Shelley Lubben (May 18, 1968 – February 9, 2019) was an

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author, singer, motivational speaker, and pornographic actress. As a performer in the adult film industry, she was known professionally as Roxy. After she left the sex industry, Lubben became a born-again Christian and

anti-pornography Reasons for opposition to pornography include religious objections and feminist concerns (for specific sectors of feminism), as well as alleged harmful effects, such as pornography addiction. Pornography addiction is not a condition recognized ...

activist. From 2008 to 2016, she was the executive director of the Pink Cross Foundation, which reaches out to women and men in pornography and speaks in public forums, sharing about the hazardous working conditions that she experienced in the porn industry. In January 2016, she closed the Pink Cross Foundation. She was also an ordained Chaplain with the Order of Saint Martin with a degree in Theological studies.

Early life

Lubben was born on May 18, 1968 in Pasadena, California. In an interview with

Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, '' The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terr ...

and '' Deseret News'', Lubben stated that when she was nine years old, a Female classmate and her teenage brother

sexually abused Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assau ...

her in a swimming pool. Lubben worked as a prostitute from age 18 to 26. During this time, she became pregnant by one of her customers, and later gave birth to a daughter.

Career

Adult industry

Lubben entered the adult film industry, while working as a prostitute, when she was 24 years old. During her time in the sex industry, she contracted

herpes Herpes simplex is a viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. Infections are categorized based on the part of the body infected. Oral herpes involves the face or mouth. It may result in small blisters in groups often called cold ...

and

HPV Human papillomavirus infection (HPV infection) is caused by a DNA virus from the '' Papillomaviridae'' family. Many HPV infections cause no symptoms and 90% resolve spontaneously within two years. In some cases, an HPV infection persists and re ...

, which led to cervical cancer, and resulted in the removal of half her cervix. During and after her life in the sex industry, she battled alcohol and drug addictions. During her pornographic career, which lasted from 1993–1994, Lubben appeared in about 15 hardcore movies. Lubben stated that the sex acts that women perform on film sets are physically harmful (including

anal Anal may refer to: Related to the anus *Related to the anus of animals: ** Anal fin, in fish anatomy ** Anal vein, in insect anatomy ** Anal scale, in reptile anatomy *Related to the human anus: ** Anal sex, a type of sexual activity involving s ...

and uterine hemorrhaging), and psychologically traumatizing.

Advocacy

In 2005, Lubben initiated an aggressive online marketing campaign, utilizing social networking web sites in order to reach out to the sex industry. In 2008, Lubben established a

faith-based organization A faith-based organization is an organization whose values are based on faith and/or beliefs, which has a mission based on social values of the particular faith, and which most often draws its activists (leaders, staff, volunteers) from a particula ...

called the Pink Cross Foundation. The group concentrated on outreach to and evangelism of those in the porn industry, especially performers, and offers support to those wishing to leave the industry. The organization solicited donations online and offered an online support forum for individuals that are addicted to drugs,

sex Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones ( ova, of ...

, and pornography. When Lubben identified interested individuals, she sent care packages filled with religious literature, bibles, Christian music, local grocery and department store gift cards, and other spiritual and practical supports. A secondary focus of Pink Cross was outreach to individuals seeking recovery from pornography addiction. Pink Cross attended pornography conventions to educate fans about how porn is not glamorous and also reaching out to porn stars and reminding them that they have options. The Pink Cross Foundation also lobbied against pornography and the adult entertainment industry. Lubben supported

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

legislator

Charles Calderon Charles Michael Calderon (born March 12, 1950) is an American attorney and politician who served in both chambers of the California State Legislature. Early life and education Calderon was born on March 12, 1950 in Montebello, California. H ...

in his effort to tax the pornographic industry by speaking to lawmakers about her experiences. Lubben indicated that the scenes on the set of a hardcore porn film often involve a woman and several men who are doing degrading acts to the woman. Lubben described the scene of a hardcore porn film as devoid of intimacy, and described it as "all mechanical and beastly". She further wrote that "women are vomiting off the set, and most of the actors are doing drugs and alcohol." In June 2010, she spoke to U.S. House and Senate members and their staffs in Washington DC about the damage that was done to her body from her time in the porn industry. Moreover Lubben was outspoken regarding the illegal and hazardous working conditions in the industry, with sexually transmitted diseases being a workplace safety issue and public health concern. , Lubben was presenting her personal experiences in the adult film industry in public forums and speaking out about her recovery process and the emotional, mental, and physical effects of pornography on performers. In February 2011, she spoke at

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, where she presented on the harmful effects of pornography and debated the issue with advocates speaking on behalf of the pornography industry. In January 2013, Swiss recording artist and model

Patrick Nuo Patrick Nuo (born 31 August 1982) is a Swiss singer. Early life Nuo was born and raised in Lucerne, Switzerland, where he lived till the age of 17. His mother is Swiss and his father is an ethnic Albanian from Kosovo. He has a younger brother, ...

publicly claimed that Lubben helped him deal with his pornography addiction. In January 2016, the Pink Cross Foundation shut down.

Media appearances

Lubben appeared in various international media outlets, including radio, television, and film. An overview of her life has been featured in the documentaries ''Traffic Control'' and ''Out of the Darkness'', the latter of which was selected to be the opening film for the John Paul II Film Festival in 2011. Lubben was also in the 2012 documentary ''

After Porn Ends ''After Porn Ends'' is a 2012 American documentary film about the pornography industry. It features interviews with Asia Carrera, Nina Hartley, Mary Carey, Randy West, Richard Pacheco, John Leslie, Amber Lynn, Seka, Raylene, Bill Margold, Sh ...

'', which is about life after being in the porn industry. In February 2011, she became the subject of a documentary entitled, ''The Devil and Shelley Lubben'', created by porn industry advocate Michael Whiteacre. According to Mark Kernes of the adult industry

trade journal A trade magazine, also called a trade journal or trade paper (colloquially or disparagingly a trade rag), is a magazine or newspaper whose target audience is people who work in a particular trade or industry. The collective term for this ...

'' AVN'', the film disputes Lubben's experiences in pornography and the trauma she says can be traced to those experiences. In June 2012, Lubben shared her life story in

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to local media outlets.

Recording background

In January 2011, Lubben released a rap/hip hop album with the proceeds going to the Pink Cross Foundation to help women and men recover from porn. The first single, titled "Killer Fantasy", features the message of a porn star speaking to the porn fan about the truth behind the adult industry.

Death

Lubben died on February 9, 2019, in

Springville, California Springville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 934 at the 2010 census, down from 1,109 at the 2000 census. Geography Springville is located at (36.128378, -118.819001). Accordi ...

at the age of 50. No cause was given.

Published work

* Lubben, Shelley. ''Truth Behind the Fantasy of Porn: The Greatest Illusion on Earth'', CreateSpace, 2010.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lubben, Shelley 1968 births 2019 deaths 20th-century American women 20th-century Christians 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American women writers 21st-century Christians Activists from California Actresses from Pasadena, California American Christian writers American evangelicals Anti-pornography activists Anti–human trafficking activists Christians from California Converts to Christianity Writers from Pasadena, California American women non-fiction writers