When the world shut down last year, adult performers became the unlikely first responders. With millions out of work and locked down, cam models, studio performers and independent creators on platforms like OnlyFans and FanCentro became a vital lifeline to companionship, romance and release to millions of people.
But most of those people don’t realize how hard the pandemic has been hard on sex workers. During the past year, big studios stopped shooting entirely, or moved to remote shoots, cutting off vital income. Many performers were forced to move in with family, or lost childcare, and could no longer work. All the while, tens of thousands of new people, out of work and needing income, flooded the platforms and diluted earnings.
As the founder and CEO of Pineapple Support, a mental health non-profit for adult performers — as well as a performer myself — I saw this struggle first-hand. I saw sex workers who lost their day jobs after they were outted by fans. Cam models who doubled as therapists. Adult performers who lost everything when their social media accounts were blocked.
Sex workers already face shame, stigma and discrimination on a daily basis. Online, we face trolls, stalkers and content thieves every day. Offline, we can face estranged families, income instability and a court system that works against us. Finding a therapist who can treat us and our work without judgement is difficult. It’s no wonder that anxiety, addiction and depression can be life threatening for even the most successful among us.
I founded Pineapple Support three years ago in response to a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illnesses. We’ve already helped over 2000 adult performers access mental health services, such as free and low-cost therapy, online workshops and support groups, monthly webinars and 24/7 emotional support.
When the pandemic hit last year, we responded with classes and workshops and increased resources for anyone in the adult industry that was looking for support. It’s been a strain on our organization, and we need your help.
You may not realize it, but fans have a powerful effect on performers’ well-being. If you care about the performers that entertain you, there are a few things you can do.
- Pay for your content: Performers are only able to survive if they are financially compensated for their work. Whether it’s a studio or a fan platform, paid memberships and clips allow people to survive.
- Purchase directly from performers: When you buy clips, subscriptions and other content directly from performers, they profit directly.
- Have respect: Understand that performers are real people and that harassment, bullying and doxxing are incredibly disturbing and stressful, and can lead to depression, anxiety, addiction, and even suicide.
- Donate to Pineapple Support: We’re the only real choice for many performers struggling with their mental health, and whatever you give goes to support the workers you love at a time of incredible strain.
As you can imagine, we’ve seen a massive increase in demand in the past year. We ask that if our ‘first responders’ made your lockdown more enjoyable, that you pass it on and help us support the people responsible. We love the work we do, and we love our fans, and in this time of unprecedented crisis, we need your help to keep our community healthy.
