18+ creations and mature themes
To summarize: As we strive to create a community that is inclusive and diverse, we want to consider the different ages and sensitivities within our patron base. We are not trying to create or reinforce arbitrary frameworks of “right” or “wrong,” but rather want to give people the choice of whether or not to view adult creations.

To help patrons make these decisions, we distinguish adult content (content containing mature themes) from all-audience content by applying an 18+ flag to the former. We define “mature themes” as any audio, visual, or audiovisual creations depicting explicit sexual situations, including nudity in sexual contexts (more on nudity below). We ask creators to flag themselves as 18+ if their creations may be considered inappropriate for people under 18 years of age. We realize the exact age threshold may vary depending on where you are, but most places require a certain level of maturity to view these creations and engage in these activities. Below is a brief, non-exhaustive breakdown for guidance.

Examples of content we view as containing mature themes:

Works depicting real people in the nude in sexual contexts
Animations or illustrations depicting nudity in sexual contexts, and animations or illustrations featuring sexual interactions
Audio content that features simulated sexual interactions
Examples of content we won’t view as mature:

Works featuring nudity that is not designed to be sexually gratifying, such as photos of sculptures or paintings
Works featuring nudity or sexual situations that are designed for educational purposes
A standup comedy set featuring profanity or “adult” language
We ask that all creators keep the public spaces on their Patreon pages (meaning profile pictures, membership tier descriptions, page banners, etc.) appropriate for all audiences. Content depicting mature themes must be reserved for patron-only posts.

Nudity:
As mentioned above, you can post nude creations on Patreon of both real and fictional subjects. Just be sure to mark posts with mature themes as “Patron Only” and ensure your page is flagged as 18+ if your content will feature such themes.

As a reminder, you should never post or share nude creations of any individual under the age of 18, including yourself. As a strong commitment to child safety, we will work with law enforcement whenever we come across child exploitation material. You can read more about our pornography policy in the next section.

Lastly, we understand that you may make a mix of 18+ creations and other types of creations, and that is okay with us too. We will always review your work within its context. However, if you have concerns, please let us know and we will provide you with guidance on how to maintain a dual presence.

Pornography and sexual services:
We don’t allow pornographic material or sexual services on Patreon, which we define as “real people engaging in sexual acts such as masturbation or sexual intercourse on camera.” If you want to learn more, please make sure to also consult our Benefit Guidelines.

Offensive and graphic creations:
We understand that artists sometimes have to push boundaries to create thought-provoking art, so we don’t review offensive and graphic creations with strict black and white guidelines. We instead review creations in the context of the whole creator page.

However, we have zero tolerance when it comes to the glorification of sexual violence which includes bestiality, rape, and child exploitation (i.e., sexualized depiction of minors). This is true for illustrated, animated, or any other type of creations. Patreon reserves the right to review and remove accounts that may violate this guideline.

We also do not allow other fringe sexual fetish creations, such as incest, necrophilia, or fetish creations that are hard to distinguish from non-consensual sex.

We understand that some topics on this list such as incest or rape are a little bit more complicated because these situations are, unfortunately, part of real life. As a result, when reviewing these types of creations, the Trust and Safety team will take into consideration context including personal, historical or educational narrative. For example, survivor stories or fiction such as Lolita are allowed on Patreon.