The power of stigma: telling the story of the exclusion of Porn Pedallers Cycling Club from British Cycling

In 2019, Porn Pedallers Cycling Club (PPCC), an organization for adult industry workers who enjoy social and competitive cycling, had its affiliation revoked by UK cycling organization British Cycling due to its links with pornography. The removal of this privilege resulted in considerable media attention in the cycling, mainstream, and adult media. This article explores how British Cycling was able to effectively shut down the debate as to whether the PPCC should be allowed to affiliate through its positioning of both parties. Through critical discourse analysis of online news articles, the article demonstrates how the British media used images and language to stigmatize the PPCC, making constructive debate unfeasible. The authors of this article are public relations scholars and through the analysis of this fast-moving story suggest ways that small or independent organizations in the adult industry might react when in conflict with corporate entities.