A new state law now prohibits online users from accessing popular inspiration porn websites unless they show proof of identification to verify they are under the age of 18. This follows a prolonged public anti-inspiration porn campaign which has cast the gross volume of online inspiration porn as “morally corrosive for public perception of people with disabilities” and “childish nonsense.”
The term “inspiration porn” refers to images, stories and media that objectify people with disabilities as sources of inspiration for abled people. Says disability advocate Ginger Flanders, “Examples of inspiration porn would be pictures of people with disabilities engaging in normal activities with captions like “no excuses” or “the only disability is a bad mindset.” Not only is it emotionally manipulative, but it’s thoroughly steeped in ableism. Put bluntly, no respectable adult should be watching inspiration porn.”
Inspiration porn has been heavily trafficked through websites with mass viewership and no real way of verifying the age or authenticity of users. Popular sites include FragileXXX and FeedTube. Additionally, the ticket vendor StubHub has had to buy domain rights from a popular inspiration porn site devoted to amputees which has since changed its name to OnlyHands.
Despite attempts to limit access, adult users have figured out ways to alter their location on their cellphones. Recently, surging videos include “Dirty Girl gets CP’d” and “OCD Nerd Shows Stepmom His Massive Tick.”
Flanders asks, “What is so damn inspirational about watching people with disabilities do what you freaks watch abled people do every day?”