End of Year Roundup/2020 In Review

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With all the challenges we faced globally, 2020 was a pivotal year for the adult industry — and Pineapple Support. Our organisation saw immense growth and expanded its reach across the globe, fighting to meet the skyrocketing demand for services that came with the pandemic.

By the end of 2020, we had connected over 2,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost, therapy, counseling and emotional support. It’s a sobering statistic of what a critical resource Pineapple Support has become for adult performers.

The pandemic increased isolation, fears over lost income, and added challenges for parents and others who normally shoot or cam from home. Common daily struggles such as depression, anxiety and trauma were exasperated during lockdowns, and systematic discrimination in the healthcare industry proved a hurdle for many. Thankfully, Pineapple Support could help.

 

Despite the financial challenges that the adult industry faced, in the past year we have:

  • Connected over 1300 performers, producers and other members of the adult community with emotional support and therapy
  • Provided over 6000 one-on-one therapy sessions to adult performers and producers
  • Recruited more than 145 new therapists worldwide
  • Added 29 new sponsors
  • Hosted over 30 webinars and 100 support group meetings
  • Spoken at or attended eight major industry events
  • Provided active listening to 400 individuals in need of emotional support

 

COVID-19

In March, the novel coronavirus dominated the global stage and lockdowns began. We quickly began monthly webinars to help performers cope with unique stressors of pandemic. By April, support requests by performers had almost doubled, and by our second anniversary, we reached a new milestone — connecting over 1000 performers with mental health support.

COVID dominated our thoughts and plans for the rest of the year. With COVID in mind, we launched special programs, increased outreach and education, and worked to marshall all available resources for struggling performers.

 

WEBINARS AND SUPPORT GROUPS

We began 2020 with drop-in therapy at AVN, but by March we’d shifted our focus to virtual events to reach performers at home. The change was a challenge and a learning opportunity. While we couldn’t reach people in person, we could reach a potentially wider audience.

Some of our newly launched support groups addressed issues like grief, loss and trauma, while others focused on specific techniques like DBT and music therapy to equip performers with strategies to maintain positive mental health. We created specific support groups prioritizing the needs of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ performers, parents, and men. Support groups are a crucial way to build community — and lasting connections.

Meanwhile our webinars offered concentrated doses of knowledge. We launched an training session for suicide prevention and session on sex-positive parenting tips. In May, we partnered with Streammate on a three-day online wellness event with Streamate helping workers learn how to mitigate the stress and anxiety caused by the coronavirus pandemic. It was followed in June by a breathwork webinar sponsored by Pornhub and Modelhub, which offered tools for reducing stress, anxiety, depression.

Throughout the year, our webinars addressed issues addiction, racial trauma, sexual trauma, family stress and strategies for better mental health.

 

EVENTS

 Industry Shows

We were lucky enough to attend AVN EXPO in person in January, where we hosted our annual drop-in therapy booths, TES Lisbon and XBIZ LA, where we gave presentations on mental health to industry influencers. We attended many of these, representing the organisation with booths at XBIZ Berlin (hosting a financial wellbeing workshop), XBIZ Miami (where we hosted a VIP support lounge) and YNOT Cammunity. 

Pineapple Summit

In December, we hosted our annual Pineapple Mental Health Summit, focusing on topics like trauma, abuse, stalking and anxiety. The Summit, broadcast on Pornhub Live and sponsored by Pornhub and Modelhub, featured live webinars and panels with therapists and industry experts. The Summit was held in memory of Dr. Amie Harwick, a Pineapple Support therapist who lost her life tragically earlier in the year.

Miss Pineapple Pageant

In June, we partnered with Falcon and NakedSword to present the 2020 “Miss Pineapple” Pageant as a virtual fundraiser for Pineapple Support, inviting top gay porn stars to compete as drag queens for the title. We raised money and, more importantly, awareness, in the LGBTQ+ community.

 

Woman of the Year Award

I was proud to accept the Woman of the Year award at the 2020 XBIZ online industry award in January. The recognition fuelled my determination to continue to expand the support that we offer, as well as increasing our reach to support even more performers around the world.

 

ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH

 South American Expansion

In February, I visited Colombia to meet the Pineapple Support therapists at the WebCam Lab. During the year, our partnership with the WebCam Lab has helped connect over 325 performers with mental health services in Latin America. In response to the pandemic, we began offering virtual psychological support via Skype and WhatsApp to help performers mitigate the anxiety caused by COVID-19. In July this year, we added independent therapist Yiset Mosquera Moreno to the team to provide further support to Spanish-speaking performers in Latin America.

 

Sponsors

It’s thanks to our generous sponsors that we’re able to continue to do the good work that we do. Sponsors like Pornhub, Brazzers, Clips4Sale, Cam4, Kink.com, xHamster , Chaturbate, Adultwork, Streamate, SextPanther, Free Speech Coalition, PervOut Productions and NakedSword were exceptional in their commitment to our organization, and we would not be here without them. This year, we added 29 new sponsors including:

 

  • NETbilling
  • Vixen Media Group
  • XloveCam
  • MojoHost
  • Porn Deals
  • Pascal’s Sub Sluts
  • Transerotica
  • Adult Webmaster Net
  • Porn Star Platinum
  • Eplay
  • Segpay
  • The Adult Toy Shop
  • Babestation
  • Playboy
  • JuicyAds
  • AltPlayGround
  • NMG Management
  • #LetsDoeIt
  • ImLive
  • JuicyAds
  • Flirt4Free
  • Gamma Films
  • Bathmate
  • Erika Lust Films
  • Rabbits Reviews
  • TeamSkeet
  • Fans
  • Adult Site Broker

 

The Beauty Of Consent – A Poem

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and with consent
she bloomed

instead of forcing
she felt inside

she asked permission of herself
she became intimate with her deepest needs

with consent
she softened

instead of pushing
she offered

she sat,
patiently

awaiting a response

her
sacred
response

and she listened
and respected

with consent she relaxed
and let go

and instead of feeling violated
compromised
by herself

she was wrapped
in the warm glow of safety
she was cocooned in love
and light

nestled amongst the petals

held in safety
held in love

a portrait of the delicacy
of consent

she dozed
in the afternoon sun

warm
in the knowledge that she was safe
would always be safe
with herself

she had permission to be
permission to respect her limits
permission to fulfil her needs

she had permission to rest
she had consent

at last

–19.02.2021–

by Eliza

Instagram @transmuting.through.words

Pineapple Support Debuts ‘Pineapples United’ Memberships

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Pineapple Support has introduced Pineapples United, a membership club for the adult industry that offers a direct connection to the organization’s staff and board members.

“We can’t do what we do without community,” Pineapple Support Founder Leya Tanit said. “It’s not just an integral part of the adult industry, it’s a key to better mental health outcomes. That’s why we’re reaching out to the broader community to get involved by becoming a part of our team. As a Pineapples United member, you’ll be part of a committed group of individuals who will be invited to organizational meetings, have your voice heard and help grow the organization.”

The following Pineapples United support packages are available to the industry:

  • Mango: $10 monthly subscription
  • Banana: $25 monthly subscription
  • Kiwi: $50 monthly subscription
  • Passion Fruit: $100 monthly subscription

“We know there are so many people in our industry who care about the health and wellbeing of its members,” continued Tanit. “So many people are struggling in this industry, and Pineapples United is a way to help them by giving back. The money raised by Pineapples United will help provide free and low-cost therapy for those who can not afford it, and help sustain the organization.”

Pineapple Support is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States and a registered charity in the U.K.

Visit PineappleSupport.org for additional details; click here for sponsorship information and follow Pineapple Support on Twitter.

Pineapple Support to Host ‘Virtual Wellness Stage’ at InterNEXT This Week

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Pineapple Support will host a two-day “virtual wellness stage,” sponsored by ImLive, at the InterNEXT online expo tomorrow and Thursday.

The stage, available to InterNEXT participants, will host “live workshops and interactive webinars from Pineapple Support therapists, as well as activities from holistic and physical health professionals, such as breathworks, meditation and workouts,” noted a rep.

“The workshops will be led by various health experts, with open-ended discussions about the issues that affect performers, teaching strategies for dealing with stress, depression and other mental health-related issues,” the rep continued. “In addition to the wellness stage, attendees can also visit the Pineapple Cabana where the organization will be hosting discussions alongside health experts, including Jason Domino and BIPOC-AIC’s Jet Setting Jasmine.”

Pineapple Support’s schedule is as follows:

Day One

  • 2 a.m. (PST)/11 a.m. (CET): “Breathwork & Yoga Nidri for Inner-Healing”
  • 3 a.m. (PST)/12 p.m. CET): “HIV/PrEP Discussions”
  • 4:30 a.m. (PST)/1:30 p.m. (CET): “Mindful Meditation”
  • 8:30 a.m. (PST)/5:30 p.m. (CET): “BIPOC Community Discussion”
  • 10 a.m. (PST)/7 p.m. (CET): “Goal-Orientated Emotion Focused Techniques”
  • 11 a.m. (PST)/8 p.m. (CET): “Holistic Approach To Mental Health”
  • 12 p.m. (PST)/9 p.m. (CET): “Boundaries & Self-Care”
  • 1 p.m. (PST)/10 p.m. (CET): “Empowering The Self”

Day Two

  • 2 a.m. (PST)/11 a.m (CET): “Pilates Full-Body Conditioning”
  • 5 a.m. (PST)/2 p.m. (CET): “Meditation & Matrix Reprinting”
  • 6 a.m. (PST)/3 p.m. (CET): “Hypnotherapy”
  • 7 a.m. (PST)/4 p.m. (CET): “Trauma in Marginalized Communities”
  • 8 a.m. (PST)/5 p.m. (CET): “Sexual Health Discussion”
  • 12 p.m. (PST)/9 p.m. (CET): “How Our Industry Can Support Our Performers (presented by ImLive)”
  • 2 p.m. (PST)/11 p.m. (CET): “Couples Advice”
  • 3 p.m. (PST)/12 a.m. (CET): “Surviving Abuse”

Visit Pineapple Support online and on Twitter for additional information.

Find InterNEXT online and on Twitter for the latest updates.

Pineapple Support to Host Relationship Webinar for Performers, Creators

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Pineapple Support will host “Stocking Your Relationship Tool Kit with HART,” a webinar about how to manage relationships as an adult content creator.

The event, sponsored by Team Skeet, will be led by licensed mental health counselor Nicki Line.

“The webinar will focus on the innovative Harmony-Arion Relationship Tools (HART) methodology to equip attendees with the building blocks for developing healthy and meaningful relationships,” a rep explained.

“Every healthy relationship is built on a foundation of knowing your partner, trust and vulnerability,” said Line. “HART will provide these building blocks for you to develop them in your relationship, as well as identifying toxic patterns that can develop over a course of a relationship.”

Pineapple Support founder Leya Tanit said, “Nicki is an incredible kink-aware and poly-friendly counselor with extensive training and experience in her field.”

“As relationships can be especially challenging as an adult performer, it’s essential to understand and develop tools that can be used to nurture and sustain positive and healthy relationships,” Tanit added.

The “Stocking Your Relationship Tool Kit with HART” webinar will take place via Zoom on Friday, February 5, at 9 a.m. (PST). It is scheduled to last one hour but may go longer.

For more information and to access the webinar link, visit PineappleSupport.org.

For more from Pineapple Support, follow them on Twitter.

PornDeals Joins Pineapple Support as a Sponsor

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PornDeals.com has joined over 50 adult businesses and organizations in committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

“We’re proud to sponsor Pineapple Support and stand behind the important work they do for the industry,” PornDeals CEO Feng Wu said. “After being in the business for almost 10 years it felt like a natural choice to give back to the performers that made it possible for us to achieve a successful business.”

Pineapple Support Founder Leya Tanit expressed gratitude for the reinforcement.

“The support of organizations like PornDeals helps take away the stigma from mental health and sends a message to our industry that seeking support is encouraged,” Tanit said. “Contributions like this help us to continue our mission to support the mental health and well-being of sex workers around the world.”

A rep noted the commitment from PornDeals and other sponsors will help Pineapple Support to provide free and low-cost therapy, counseling and emotional support to models, performers, producers and workers in the sex industry.

Pineapple Support is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States and a registered charity in the U.K. Click here for sponsorship details.

Visit PineappleSupport.org and follow the group on Twitter.

Pineapple Support to Host Online Course on Managing Stress

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Pineapple Support will host a free eight-week course, moderated by therapist Sophie Graham, designed to help performers mitigate stress by managing their emotions.

The online course will begin Monday, January 11 and run for two hours, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (PST), each week at the same time until March 1. Graham will focus on DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) techniques.

“Out-of-control emotions can make it hard to maintain friendships, romantic relationships and can even jeopardise our careers,” Graham said. “Without the skills we need to cope with difficult emotions, it’s impossible to deal effectively with stressful or distressing situations that inevitably come up in our lives. This course will teach how to recognise, understand and regulate emotions to have more choices when it comes to managing day-to-day stressors and distressing events.”

Pineapple Support Founder Leya Tanit described Graham as “a disabled, queer coach and therapist working primarily with marginalised individuals and groups.”

Graham is “experienced in helping others feel more able to manage the challenges in their lives in their own way,” said Tanit. “This course is going to be incredibly useful for anyone in the industry that is interested in managing stress in a healthier and more effective way.”

Pineapple Support is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States and a registered charity in the U.K.

Visit PineappleSupport.org to register for the course and follow the org on Twitter for the latest updates.

Adult Site Broker Joins Pineapple Support as a Sponsor

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Adult Site Broker (ASB) has joined over 50 adult businesses and organizations in committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

“We’re very excited to help along the fine work being done at Pineapple Support,” said ASB’s Bruce F. “[Founder] Leya [Tanit] and her team are doing so much good we had to pitch in and lend them support. I hope every company in our space does the same for this incredibly important cause.”

Tanit welcomed the sponsorship.

“We are thrilled to welcome ASB as a supporter of our organisation,” she said. “Their support means so much to us. Each tax-deductible donation we receive helps us continue to reach performers all around the world with mental health services and emotional support, which is especially important this time of year.”

A rep noted the commitment from ASB and other sponsors will help Pineapple Support to provide free and low-cost therapy, counseling and emotional support to models, performers, producers and workers in the sex industry throughout the world.

Pineapple Support is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States and a registered charity in the U.K. Click here for sponsorship details.

Visit PineappleSupport.org and follow the group on Twitter.

Lance Hart’s PervOut Joins Pineapple Support as a Sponsor

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Lance Hart’s PervOut Productions has joined over 50 adult businesses and organizations in committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

“I struggled for decades and had to put in a lot of work to get comfortable and functional with my various mental health issues,” said Hart. “This stuff takes hard work and it especially takes the right trained professionals to guide the way. Pineapple Support provides a crucial service, connecting sex workers with professionals that can actually help us.”

“Our community needs this and I encourage more independent producers and performers who have an abundance to help sponsor Pineapple Support as well,” he added.

Leya Tanit, founder of Pineapple Support, welcomed the sponsorship.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support of PervOut, allowing us to continue offering support and therapy to those in our industry that need it,” said Tanit. “Requests for therapy have spiked 65% in just the last six months, and the generosity of partners like PervOut allows us to continue doing this crucial work.”

A rep noted the commitment from PervOut and other sponsors will help Pineapple Support to provide free and low-cost therapy, counseling and emotional support to models, performers, producers and workers in the sex industry throughout the world.

Pineapple Support is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States and a registered charity in the U.K. Click here for sponsorship details.

Visit PineappleSupport.org and follow the group on Twitter.

Privacy Counts

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The 5 most important things you must know about privacy before Camming

With so much innovation in the tech industry it’s hardly surprising that many companies are now offering you the chance to stream from any device and location. When all you need is Wi-Fi, there doesn’t seem to be anything stopping you broadcasting your cam life from anywhere, or is there?

The Law

Although the law in the UK (specifically England) states that it is not illegal to be naked in a public place, you can be prosecuted for causing another individual, alarm, or distress. Depending upon the place or circumstances, this could be termed as indecent exposure if harassment has also occurred. If it can be proved that you intentionally acted to cause upset and shock, this can become an offence.

Obviously, being naked doesn’t include acts of a sexual nature in a public place. The laws relating to this, in England and Wales, were changed in 2003. Whilst sexual activity in a public toilet is still an offence, sex in other public places is not. That is, unless it is witnessed or there is a reasonable chance at least 2 members of the public may see what’s happening.

Logos and Signs

This is an area where you are most likely to get caught out and whilst it may not involve a prison sentence, the inadvertent marketing of big brands, could land you in big trouble. The majority of large companies do not wish to see their brands associated with adult material in any way shape and form.

They have huge amounts of money at their disposal to sue and ensure convictions of anyone caught flouting these rules. If you are making money out of the broadcast, and get caught, not realising, or noticing branding in the background (or foreground) is not a defence in terms of the law. So, unless you have permission from the brand you must be extremely careful of what appears in your broadcast.

Easy enough when you are in the confines of your own space or studio but much more difficult to monitor when you are on the move, in a public place.

Location

If you decide to broadcast on your mobile device, somewhere other than the comforts of your room or studio, you should always check any local bye laws. Individual areas, such as towns, counties, or regions, may have laws specific to them.

Indeed, some properties, or areas have complete bans on photography or filming of any description and broadcasting via your cam, most likely falls into this category. You should make checks before you start broadcasting and where possible (and necessary) obtain permission beforehand. Though to be honest, you are unlikely to receive it for camming!

Background

It’s quite difficult to keep a track of everything going on in the background while you are camming as it’s normally live to air. You must however bear in mind it is your responsibility to ensure you are working within the bounds of the law. You may think it’s cool to start a cam session in front of a famous landmark (even with your clothes on) but it’s not! You need to remember that any live broadcast tells anyone watching exactly where you are, at that very moment. Any kind of privacy you may have built up for your adult profile will have been blown wide open.

For example, let’s imagine you are on a bus and you decide to have a quick cam session with one of your dedicated fans (who by the way is more than likely on his, or her smart phone). Just as the session starts the driver announces the next stop and immediately your exact location is given away.

Making a short video while you are on the bus, to post to your social media or fans site is fine but ALWAYS check the content before you post and preferably wait until you get home to do it.

Looking at your content on a big screen is always advisable and try not to focus on yourself, check out everything else in the shot. Just because you can’t see it on your smart phone, doesn’t mean it’s not there.

People

With the advent of facial recognition software, it’s even more important these days to ensure there are no random people in the background (or foreground for that matter). Identities can be located very quickly even with just a partial shot of a face. Most sites will insist that anyone in the shot is verified by them before appearing. Just because you are in a public place doesn’t mean the rules no longer apply.

If somebody comes into shot, you are going to have to either edit it or redo it, which is going to prove difficult if you are on live cam. You need to make absolutely sure that you are fully aware of what images you are broadcasting, at all times.

 

Above all, be CAREFUL, be SAFE and ALWAYS be AWARE.

Love Carla x