# Sylvia Bourdon

Sylvia Bourdon (born 1949) is a French-German businesswoman, former pornographic actress, artist, and educator. She gained prominence in the 1970s as an actress in pornographic films, later transitioning into business, education, and activism. She has also been involved in political campaigns, particularly in advocating for the legalization of incest among consenting adults in France.
She speaks four languages and is an expert in French art and design.

## Early life and education

Bourdon was born as Sylvia van Ginneken in 1949 in Germany. Little is known about her early childhood, but she moved to France as a young adult, where she eventually became involved in the French adult film industry in the 1970s.
She later pursued studies in art and education, focusing on creative expression and pedagogy.

## Career
### Pornographic Film Industry

During the 1970s, Bourdon appeared in several French erotic and pornographic films, becoming one of the more recognizable figures in the European adult film scene. Her work in these films coincided with a period of sexual liberation in France, as the industry gained legitimacy following the lifting of censorship laws in the late 1960s.

### Business and Activism

After leaving the adult film industry, Bourdon transitioned into business, primarily focusing on advertising and media consultancy. She has worked in various sectors, advocating for free speech and liberal attitudes towards sexuality.
She was a famous gallerist from 1978 to 1985: La Galerie Sylvia Bourdon, 16 rue des Grands Augustins, Paris 6 and BD 36 (restaurant exhibiting cartoons), 36, rue Grégoire de Tours Paris 6.
Bourdon has been outspoken on controversial issues, particularly on the decriminalization of incest between consenting adults. In the late 1990s, she actively campaigned for changes in French law, arguing that the government had no place in regulating private, consensual relationships.
In 1985, she began an eleven-year effort to hold a contest for the European Community's most talented artists to design the then new European currency and have the entries judged in a 12-nation referendum. The "Graphic Ecu Competition" officially launched in April 1993 and, at one point, had twelve European central banks participating. After the contest ended in 1996, none of the contests' 97 banknotes and 44 coin designs were used for the new European currency. Bourdon later sued the European Union over its decision to call the single currency the Euro instead of the Ecu, the name inscribed in the Maastricht Treaty. Her operation is mentioned in a thesis published at MacMillans New York, by Oriane Calligaro: NEGOTIATING EUROPE.
Since 2008 she runs a company promoting French technological innovations in Saudi Arabia, India and Russia.

## Legacy and Public Image

Bourdon remains a controversial figure in France, particularly due to her advocacy for incest decriminalization. While some view her as a radical free speech activist, others have criticized her stance as extreme. Despite this, she has been recognized for her contributions to debates on sexual freedom, artistic expression, and legal reform.

## Books

* L'Amour est une fête (1976). Love Is a Feast, trans. by Barbara Wright (Calder, 1977)