The South Asians of OnlyFans
Thousands of South Asian creators have found sexual and economic empowerment on the X-rated platform — yet their work is shrouded in shame.
“I like to think I have that Clark Kent/Superman thing going on, except...you know...kinkier.”
That’s how one 29-year-old Virginia-based creator on OnlyFans, a platform where creators can post steamy photos and videos to earn money, describes his sexual persona. He goes by the handle NOVAdesi, accompanied by a nude photo (censored and headless) of his hirsute body, complete with a “draw me like one of your French girls”-esque pose. “No one would make the connection that I’m the same guy who posts the kind of material that I post online,” the creator shared. “In real life, I’m shy, I keep to myself…I don’t think people would even believe me if I told them.”
While there are at least thousands of South Asians on the subscription service, thanks to a long history of desexualization and the stigma surrounding sex, it still comes as a shock to some that they’re not only out there, but are getting paid to take their clothes off.
But for NOVAdesi — and many other South Asian OnlyFans creators — the platform has become a way to discover and explore their sexualities, and find empowerment where they once found only shame — all while behind a curtain (and a camera).