No Sex Please, We’re British – the 13 Sex Acts Now Banned in British Porn

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When you think of pornography and adult entertainment, Great Britain probably isn’t the first country you think of. Estimates on the scale of UK porn industry estimate it to be an industry worth around $1 to 2 billion annually. The United States adult entertainment industry, on the other hand, averages around $10 billion annually. By and large, the United States produces the majority of the world’s adult No Sex Pleaseerotica magazines, movies and other related products but the British have always had a thriving industry of their own.Recently, however, a number of changes have been adopted by the British government regulating what can and can’t be shown in adult entertainment. Several of these changes were proposed as a result of high profile crimes in the country where violent porn websites played a role in the crime. Most notable was the murder of special needs teacher Jane Longhurst in 2003. Longhurst was strangled by Graham Coutts, her best friend’s boyfriend. Coutts claimed Longhurst died during a session of erotic asphyxiation that was a part of consensual sex. He was not, however, able to offer any evidence to having a relationship with Longhurst. He was convicted of murder but during his trial, the prosecutor and the media pointed to his long standing fascination with extreme violent pornography as a mitigating factor. Coutts claimed to have a daily internet diet of porn that featured strangulation, rape and necrophilia. As a result, the trial for Coutts also became a trial for extreme porn in general. In the end, the crime and its trial led to a grassroots effort to criminalize extreme porn and regulate the types of images that could be viewed and produced within the country.

Of course, the restrictions born from issues like this have only affected extreme pornography which is, to be fair, difficult to come by anyway. Mainstream adult entertainment felt it was unlikely to be affected by these restrictions but, in the end, the restrictions set in place would make it illegal for the Fifty Shades of Grey series to be produced within the country.

There are 13 specifics acts now listed which cannot be included in any piece of adult entertainment produced within the United Kingdom. They range from the extreme to the surprisingly mild:

  • Urination
  • Humiliation
  • Physical Or Verbal Abuse, Whether Consensual Or Not
  • Strangulations
  • Fisting
  • Face Sitting
  • Penetration By Any Object Associated With Violence, Such As Toy Guns
  • Role-Playing As Non Adults
  • Physical Restraint
  • Caning
  • Aggressive Whipping
  • Spanking
  • Female Ejaculation

Perhaps the most surprising addition is ‘female ejaculation’ as it has nothing to do with violence or extremism. But many of the acts listed caused an uproar with both the mainstream adult entertainment industry and the public at large.

In response to the edict, porn stars, fetish lovers and people who simply like to enjoy sex came together for a protest in London that featured an attempt to break the world record for face sitting. The protest made headlines all over the world and was a force behind the movement to have the issue debated more fully by the government.

While some restrictions are seen as common sense, it’s clear that the fetish and adult entertainment fans of the UK have no intention of letting this list stand unopposed. Currently, there are still active protests and movements within the country which involve professional studios as well as their legions of fans. Best of all, the cause has also become the focus of groups who aim to protect the freedom of speech and expression. The British have always revered turning this into an issue that transcends erotica and could have far reaching implications on everything from modern art to literature.