Feminist activists are protesting a conference in Indianapolis about the dangers of pornography.
The two-day event is called The Harms of Pornography: A Feminist Framework. The Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault, or ICESA, organized the event.
The conference speakers are mostly feminist scholars and experts, sexual abuse advocates and students.
Cassandra Avenatti is an activist and the founder of Queering Indy. She joined protestors outside the event Monday. Avenatti says ICESA should have included sex workers in the discussion.
"If you're trying to help or support a population by silencing them, that is not actually helping," Avenatti says.
Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault CEO Tracy Horth Krueger says the event is about showing the inherent dangers and sexism in the pornography industry.
"Pornography absolutely exacerbates sexual violence," Krueger says. "Our kids at younger and younger ages are watching pornography at horrific rates and they are taking on these behaviors."
In response to critics, ICESA issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to preventing sexual violence and saying, "Genuine culture change can only occur when individuals and agencies are willing to take a stand and encourage others to engage in difficult, sometimes upsetting conversations."