Los Angeles: In the lead-up to the election, porn stars are warning that if Donald Trump is re-elected, he might attempt to shut down the pornography industry. In response, they have launched the #HandsOffMyPorn campaign, aimed at encouraging young men to vote against him.

So far, the campaign has spent USD 200,000 on advertisements on adult websites, cautioning viewers that Trump’s supporters want to ban pornography and criminalise the stars who perform in it. They urge Americans to voice their opposition at the polls. "If you care about adult entertainment, if you consume or create adult entertainment, you gotta vote November 5," said porn actress Siouxsie Q. "There's no two ways about it."

This initiative responds to Project 2025, a plan for reshaping the federal government if Trump wins. Page five of the 900-page tome's foreword states: "Pornography should be outlawed. The people who produce and distribute it should be imprisoned." Although Trump has distanced himself from the project, many of its authors are former members of his administration, and Democrats argue its policies align with his views.

The #HandsOffMyPorn campaign targets men, who are four times more likely to watch porn than women, according to the Institute for Family Studies. With the election between Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris approaching, polls show a significant gender divide among voters. Trump has a strong following among male voters, often speaking to young men on right-wing podcasts.

“Public service announcements” from #HandsOffMyPorn are being aired in key states like Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Georgia, often just before users watch adult videos. Stars like Siouxsie Q appear and say: "Hey, I know you're busy. I know you're doing something. Hold on. If you want to keep doing this, you really need to vote on November 5... Enjoy!" It’s important to note that Harris is not associated with this campaign, which is funded by the independent group Artists United for Change. "Hopefully, secretly, she likes what we're doing," she added.

Holly Randall, a veteran of the adult industry, expressed concern over the threat posed by potential crackdowns on pornography, saying she’s never seen such a serious danger to the industry, even during the 1980s when her parents worked in porn under Ronald Reagan's stricter regulations. "I've seen these attacks come and go.... Project 2025, is the most explicit iteration of wanting to completely outlaw porn," she said.

"Absolutely, I am worried about imprisonment," added Siouxsie Q, who made her name performing in feminist, queer and bondage films, before moving on to producing.

Porn stars warn that the implications of these efforts could go beyond their industry. Siouxsie Q described pornography as the "canary in the coal mine" for free speech rights. She pointed out that the Republican-led bans on sex education books in schools highlight a broader issue.

Randall added that adult entertainment is a "lightning rod" for larger debates, including trans rights, same-sex marriage, and reproductive rights. "It's always the easiest thing to attack, because it represents people's uncertainty and fear about the changing morals of sexuality and of gender fluidity," she said.

While Trump has repeatedly claimed he is not connected to Project 2025, a recent New York Times investigation revealed that many of its authors had ties to his administration.

Randall also noted the irony of Trump—who faced legal troubles over “hush money” payments to porn star Stormy Daniels—becoming part of this movement, even though she believes he personally "doesn't actually care whether or not it's outlawed." 

"But it's the people around him, like (Trump running mate) J.D. Vance, these ultra-right-wing conservatives, who want to ban porn," she said. Vance wrote the foreword to an upcoming book by Kevin D. Roberts -- the author of the Project 2025 section that calls for a ban on porn.

"I think Trump will easily step aside and allow that to happen," said Randall.

Agency