TransEthics: What does it mean for you to have been in the Trans 100 this year?
Chelsea Poe: It really meant a lot to me. Being recognized by the trans community for my activism is extremely humbling. I think for myself it validates what I have been doing in the industry thus far and really makes me motivated for the future.
TE: Your activism –especially where it intersects with sex work– has ruffled some feathers of late. Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve faced. Continue reading
Trans Ethics: How did you first get in to sex work?
Jane Starr: My first intro to sex work was when I moved to Los Angeles. I needed a job so I could do things like eat, pay rent, sleep indoors. I applied at Buffalo Exchange and The Pleasure Chest, which is probably the most versatile well-known sex store in L.A. I had met a girl who had just been fired from there, so I said “let’s go,” and they hired me. I thought it was going to be the most bleak depressing thing I could ever do.
TE: Sex work, or working at that store?
JS: Working at the store. My only experience with sex work had been at seventeen. I was a homeless drug addict in Houston, Texas . I met lots of other punk street kids –boys and girls. They were really cool. They were open about getting picked up, being prostitutes. This was way before my transition, so I started doing it too. In my drug addict mania I started cross-dressing like all the punk girls I had admired my whole life. But my need to transition was still buried way too deep inside of me.
TE: How did you discover that you needed to transition? Continue reading
Some of my followers on Twitter actually want to know more about me: The woman who started TransEthics. One even asked me “When did you realize that you are actually a girl?” That is an excellent question. And since you asked, I’ll lead you on my journey of self-discovery, and finally self-acceptance.
In hindsight, I’ve known since about 3 or 4. I remember wanting my Mom not to cut my hair. (She did anyway… once I even asked if she could put it in pig-tails, but it was too short.) When growing up, doing “boy stuff” always felt wrong to me. I was always very sensitive and emotional. I wasn’t into sports, hated fishing, and the like. Even more I *hated* boy clothes. I’d always wanted to wear dresses and such, and started to do so secretly at about age 7. Continue reading
TransEthics: What do you say to critics who say that sex work isn’t ethical?
Mia Davina: I would have to play Devil’s Advocate a little and ask what is ethical to them? If working a “Normal” job where you are paid tiny amounts for all your free time and have to put up with bosses you hate is ethical, then I wouldn’t want to be ethical! Porn has always had stigma against it although sex is a beautiful thing that creates life. Porn performers are tested constantly and work in a safe environment. It’s much less “dirty” than sex is for people outside the porn world.
I think people can’t live off of the tiny wages they make doing 40 hours a week, let alone being Trans and having to mask your truth to appease your bosses, and unless people are paid better it is silly to look down on sex work and Adult Entertainment.
TE: What were you doing before you got started in the sex industry? Continue reading
Trans Ethics: How did you get started in the Industry?
Brooke Zanell: I was traveling with TS Lady Godiva escorting, we were in Hollywood, Florida and she asked if I wanted to come with her to her photo shoot with Tonya for Tonyaworld.com. And Tonya asked if I wanted to shoot and I did. I fell in love with the camera.
TE: You do have a flair for it. What awards were you nominated for at the 2015 Transgender Erotica Awards?
BZ: The Transcendence Awards sponsored by Dr. Sinclair
Continue reading
Trans Ethics: How did you get started in the Industry?
Tasha Jones: I got started back in 1997 doing webcam shows for a company called “Video Secrets”. That lead me to open my own websites. When I started doing webcam shows and building my sites, I had no idea what I was doing or where this would lead me. I only knew I liked the attention, and the sex I was getting, made this job seem like the best job I ever had. I did my first video (never released) in 1998, it was really bad. (laughter) But [it was] fun to make and I saw what I could do to improve my “acting” as well as my performance in front of the camera. This lead me to team up with Todd & Mandy where I had the pleasure of working with them on 6 different DVD releases.
TE: Which of those DVDs was your favorite? Continue reading
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