Why Even Bother?

Creating a world where asking for help feels brave, not broken | Building safer spaces and turning stigma into support

Someone once asked me, “Why do you care so much?”. It wasn’t meant unkindly , it was a sincere question, and it stopped me, because the answer isn’t simple.

My journey in the adult industry began almost immediately after I finished school, and it was the first place where being a square peg in a round hole wasn’t just accepted, it was celebrated.

Growing up, I was always the misfit. From nursery until the day I left school, I never quite fit the script that everyone else seemed to understand. The world often felt sharp, alien, and isolating.

Until I found this community.

The adult industry was the first place I felt seen. Truly seen. I was surrounded by people who didn’t judge, who accepted me exactly as I was. For the first time, I felt safe being myself, bold, creative, messy, complicated, and still belonging.

That acceptance helped me blossom. It gave me confidence. It gave me identity. It helped shape the person I am today.

Fast forward nearly 20 years to 2017, and the industry was hit by a series of heartbreaking losses. One after another, we lost people we cared about deeply. I watched a community I loved falling through the cracks, no support, no resources, no safety net.

I saw the very people who had lifted me up now struggling quietly, invisibly, still carrying the weight of stigma everywhere they went. People who give so much of themselves to bring others pleasure, yet are denied empathy, respect, or even basic dignity.

And when you witness suffering in a community that once made you feel whole, you don’t just look away.

It broke my heart. If I’m honest, it still does.

That heartbreak became my motivation. Giving back didn’t feel like a choice, it felt like a responsibility.

Over time, this work,  building Pineapple Support, advocating for mental health, fighting stigma, has become part of my identity. It’s been my teacher, my mirror, my greatest challenge, and my proudest creation.

It’s also forced me to recognise my own privilege.
I have a voice that gets heard. Not everyone does.

So I made it my mission to use that voice, loudly, persistently, and unapologetically, for those who feel too tired, too afraid, too unseen to speak up for themselves.

So, why do I care so much?

Because this industry gave me my first sense of belonging.
Because it continues to give to me in ways I can barely explain.
Because every day I meet people with the same spark I once had, and I know how easily that spark can dim without support.

Caring isn’t just part of my work; it’s part of who I am.
This community shaped me.

And as long as I’m here, I’ll keep giving back to it.

with love,

Leya