CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Adult industry mental health nonprofit Pineapple Support is taking Pride Month seriously and in June will host an LGBTQ+ support group and webinar as part of the celebration. Both are free for workers in the adult industry.
The two programs will cover the following topics.
Queering Sex Work: Navigating the Industry Within the LGBTQ+ Community:
This six-week support group for LGBTQ+ industry professionals will explore and discuss the role of a sex worker within a sexual identity. Beginning on Wednesday, June 24, the support group will also discuss moving with societal changes like COVID-19 and maintaining self-care physically and financially, as well as in relationships. The support group will be co-hosted by Andrew Pari and Julie Schiffman, LGBTQ+ and trauma therapists with experience serving the adult industry.
Pride From Inside: Staying True to You and Those Around You:
This webinar will focus on the ways we can build and create connections through different avenues within the LGBTQ+ community while addressing relational challenges and safety issues, whether online or in person. The hour-long webinar will be hosted by Samantha Willis, Julia Schiffman and Hayley Krenzke on Wednesday, June 17, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
“Human connection is foundational in our relationships, both in how we engage at work and in other parts of our lives,” noted Leya Tanit, former British performer and founder of Pineapple Support. “It becomes even more important with how we maintain pride in who we are and how we move with others. As part of Pride Month, we want to make sure the LGBTQ+ performers and industry professionals are supported."
Pineapple Support was founded by Tanit in early 2018, in response to losses in the adult industry from depression, addiction and other mental illnesses. The organization, which is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit in the United States and a registered charity in the UK, has so far connected more than one thousand adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost therapy, counseling and emotional support.
The six-week support group, "Queering Sex Work", will begin on Wednesday, June 24, from Noon-1 p.m. ET/9-10 a.m. PT. For more information and to sign up for the Queering Sex Work support group, click here.
The "Pride From Inside" webinar will take place on Wednesday, June 17, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, and is scheduled to last one hour but may extend. For more information and to sign up for the "Pride From Inside" webinar, click here.
