Why January 25th Still Matters Today

Why January 25th Still Matters Today

On January 25th, 1917, 300 sex workers stormed the Central Methodist Church in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district to protest the closure of their brothels.

The Maimie Papers with Ruth Rosen

The Maimie Papers with Ruth Rosen

The Maimie Papers was written by historian Ruth Rosen, an award-winning journalist and Professor Emerita at University of California Davis.

Mae West: Unapologetic Sex Symbol

Mae West: Unapologetic Sex Symbol

Mae West was an actress, writer, and unapologetic sex symbol. She enchanted the American stage with unabashed humor and demand for social change.

Madam Fan Jones of Bangor, Maine

Madam Fan Jones of Bangor, Maine

Madam Fan Jones successfully ran Bangor, Maine’s most popular and longest running brothel called the Sky Blue House of Pleasure.

Who was Jezebel?

Who was Jezebel?

Who was Jezebel? How did her legacy become synonymous with loose, misfit, morally depraved, wicked women?

The Age-Old Stigma of Mary Magdalene

The Age-Old Stigma of Mary Magdalene

The stigma of Mary Magdalene has endured throughout biblical times into the current era. How did she become aligned with sex workers?

Sex Work Coming Out Stories

Sex Work Coming Out Stories

Sharing sex work coming out stories; some are funny, some are sad, and they all remind us this holiday season that we are never alone.

Tina Horn on SfSx & We Too

Tina Horn on SfSx & We Too

Tina Horn is the creator and writer of the sci-fi sex-rebel comic book series SfSx and the co-editor of the feminist essay collection We Too.

Jack the Ripper’s Victims

Jack the Ripper’s Victims

Stories of five of Jack the Ripper’s Victims: Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Kate, and Mary Jane. Whatever you do, don’t just Google “Jack the Ripper’s victims” — trust us on this, that search leads to dark places.

#OldProProject & Why January 25th Matters

#OldProProject & Why January 25th Matters

#OldProProject & Why January 25th Matters iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify On January 25th, 1917, 300 sex workers in San Francisco marched to protest the imminent closure of their brothels. #OldProProject is an annual event that builds towards this anniversary, and...
Lilith

Lilith

Lilith Apple Podcasts | Spotify Lilith: The First Woman and First Feminist The story of Eve tempting Adam in the Garden of Eden is a patriarchal fairy tale that most of us learn at an early age. But Eve wasn’t the first wife or the first woman. Her predecessor,...
Melania Trump

Melania Trump

Born to tax evaders in Slovenia, Melania Trump is the 45th First Lady of the United States, model, and an old pro.

Victoria Woodhull

Victoria Woodhull

Soothsayer, suffragette, stockbroker, sex worker, and candidate for US President, Victoria Woodhull lived a vibrant, controversial life.

Lou Graham

Lou Graham

Madam Lou Graham was so rich that she served as an alternative to banks, giving loans to business propositions deemed too risky by bankers.

Cardi B

Cardi B

The most famous sex worker of today’s music industry, Cardi B unabashedly flaunts her past as a stripper in her songs, videos, and social media.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Best known for his paintings of the moulin rouge, French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was also a john who (literally) lived in brothels.

Ching Shih

Ching Shih

Ching Shih went from working as a full service sex worker to becoming the one of the most successful pirate captains in the history of the world.

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe’s undeniable charisma, comedic genius, and iconic sensuality enchant and resonate with old pros and civilians alike.

Anais Nin

Anais Nin

Anaïs Nin was one of the first prominent modern western women known to explore and take part in erotic writing.

Tlazōlteōtl

Tlazōlteōtl

Mesoamerican Goddess, Tlazōlteōtl, symbolically pardoned her followers’ sin in a never ending circle of life, sex, and death.

Aileen Wuornos

Aileen Wuornos

Infamous misandrist and queer icon Aileen Wuornos killed seven men while working as a hitch hiking sex worker in Florida.

Stormy Daniels

Stormy Daniels

Stormy Daniels is an incredible self made woman and sex worker who had the audacity to tell her own story.

Big Nosed Kate

Big Nosed Kate

Big Nosed Kate worked as a full service sex worker and eventually became the wife and companion of Old West gunfighter Doc Holiday.

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone

Unbeknownst to most, six years before writing and starring in Rocky, Sylvester Stallone was the lead in a soft core porn film.

Bettie Page

Bettie Page

Bettie Page, iconic pin-up and bondage model of the 20th century, had an on-and-off again relationship with Evangelical Christianity.

Linda Lovelace and Andrea Dworkin

Linda Lovelace and Andrea Dworkin

Powerhouses of the “Porn Wars”; Linda Lovelace (star of Deep Throat) who later in life joined Andrea Dworkin in the campaign against porn.

Congressional Election Blues

Congressional Election Blues

In this special episode, Kaytlin talks about losing the NY12 Democratic Primary and next steps in the fight for sex worker rights.

Julie D’Aubigny

Julie D’Aubigny

In 17th century France, Julie D’Aubigny seduced aristocratic men and women, did some grave robbing, and burned a nunnery. A bisexual legend.

Gypsy Rose Lee

Gypsy Rose Lee

Special guest Jacq the Stripper joins Kaytlin Bailey to talk about American icon and patron saint of strippers, Gypsy Rose Lee.

Valerie Solanas

Valerie Solanas

Ceyenne Doroshow co-hosts a discussion of the life and work of an unrepentant hustler, author, and attempted murderer, Valerie Solanas.

Maggie Meller

Maggie Meller

French courtesan Marguerite Marie Alibert, otherwise known as Maggie Meller, was the lover of Edward the VII.

Dorian Corey

Dorian Corey

As documented in the film Paris Is Burning, Dorian Corey was one of the queens of the New York City Ball Culture.

Elizabeth Moryng

Elizabeth Moryng

A 13th Century madame who tricked the system, Elizabeth Moryng serviced the religious clergy under the guise of an embroidery business.

Sharmus Outlaw

Sharmus Outlaw

Sharmus Outlaw’s legacy lives on through harm reduction and outreach efforts of the people who loved and were inspired by her vibrant spirit.

Timarchus

Timarchus

Timarchus was a sex worker in his youth and was later shunned and outcast by his fellow politicians in ancient Greece.

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy participated in the Stonewall Riots and founded the The Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat & Historical Center.

Flawless Sabrina

Flawless Sabrina

Arrested over a hundred times, Flawless Sabrina mothered and mentored countless young trans women in the New York City ballroom scene.

Georgina Beyer

Georgina Beyer

Georgina Beyer went from survival sex worker to radio host, and ultimately took her place as the first trans politician in New Zealand.

FOSTA / SESTA

FOSTA / SESTA

FOSTA / SESTA were introduced as bills to stop sex trafficking, however legislators fail to distinguish adult, consensual sex work.

Jenna Jameson

Jenna Jameson

An absolute legend in the adult film world, Jenna Jameson took her success in the sex industry and started an empire.

Yoshiwara

Yoshiwara

Yoshiwara was the infamous red light district in 17th century Edo, current day Tokyo, Japan. The original hoe-topia, if you will.

Der Pranger

Der Pranger

Der Pranger was a German communist publication by whores for whores, attempting fair treatment and laws for sex workers and their patrons.

Salon Kitty

Salon Kitty

While running a brothel in Berlin, Nazis threatened to throw Salon Kitty into a concentration camp unless she cooperated with them.

Operation Midnight Climax

Operation Midnight Climax

The US government forced sex workers to administer LSD tests on their unsuspecting clients, a.k.a. Operation Midnight Climax.

Yu Husuan-Chi

Yu Husuan-Chi

Yu Husuan-Chi had a reputation of being sexually adventurous, and is thought to be China’s first openly bisexual historical figure.

Heidi Fleiss

Heidi Fleiss

Heidi Fleiss ran an upscale prostitution ring based in Los Angeles, California in the 1990s and was known as the “Hollywood Madam.”

Santa Claus (Nicholas of Myra)

Santa Claus (Nicholas of Myra)

You may know him as Santa Claus or Old Saint Nick, but Nicholas of Myra has an untold history of relationships with sex workers.

Wu Zeitan

Wu Zeitan

From an impoverished child to the concubine of a powerful Emperor, Wu Zeitan became a powerful Empress who really knew how to run it all.

Sex Worker Witch Hunt

Sex Worker Witch Hunt

Are sex worker witch hunts being subtly implemented by law enforcement agencies in an attempt to criminally punish sex workers?

Joanna of Naples

Joanna of Naples

Queen of Naples, Countess of Provence, and Princess of Achaea… the epic story of Joanna of Naples lives up to the hype of her titles.

Anna Nicole Smith

Anna Nicole Smith

Anna Nicole Smith was labeled a white trash gold digger throughout her career, all for capitalizing on her sexuality and good looks.

Phryne

Phryne

Phryne was a renowned courtesan in Athens at the height of the civilization’s power in ancient Greece, around the 4th century B.C.E.

Mary Jones

Mary Jones

The life of Mary Jones gives us a glimpse into the lives of old pros, transgender, and queer experiences in the early 19th century.

Ah Toy

Ah Toy

Ah Toy was a Chinese American prostitute and madam who dominated the booming sex work industry in San Francisco during the Gold Rush.

Veronica Franco

Veronica Franco

Courtesan, poet, and author Veronica Franco endured public shaming during the 16th Century in Venice, Italy.

Ishtar

Ishtar

The goddess of romantic love and fertility, Ishtar was worshipped through the bodies of church-sanctioned prostitutes.