Gail Dines, Founder & CEO of Culture Reframed
"It is our job to create a safe environment where young people can flourish rather than being targeted by a predatory multimillion-dollar industry that is almost completely deregulated."
Meet Dr. Gail Dines, Anti-Pornography Scholar, Author & Activist
Dr. Gail Dines, Founder and CEO of Culture Reframed, is internationally acclaimed as the leading expert on how pornography shapes our identities, culture, and sexuality. With more than 30 years of research and writing about the porn industry, Dr. Dines is a frequent speaker at events and has appeared in numerous documentaries on the harms of pornography on young people, as well as on television, podcasts, and radio. She is a Professor Emerita of sociology and women’s studies at Wheelock College in Boston.
Building on her research and professional experience, Dr. Dines established Culture Reframed in 2015 as a science-based nonprofit addressing pornography as a public health crisis. Through partnerships, resources, and other initiatives, Culture Reframed aims to build resilience and resistance in youth to hypersexualized media and porn.
Dr. Dines is co-editor of the best-selling textbook Gender, Race and Class in Media. Her book Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality has been translated into five languages and adapted into a documentary film by the Media Education Foundation.
Through her advocacy efforts, Dr. Dines has played an influential role in the adoption of age-verification laws to help protect young people from online pornography. Her science-based, nuanced approach documents the extent of the issue and reinforces the need for policy to address the harms of pornography to young people. Amid growing awareness of the impacts of porn on youth, Dr. Dines has served as a consultant to governmental agencies in the U.S. and abroad, including the UK, Norway, Iceland, Brazil, and Canada.
Appearances
Dr. Dines is a regular guest on television and radio, including programs on ABC, MSNBC, CNN, BBC, CBC, and National Public Radio. She has also been featured in documentaries such as The Strength to Resist: Media’s Impact on Women & Girls, Mickey Mouse Monopoly, and The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality & Relationships.
- TEDx talk
- Truth about Porn
- American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference “Media’s Impact on Youth Sexuality”
- Liberated: The New Sexual Revolution
- How Porn Creates the John: Porn, Trafficking and the Social Construction of Masculinity. Hebrew University, Jerusalem
- Porn Culture with Dr. Gail Dines
- Neo-Liberalism and the Defanging of Feminism. London Feminist Conference
- The Illusionists, a film about the globalization of beauty
- Interview with Lateline, Australia
- Can Porn be Good For You: Debate with Ron Jeremy on Joy Behar Show
- Porn on the Brain, Channel 4 Documentary, UK
- Slutwalks and Modern Feminism: The Agenda with Steven Paikin, Canada
- Gail Dines interviewed, Icelandic Television
- Gail Dines Interview at Wheeler Center, Melbourne, Australia
- AOL Event compilation
- Rich & Shameless, Girls Gone Wild – Episode 1
Book Dr. Dines to Speak
Dr. Dines is available for in-person and virtual events, as well as podcast discussions, interviews, and other opportunities.
Book Dr. Dines NowBooks, Articles and Podcasts
Dr. Dines has shared her expertise in many books, articles, and podcasts, discussing the harms of pornography on youth. Explore select content here:
- Gender, Race and Class in Media
(co-edited with Jean McMahon Humez, Bill Yousman, and Lori Bindig Yousman). 5th Edition Calif.: Sage Publications. 2017. - PornLand: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality
Boston: Beacon Press. 2010. - Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality
(co-authored with Robert Jensen and Ann Russo). New York: Routledge. 1998
- How Violent Porn Initiates Young Boys in Violence Against Women, Ms. Magazine, May 7, 2025
- ‘Be Proactive, Not Just Reactive’: Here’s How To Talk About Consent With Your Children, Grazia Daily, April 9, 2025
- Screen Act, Utah Policy, February 27, 2025
- The Dark Side of the Adult Industry, The Mirror, January 31, 2025
- Putting Minors in Harm’s Way, Coeur d’Alene / Post Falls Press, January 31, 2025
- A David and Goliath Battle Involving a Billion Dollar Pornography Website, Spectator, July 20, 2024
- A Serial Killer’s Death‑bed Warning About Pornography, Blaze Media, May 27, 2024
- This Anti‑Porn Crusader Wants to Close the ‘Naïveté Gap’ Parents Have About Pornography, Deseret News, May 12, 2024
- Opinion — Richard Nelson: Legislation Mandating Age Verification to Access Adult Content Long Overdue, Northern Kentucky Tribune, March 25, 2024
- How Dangerous is Porn?, The Tangle, February 23, 2024
- We Can’t Rely on the Government Alone to Stop Big Porn, The Telegraph, Dec 8, 2023 (also on Yahoo News)
- Analysis: Can People of Faith Embrace a ‘Porn‑Critical’ Sex‑Ed Curriculum in Schools?, Deseret News, October 26, 2023
- What Billie Eilish Has to Do with Utah’s Porn Law, Deseret News, October 10, 2023
- Perspective: OnlyFans’ Soft Prostitution Is Ruining Lives in Real Time, Deseret News, September 11, 2023
- The Fightback Against ‘Big Porn’ Has Only Just Begun, The Telegraph, September 4, 2023
- A Simple Law Is Doing the Impossible: It’s Making the Online Porn Industry Retreat, Politico, August 8, 2023
- New Report Finds Most Teens Watch Online Pornography, Psychology Today, June 1, 2023
- Talking to Your Child about Online Pornography Exposure, American Academy of Pediatrics, May 19, 2023
- The Return of the Porn Wars, Vox, May 16, 2023
- What Happens on a Feminist Porn Set?, Slate, May 13, 2023
- Justin Trudeau Is Trying to Break the Internet, The Globe and Mail, May 3, 2023
- What Is Feminist Porn?, Mumsnet, March 17, 2023
- All Porn Is Exploitation, UK Inquiry Concludes Without Speaking to Any Sex Workers, Vice News, March 1, 2023
- Influential Women in Sociology From the Last 10 Years, Academic Influence, December 22, 2022
- The Rise and Fall of Joe Francis and Girls Gone Wild, The Independent, December 14, 2022
- Pornography Leads to Increased Sexual Violence, Majority Says, Irish Examiner, November 25, 2022
- Pornography Laws – Why Are Some States Prohibiting Pornography?, Washington Independent, September 27, 2022
- Porn Is an Un‑Recognised Link in the Harm Chain of the Commercial Sex Industry, Alliance Magazine, September 23, 2022
- Pro Sports Can Help to ‘De‑Normalize’ Sexual Violence, Ms. Magazine, June 2, 2022
- Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Empire Was Built on the Abuse of Women, Ms. Magazine, January 28, 2022
- Call Ghislaine Maxwell What She Is: A Pimp, Ms. Magazine, January 5, 2022
- Kids Learn About Sex From Porn. Comprehensive Sex Ed Could Help Change That, Ms. Magazine, January 5, 2022
- Pornhub’s Hypocrisy, Medium, January 27, 2021
- Informed Consent Contract for Porn Performers
- MP to Request Pornhub Execs Testify Before Commons Ethics Committee, The Globe and Mail, December 10, 2020
- “So Ashamed: I Was Drugged in a Bar, Sexually Assaulted…”, The Sun (UK), September 15, 2020
- How to Build Your Children’s Resilience to Porn, Boston Globe, September 6, 2020
- TikTok, Netflix’s ‘365 Days’ and the Memeification of Violent Sex by Gen Z, The Independent, August 21, 2020
- Why Porn’s Obsession with Ever‑Younger Girls is Putting Our Daughters in Danger…, Daily Mail, August 3, 2020
- “White Girl Moans Black Lives Matter”: Pornhub’s #BLM Genre, Slate, July 9, 2020
- Dr. Gail Dines: 5 Ways To Create a Healthy Relationship with Screens and Technology, Medium.com, May 13, 2020
- Why Hitting Rock Bottom…, Glamour, March 24, 2020
- Pornography Undermines the #MeToo Movement, Houston Chronicle, December 5, 2019
- The Terrifying Sex Trend Being Forced on Young Women, Daily Mail, December 4, 2019
- Katie Couric’s New Podcast: Teens’ Access to Hardcore Porn Could Hurt Them…, USA Today, October 10, 2019
- The Phones Are Alive, With the Sounds of Katie Couric, The New York Times, October 6, 2019
- Don’t Wait: How to Talk to Teenagers About Porn, The Guardian, August 31, 2019
- The Fatal, Hateful Rise of Choking During Sex, The Guardian, July 25, 2019
- The Birds and the Bees — and Porn — in the Internet Age, NPR’s On Point, June 17, 2019
- What Kids Aren’t Telling Parents About Porn on Social Media, Boston Globe Magazine, January 29, 2019
- Child Pornography May Make a Comeback After Court Ruling Guts Regulations, The Conversation, August 23, 2018
- Choking Women Is All the Rage. It’s Branded as Fun, Sexy ‘Breath Play’, The Guardian, May 13, 2018
- Parents Should Talk to Their Tweens About the Risks of Porn, Salon.com, February 22, 2018
- Parents Need to Start Talking to Their Tweens About the Risks of Porn, The Conversation, February 20, 2018
- Is Porn Immoral? That Doesn’t Matter: It’s a Public Health Crisis, Washington Post, April 8, 2016
- Why Your Father’s Playboy Can’t Compete in Today’s World of Hard-Core Porn, The Conversation, October 22, 2015
- Book Review of *Paid For: My Journey Through Prostitution*, Truthdig, September 18, 2015
- Telling Women They Should Enjoy Hookups Isn’t Liberating, Verily, August 19, 2015
- Don’t Let Fifty Shades of Grey Ruin Your Valentine’s Weekend, Verily, February 11, 2015
- Ghomeshi Played the Role of a Feminist Ally, Feminist Current, November 7, 2014
- Nicki Minaj: Little More Than a Big Butt?, Huffington Post (UK), July 28, 2014
- “Fifty Shades of Grey” Trailer: First Prize for False Advertising, Huffington Post (UK), July 25, 2014
- UCSB, Feminism and Porn, Huffington Post (UK), June 2, 2014
- The Porn Industry and the Tea Party Playbook, CounterPunch, March 10, 2014
- Don’t Be Fooled by Fifty Shades of Grey – Christian Grey Is No Heartthrob, The Guardian, October 25, 2013
- The HIV Crisis in the Porn Industry, CounterPunch, September 27–29, 2013
- You Know You Have Lived Here Too Long When…, CounterPunch, February 15, 2013
- LA County’s Measure B Is a Major Win for Safe Sex in Adult Entertainment, The Guardian, November 12, 2012
- Vagina Gazing at The New York Times, CounterPunch, September 21, 2012
- Porn, Syphilis, and the Politics of the Money Shot, The Guardian, August 28, 2012
- Cosmopolitan and the False Promise of an ‘Awesome Life’, The Guardian, August 7, 2012
- Why Are Women Devouring Fifty Shades of Grey, CounterPunch, July 27, 2012
- When a Feminist Gets Bumped for a Pornographer, CounterPunch, July 10, 2012
- ‘Having It All’ Looks Very Different for Women Stuck in Low‑Paid Jobs, The Guardian, June 25, 2012
- Porn Is in Rude Health, The Guardian, June 7, 2012
- A Feminist Response to Weitzer, Violence Against Women, Vol 18(4):512‑520, April 2012
- The Help at Downton Abbey, CounterPunch, January 13, 2012
- Moral Panic? No. We Are Resisting the Pornification of Women, The Guardian, December 1, 2011
- DSK and the Meaning of Consent, CounterPunch, July 12, 2011
- Hugh Hefner Falls for Matrimony, The Guardian, June 12, 2011
- SlutWalk Is Not Sexual Liberation, The Guardian, May 8, 2011
- Porn: A Multibillion‑Dollar Industry That Renders All Authentic Desire Plastic, The Guardian, January 4, 2011
- Should We Worry Whether Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality?, Uprising Radio, September 11, 2010
- How Porn Is Warping a Generation of Men, New York Post, July 11, 2010
- The Truth About the Porn Industry, *The Guardian*, July 2, 2010
- 3‑D Nude Centerfolds? Playboy Tries to Survive in a Hard‑Core Gonzo Porn World, CounterPunch, May 19, 2010
- Living in a Porn Culture, New Left Project, April 15, 2010
- Not Your Father’s Playboy, CounterPunch, May 17, 2010
- Yale Sex Week Glosses Over Porn’s Dark Side, Hartford Courant, February 11, 2008
- The Anti‑Feminist Politics Behind the Pornography That “Empowers” Women, ZNet & Atlantic Free Press, February 2, 2008
- Feminist Debates on Pornography, in Donsbach (ed.), Intl Encyclopedia of Communication Vol 8, Wiley‑Blackwell, 2008
- The White Man’s Burden: Gonzo Pornography and the Construction of Black Masculinity, *Yale Journal of Law and Feminism*, Vol 14, Spring 2006
- The Trauma and Mental Health Report: How Pornography Affects Modern Views of Relationships: A Discussion with Dr. Gail Dines
- The Dissenter: Gail Dines: Is Pornography Harmful?
- Red Light Expose: Researcher & Survivor Get Real About Porn – Dr Gail Dines and Roxie Roots
- KSL Podcast Radio: An Updated Guide for Parents to Raise Pornography Resilient Kids
- I Am My Passion Project: How our Pornified Culture Grooms Girls to be Sex Objects with Dr. Gail Dines
- The New Feminist Podcast: Patriarchal Porn Culture with Dr. Gail Dines
- Next Question with Katie Couric: Is Violent Porn Changing us?
- Healthy Screen Habits: How to Talk About Pornography with Dr. Gail Dines
- Sex, Body, and Soul: Has Porn Hijacked Our Girls’ Sexuality?
- The Technoskeptic: Gail Dines on Porn Culture
- NPR – “On Point”: Kids and Porn in the Internet Age
- Boston Public Radio: Social Media and Pornography
- Kids Under Construction: Porn Talk: It’s the New Sex Talk
- Hold Me Back: Son and Father Change the Conversation: Pornography
- Healthy Screen Habits: Talking About Porn with the Best – Gail Dines
- Jacob Hawley: On Love: The Pornography Debate
- Betrayal Trauma Recovery Podcast: Pornography is a Human Rights Issue
- Leading Matters with Joel Capperella: Dr. Gail Dines
- Dr. Robyn Silverman Podcast: How to Talk to Kids About Porn
- The Relationship Show: Pornography: A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight
- Subject to Power: Porn is a Battlefield
Gail In The News
More About Culture Reframed
Culture Reframed is the premier science-based, global organization of scholars, professionals, and activists addressing the harms of pornography to youth.
Through our robust courses and other resources for parents and educators, we help ensure kids develop healthy, respectful, and egalitarian views of sex and intimacy throughout their lives.
Every year, Culture Reframed supports tens of thousands of parents, professionals, and educators around the world with the resources they need to promote healthy child and youth development in response to the porn crisis.
Support our work to keep young people safe in our ever-changing digital world.