Sexy Damsels in Distress. Exotic Art and Comics

Dani Lee Pearce – is creating music, albums, music videos, album art designs, and THINGS

Ryan Estrada – is creating @forexposure_txt Illustrated

Emily Riesbeck – is creating Comics

Mortal Podcast – is creating the MortalVerse

Mx. Pucks A’Plenty – is creating Sex Positive Burlesque, Workshops, Events, and Art

Hushicho – is creating Art, Comics, Narration, and serving up realness

Alpha Harlot – is creating smut in the form of visuals and the written word

Pedro de Farais – is creating Photography

DOS Nostalgia – is creating videos about MS-DOS games and software

Max Smeagol – is creating 3D Erotic Adult Comic

Onyxdime – is creating Erotic Novels and Short Stories

Sinogen – is creating NSFW art

Hex Witch Circe – is creating writing, videos, and code

Andrew Hunter – is creating Sexy Comics and Art

Ndidiamaka, T.R. – is creating Fiction, Coloring Books, and Comics.

Tailsteak – is creating Leftover Soup

VL Darling – is creating erotica, smut, dirty little stories of sex, love, and kink.

Kathy Gaele – is creating Digital Art

Geneveive Newman – is creating Open Ivory Tower

Free Press Publications – is creating pro-liberty media

Aliza Layne – is creating comics

James ‘Grim’ Desborough – is creating Games, stories, dreams and nightmares.

Errogonous – is creating Smut

M.K. Lords – is creating podcasts, writing

Amaranthe Rae Lovisi – is creating informational videos

Calico Coquette – is creating Erotic Art

Recurring V’s – is creating Videos, Podcasts, Writing, Art and Whatever Else

Lirael Lowenstein / Now Face North – is creating Blog posts

Studio Thumpy Puppy – is creating Video Game Music

Luella Arbre – is creating Photos, Videos, and other arty stuff

Margaret Trauth – is creating sci-fi and fantasy comics

SuikaShoujo – is creating Song Covers

Sean M Pickett – is creating Photography

Farore Nightclaw – is creating furry, scifi & fantasy artwork

Kristina Tracer – is creating Clusters of Words Moving in Beautiful Synchronicity

Ghrolath – is creating Peril Commission Series and 3d models/animation

Charlot-sweetie – is creating Comics

Darkolenomicon – 3

Human? – is creating games and words about games

Fawn Fancybits – is creating a sanctuary for used panty lovers

Elliot Cooper – is creating queer speculative fiction

Sylverstone Khandr + Sylver’s Edge – is creating digital art + video games + variety stuff + more!

D. Moonfire – is creating Words

emma lee – is creating ???

repzzmonster – is creating Erotic furry comics and illustrations

E. Harrison – is creating Covers

American Sex Podcast – is creating a Sex Positive, Kink Friendly, Hilarious, Educational Podcast

Honey Rogue – is creating songs about love and scourge

artic – is creating smutty fairytales!

John Ayliff – is creating Twine games and interactive stories

Turkey Mountain Sunset Band – is creating Music

Rycharde’s Realm – is creating the Pangaia series, hentai, story-rih, fantasy, RPG games

Sheena Dabholkar – is creating LOVER magazine

Vyctorian – is creating Shakura’s Sunset and Transformation art

Waiting 4 Wrath – is creating the beer-guzzeling skeptical podcast you’ve been waiting for!

Darksh1ne – is creating webcomics and digital art (18+)

Sifyro – is creating Drawings and random sketches

Ashe Armstrong – is creating Fiction

Drea Gentry – is creating MESSY ORGASMS AND CONFUSION (aka self-shot porn)

Discourse Collective – is creating leftist podcasts about theory, current events, and culture.

SuziBean – is creating Lewd Art & Comics

AuntieSocial – is creating food for thought (Stereo-Typed radio show/podcast)

Lycaon – is creating videogames, etc.

Justin – is creating an autobiographical comic, SFW/NSFW Illustrations

Christian Nowak – is creating Personal Photography and Erotic Art

SurgeryHead – is creating Scumfilth from gargagetown

the Wolf – is creating Short Vore Fiction

Heart of Stone Entertainment – is creating Photography, Video

Blackrain – is creating drawings of vore, bondage, sex

Kaurwn Bliss – is creating Gender, Sexuality, and Relationship Coaching and Counselling

Sucia – is creating Photos and Videos

Scoot Moondog – is creating Anthro art and watercolor paintings

Darius Kazemi – is creating a weird and wonderful internet

Sycamorph – is creating Stereogram edits

MisterZulu – is creating Cartoony Fetish and Exploitation Art and Animation

Queen of Cups – is creating Next Level Findom

Meet The Creators – is creating a NSFW show all about Patreon creators of Adult Content

Autumn Ash – is creating Erotica

Vanessa North – is creating queer fiction to make you sweat, swoon, and swear

A Grand Mark – is creating Comics, Art and Writing

Terithes – is creating fan-art, NSFW, & personal projects!

Nephanor – is creating a website for 3D artists & 3D Art

Nikki Bruises – is creating Cosplay and Artistic Photography

Sfan – is creating NSFW art and animation parody about famous cartoons and anime

Johnny Lemuria – is creating collage art

PY Studios – is creating Adult Games

Sadie Lune – is creating Sex-Positive Visual Art, Performance, Writing, Video

RJAIN // seinobyte – is creating kinky monster and predicament hentai!

7 Realms Productions – is creating sweet videos about games and movies!

The SMUT Project – is creating intelligent erotica

Brian Sovryn – is creating Podcasts

Prince Lowell – is creating illustrations and comics

Andras Nest – is creating Adult Video Games

CustomWaifus – is creating 18+ Soft Ecchi, Fan Art, Comic, Yuri Hentai & Nude Pinups

Steph Dumais – is creating Comics, illustrations

MadMansGun – is creating Game Mods/Animations and 3D Printable Objects

The Awoo.space Team – is creating a Mastodon instance

Minibego – is creating Writing

Delirium Sade – is creating Queer/Trans BDSM Smut, BDSM Gear, Podcasts + Kinky Poems

James Opie (Nihilore) – is creating Royalty Free Music

Ishiga – is creating anthro-themed artwork and projects

MM – is creating queer love stories

Velntine Meikin – is creating Adventure Games

Fox Barrett – is creating Vagabond Starlight, A Webcomic

Peinto – is creating Art and Baes

Katharsisdrill – is creating the comic about Phill from GCHQ

E.R. Moreno – is creating writings

Dan The Giant Rat – is creating comics and zines

fangurley – is creating Illustrations and comics

Cassandra Panek – is creating Photography, Art, and Writing

MaillerPhong – is creating Fine Art Fetish & Erotica Photography

Magias Cosplay – is creating Cosplay, Photoshoot, Makeup

As of the latest update (10/30) over 2,000 creators, patrons, and supporters have signed. Detailed statistics available below.

Based on public data, the creators in the featured link section are supported by 49,397 patrons and bring in (again, based on those who list this publicly) over $167,911 either per month or per reward.

You can sign below.

This section to be updated as people choose to be added as featured cosigners. The complete list is below. Please do not be offended if we are unable to add your signature above in a timely manner and get in touch if there are any typos/mistakes. If you would like to support us, please fill out our google form. You can sign anonymously, as a creator, a patron, an organization or any concerned individual.

Again, live updated signatures will be displayed below the form.

Questions/press – openlettertopatreon@gmail.com

Articles featuring this letter and additional context – with latest roughly on top:

Here’s How Patreon Politely Makes It Impossible for Adult Content Creators – Motherboard/Vice – Latest

Crowdfunding Amateur Porn is Becoming Impossible – Playboy

Creators: ‘Adult Content Ban May Cost Patreon Big Bucks’ – YNOT

The real consequences of Patreon’s adult content crackdown – Engadget

Adult Content Creators: Patreon is Doing ‘the Exact Opposite of What We Asked For” – Motherboard/Vice

Patreon Censors Content; Creators Fight Back – YNOT

Porn-makers challenge Patreon’s crowdfunding ban – BBC Technology

Adult Content Creators Are Fighting Patreon’s New Anti-Porn Rules – Motherboard/Vice

Adult content on Patreon – Pandora Blake

Patreon’s Discriminatory Porn Policy Hurts Creators Who Need the Most Protection – The Mary Sue

Patreon Updates Its Rules On Adult Content, And NSFW Content Creators Are Worried – Buzzfeed News

Patreon : les créateurs de contenus pour adultes montrent les crocs – Fredzone

Patreon Starts Enforcing Stricter Rules On Sex Games – Kotaku

Devs push back on Patreon’s ‘clearer stance’ regarding adult content – Gamasutra

Developers question Patreon’s adult games restrictions – gamesindustry.biz

Cryptocurrency Increasingly Popular, Safer Payment Option For Sex Workers – IB Times

Response to Jack Conte/Patreon’s response to this letter.

Media, please print in full if possible. Everyone else, feel free to reshare.

“We’ve read the email from Jack Conte. It continues to exemplify the exact problems we are writing about in our open letter and, in fact, makes them worse. He both moves to come out strongly against specific forms of expression, such as “real people engaging in sexual acts”, while going on at length about how good a home Patreon is to creators. And if we don’t agree it’s a good home, it’s ok because it only affects “very few creators”.

We will continue to stand in solidarity with any creator on the platform creating legal content and continue to demand that Patreon revise its stance to allow any legal adult content within a safe space on their site. We are sorry to hear that the way his company has handled our community “bugs” him, but it’s hard for us to have empathy for those in power while we are fighting simply to be heard, create, and survive.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Patreon’s move today is the exact opposite of what we asked for. Patreon is saying that they believe sex workers unable to change or censor their work to fit new requirements should lose their income and that legal expressions of sexual creativity do not have a home on their platform.

This email exemplifies the mentality of Patreon and other tech companies that their image, perhaps to investors or banking partners, is more important than the wellbeing of the legal content creators who rely on Patreon as a source of income and one of the only “safe” spaces for us.

We will continue collecting support and will think about our next steps as unified creators. If you would like to stand in solidarity, you can do so here – www.openlettertopatreon.com”

Note: We are aware that since penning (with a working group on signal and in twitter messages) this open letter, Liara Roux’s twitter account was suspended overnight. We don’t know anything more about why it happened and twitter has been unresponsive. We’re currently working to find out what we can with Liara’s legal representation at Austin Law Group, in the meantime you can contact her directly for comment if needed at liara.roux@gmail.com. Violet Blue has also indicated she is happy to talk to press.

Update: Liara’s twitter is back! Her and her legal team issued a statement.

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As of about 12:00 pm PST 10/27, some statistics for you. Over 1,800 people have signed. 839 Patrons have signed, and 325 Patreon creators. Also of interest, 150 people said they would join Patreon as creators if it more fairly supported freedom of expression. 531 signers indicated they were concerned parties.

Based on public data, the creators in the featured link section are supported by 49,397 patrons and bring in (again, based on those who list this publicly) over $167,911 either per month or per reward.

We’ll update this again.