Holly Ryder

December 23, 1966

Lisa Marie Abato, known by the stage name Holly Ryder, is an American anti-pornography activist and former pornographic film star. Abato worked in the adult film industry for over two years, performing in 200 films. During the early 1990s period of the AIDS endemic, Abato moved away from traditional pornography and into specialized films, which did not require intercourse, including BDSM films. In December 1992, she retired from the adult film industry. After retiring, Abato founded the Holly Ryder Foundation, an organization that funds research around runaways. In 1993, the organization donated $250,000 to the University of California, Los Angeles to research runaways in the sex industry. Abato also became an anti-pornography activist, defining the industry as a crime that is linked to drug trafficking and money laundering.