Blogging platform Tumblr announced back in December that it would be scrubbing itself of all adult content, but the move will only have a negative effect on its users.

The company said on their website “adult content is not allowed on Tumblr, regardless of how old you are. Adult content primarily includes photos, videos or GIFs that show real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples, and any content that depicts sex acts.”

The statement goes on to say that nudity is permitted if it is related to health, political or newsworthy speech and art.

One important word that was left out of the statement? Porn.

There are many other uses for Tumblr: personal blogs, photography blogs and  food photo collections, but a huge part of their brand is pornography.

Tumblr getting rid of porn is like USI getting rid of Springfest. Should they get rid of it? Probably, but what would we do without it?

It’s understandable that Tumblr is trying to avoid people posting child porn on their site, but a lot of its adult content is unlike any other platform.

Because the content on Tumblr is user-generated, many of the body types seen are more natural and don’t depict guys with incredible abs or petite women.

This realism is important for understanding that someone doesn’t have to be 6’4” with muscles coming out of every part of their body or 5’10” with huge boobs to be sexy.

Gender stereotypes are important to dismiss, even in pornography.

Popular porn sites like xVideos and PornHub usually have professionals that do a lot to make them look presentable in front of a camera. This can be good at times, but not realistic or relateable.

Tumblr porn is also important because of its diversity. Again, user-generated posts allow people of all sizes, races, genders and sexualities to contribute to the pornographic arts.

The site was able to create a space for sexually nonnormative people in ways that no other platform could. This includes fetishes like bears and furries.

That is why Tumblr’s ban of adult content is detrimental. These communities don’t have a whole lot of other options to post their content on other platforms.

This translates to a larger issue of whether social media platforms should be limiting what people can and cannot post on their platform. Sure, they have the right to do so, but is it right to limit free speech just because you can?

Tumblr’s adult-content purge has now presented a huge obstacle to communities whether you agree with their work or not, and Tumblr is responsible for exploiting their users and subsequently casting them aside when they are done with them.

Don’t do this to us Tumblr. Bring back our porn.