We need to talk: Is OnlyFans really ‘bringing women forward’, or just setting us back?

OnlyFans has become the hot-button issue when it comes to women, sex, money, and feminism. Some say it’s empowering. Others call it exploitation. Big-name creators such as Bonnie Blue and Lil Tay insist they’re bringing women forward. But are they? Or are we just dressing up old-school misogyny in a shiny new package and calling it “liberation”?

Since the platform launched, one question has lingered: Is this really what feminists fought for?

I get it. After decades of struggle, women now have choices that previous generations could only dream of. To be whoever we want. To do whatever we want. But here’s the sticking point: Does OnlyFans represent progress, or a step backwards in disguise?

In a podcast, even Andrew Tate (of all people) once sneered, “Bonnie Blue is the end result of feminism.” And that’s where the debate bites. Because yes, I want freedom. I want control over my body. But no, I don’t want men degrading me, buying me, or consuming me as if I’m a product on a shelf.

via YouTube

Take Bonnie Blue, for example. She talks a lot about consent and choice, she won’t do anything she doesn’t want to. But then came the now-cancelled “petting zoo” challenge, where she planned to let 2,000 men do “whatever they wanted” to her while she was tied up in a glass box. That doesn’t scream empowerment. It screams the exact opposite.

I understand why OnlyFans feels liberating for some women. You set the rules, you control what you share, you make money on your own terms. But let’s not confuse that with progress. Calling it “bringing women forward” is generous at best, and glamourising it is dangerous.

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Because here’s the thing: OnlyFans stars have massive influence on young women. And encouraging 18-year-olds fresh out of school to sell their bodies? That’s not what feminism stands for. Lil Tay recently declared, “Women over 25 doing nine-to-five are failures. Everyone should do OnlyFans.” Really? That’s not liberation. That’s pressure.

Lily Phillips via YouTube

Also, Bonnie Blue recently admitted one of the top porn categories is “teens and barely legals.”  And the truth is, I don’t think most young women signing up to OnlyFans fully know what they’re getting into. Sure, some do, they treat it like a business, they know the risks, they set boundaries. But others? They’re stepping into a machine they can’t fully control.

Even creators like Lily Phillips and Annie Knight admit their “extreme stunts” are physically and mentally challenging. That side doesn’t get the same weight. What sticks is the glam, the quick cash, the flashy lifestyle, and the illusion of “freedom.” And that’s the problem.

So, is OnlyFans really bringing women forward? Or is it just another system where men profit, women are consumed, and we’re tricked into believing it’s empowerment? I know where I stand.

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