Pineapple Support Receives DivaTraffic Award at AWSummit

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Pineapple Support, the adult industry’s leading mental health resource, was honoured to receive an appreciation award from DivaTraffic at the AW Summit. The award was presented to Pineapple Support founder Leya Tanit during the AW Summit Executive Awards in Mamaia, Romania.

“Leya Tanit is an inspiration to the community and deserves recognition for her initiative. We want to help spread the word and give Leya and her team some well deserved recognition for the impact they have on the industry,” says Thomas Pedersen, founder and CEO of DivaTraffic. “This year we have decided to give an award to Pineapple Support in support of what they are doing and to help bring attention to such an important issue as mental health for performers who are struggling.”

DivaTraffic has given a number of awards to companies or individuals in the adult industry that contribute to the community in a positive manner. Pedersen says he hopes the Pineapple Support Appreciation Award will bring attention to the important issue of mental health for adult workers:

“There hasn’t previously been many options for them to get the help they need, and they can often feel isolated and face discrimination for their work,” says Pedersen.

Pineapple Support was launched in 2018 by British performer Leya Tanit, in response to a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illness. In just over a year, the organisation, which is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit in the United State and a registered charity in the UK, has connected over two hundred adult performers to mental health services; including free and low-cost, therapy, counseling and emotional support.

“I’m tremendously honoured to accept the award on behalf of Pineapple Support,” says Tanit. “The support of companies like DivaTraffic really help us to do the important work that we do. The recognition that comes with this award will help to promote awareness with adult performers that are suffering with a mental condition.”

Pineapple Support, Blue Pearl Therapy to Host Online Group SUPPORT for Survivors of Sexual Trauma

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Pineapple Support has partnered with industry therapist Jasmine Johnson, (MSW, MA, LCSW) of Blue Pearl Therapy to host a five-week sexual trauma support program for 10-12 adult industry performers, beginning July 3, 2019.

“Jasmine was one of the very first therapists to offer her services to Pineapple Support,” says Leya Tanit, Founder and President of Pineapple Support. “She knows how important it is for performers who have experienced trauma to be able to talk with others with similar backgrounds. We hope these sessions will help performers build strong bonds and develop an on-going support network.”

Blue Pearl Therapy is a sex-worker-aware, stigma-free therapeutic practice that provides both online and offline therapy and coaching. Johnson is a licensed clinical social worker and gerontologist providing therapeutic services related to PTSD, depression and anxiety for over fifteen years.

Pineapple Support was launched by Tanit in response to a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illness. In its first year alone, Pineapple Support has connected over two hundred adult performers to mental health services including free and low-cost, therapy, counseling and emotional support.

“As an active clinical therapist and adult entertainer myself, I know first hand the challenges that can accompany accessing mental health support,” says Johnson.  “I have been elated to partner with Pineapple Support to help bridge the gap between mental health resources and sex workers.”

Johnson says performers can expect to meet online weekly with peers and a sex worker friendly therapist to discuss the impact of sexual trauma and coping skills. Performers can expect a judgement-free safe space where the only thing anyone need have in common is being a member of the adult industry community.

“One of the hardest things that adult performers face is stigma from the therapeutic community,” says Tanit, “We need to meet performers on their own terms, and in an environment that understands their needs.”

Pineapple Support is a registered 501(c)3 tax-deductible qualifying charity in the US, and a registered charity in the UK.

Those wishing to sign-up for the group should complete the Sexual Trauma Group Support Form

 

Pineapple Support to Lead Mental Health Seminar for Adult Businesses at TES Prague

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PRAGUE — Pineapple Support, the industry’s leading mental health non-profit, will be hosting a seminar helping adult companies deal with mental health issues in the workplace, at TES Prague in September. The “Building Stronger Companies Through Mental Health” seminar will led by Leya Tanit, Founder and President of Pineapple Support, and will highlight the ways that companies can strengthen the industry and their businesses by supporting mental health.

“Our industry is more decentralized than ever before, leaving many performers feeling isolated when dealing with stigma, shame, and stress,” says Tanit. “In this seminar, we’ll talk about how mental health crisis affects not only performers, but the companies they work for – because happier, supported performers are better, more effective performers.”

The seminar will cover common issues faced by performers, the free services Pineapple Support provides to the industry, and how a more direct partnership between Pineapple Support and individual companies can help create an environment where models thrive.

Pineapple Support will also be teaming up with Silverstein Legal to offer a private space at the show for all TES Prague attendees. Tanit and industry attorney Corey Silverstein will offer for free consultations throughout the show to address legal and counseling needs. The private suite will be open for walk-ins and scheduled appointments. Those wishing to reserve space ahead of time should contact Corey (corey@silversteinlegal.com) or Leya (leya@pineapplesupport.com) today to schedule the meeting.

Building Stronger Companies Through Mental Health will be held on Saturday, September 14th from 11:00 to 11:50 at the TES Affiliate Conference in Prague. Please visit the Facebook event page for more information.

ManyVids Aligns With Pineapple Support, Pledges $10K

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ManyVids is extending its financial support of Pineapple Support with a $10,000 donation.

According to the company, ManyVids was founded by a proud sex worker who recognizes that being an adult creator is an amazing way to have an empowered and satisfying career.

“But it’s a sad reality that not all of society has caught up to this perspective yet,” said a company representative, “and that there’s unique challenges that those in adult entertainment are faced with.”

In response, ManyVids introduced the MV Hotline — a free support resource where, via phone or live chat, MV Stars can contact anonymous, confidential, judgment-free listeners seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT.

“MV works hard on offering cutting edge tools to help empower content creators and they consider mental and emotional support to be an incredibly important tool to help to become a successful independent entrepreneur,” the representative added. “But fortunately, ManyVids is not the only ones out there doing their best to uplift and assist the remarkable community of adult performers.”

Pineapple Support is a registered charity that offers free 24/7 support and therapy service for people working in the adult industry, providing access to a growing network of sex worker friendly, kink aware therapists who offer face-to-face as well as online video therapy sessions.

Even though ManyVids provides its own hotline, it believes it is important to support another organization that is looking to help sex workers.

“From their inception, ManyVids has been a leader in supporting the performers on their platform — not just in their treatment of performers, but in pioneering efforts at mental and emotional support like the ManyVids hotline,” said a Pineapple Support representative. “While I’m thrilled, of course, to have their generous support of the work we do, I’m equally pleased to have a partner that is as committed to performer well-being as we are.”

JustFor.Fans Launches Charitable Giving Program

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Today, fast-growing fan site JustFor.Fans is breaking new ground in adult entertainment by ushering in an era of “Ethical Spending” in porn. The site has launched its JFF Charitable Giving program, in which models can opt to donate a percentage of their incomes to specific charities that have agreed to work with JFF. Models’ profiles will list what percentages they are giving to which charities, and users can browse models based on who is giving to charity.

JFF creator Dominic Ford says, “We believe that ‘Ethical Spending,’ in which consumers want to know where their money is going (and base their spending on this), should be expanded to the adult industry, where it currently is not. We are proud to be the first adult company to institutionalize charitable giving as part of the DNA of our platform, and our community.

JustFor.Fans is a community, and part of being a community is giving back to those less fortunate. We have tried to find national charities that represent our various sub-communities, and we aren’t done looking for more. Currently, our charities cover SESTA/FOSTA fights for sex workers, mental health for sex workers, and the Trans Life Line for the trans community. We are actively looking for other charities in the areas of women’s health and LBGT issues to help round out our initial round of charities. It’s hard to find charities that will work with a porn site. As more charities come on board, we will add them to the site so our models can have an even larger choice of where to donate their money.”

The program is launching with 4 organizations:

The Free Speech Coalition, the nation trade organization for the adult industry
Pineapple Support, which provides mental health support for the adult industry
Trans Lifeline, which connects trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive. Their peer hotline cares for trans people through moments of crisis and suicidality and their Microgrants program provides low-barrier grants to trans people in need of legal name changes and updated government IDs.
Woodhull Freedom Foundation, which is the leading fighter of SESTA/FOSTA.

“We are proud to partner with JustFor.Fans. It is so exciting to have a platform that empowers fans and performers to support communities that are meaningful to them. Crowdsourced fundraising opportunities like this are absolutely vital to power our work connecting trans people to the community, support and resources they need to survive and thrive,” says Elena Rose Vera, Executive Director of Tran Lifeline.

“We’re incredibly grateful for support from JustFor.Fans and the performers on its platform. Fixing the crisis of mental health doesn’t come from financial contributions alone, but by building a broader, more inclusive support network. JustFor.Fans innovative charitable giving program provides both, not only helping us get the needed funds to provide services, but also by spreading awareness to the performers, empowering them become part of the solution. Thanks to platforms like JustFor.Fans, performers have more independence and control than ever before — but it also means we need to increase our efforts to foster connection. Their charitable giving program reflects JustFor.Fans commitment to performers, and in making sure that while we may be separated by distance, we are never alone. We are immensely proud that they have chosen us to be one of the first beneficiaries of this program,” says Leya Tanit, Founder and President of Pineapple Support.

Erika Lust Films Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

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Pineapple Support has announced Erika Lust Films as its newest sponsor.

Erika Lust joins PornHub, ModelHub, xHamster, Kink.com, Clips4Sale, Gamma Films, Chaturbate and other major adult companies in committing funds and resources to the organization.

“Here at Erika Lust Films we have the utmost respect for adult performers and sex workers,” said founder Erika Lust. “Our work would not be possible without them! We understand how difficult it can be to work under a heavy stigma, which is why accessing emotional support and mental health services can be vital. We believe that we need to help each other and create support networks within the industry, that’s why we’ve chosen to be official Supporters of Pineapple Support.”

Pineapple Support was launched in 2018 by British performer Leya Tanit and has since connected more than 100 adult performers to mental health services including free and low-cost therapy, counseling and emotional support.

“Erika Lust has been an important voice for the rights of performers for many years,” commented Tanit. “We’re thrilled to have her company’s support in the effort to bring low and no-cost mental health care to adult performers.”

Pineapple Support is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the U.S., and a registered charity in the U.K., so donations may be tax-deductible.

For more information, click here.

Chaturbate Sponsors Pineapple Support at Silver Level

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Pineapple Support has announced Chaturbate as its newest Silver Level sponsor.

“Chaturbate is pleased to sponsor Pineapple Support and their mission to support the mental health in the adult community,” said Chaturbate COO Shirley Lara, “while also expanding the resources available to support the mental wellness of Chaturbate independent broadcasters.”

Pineapple Support was launched in 2018 by British performer Leya Tanit and has connected more than 100 adult performers to mental health services including free and low-cost therapy, counseling and emotional support.

“We are thrilled to have Chaturbate working with us to help advance our mission to support the mental health and well-being of sex workers,” Tanit said.

Pineapple Support is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the U.S., and a registered charity in the U.K., so donations may be tax-deductible.

For more information, click here.

Nonprofits Pineapple Support, ASACP Pledge Mutual Assistance

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Two of the industry’s most vital nonprofit services, performer mental health resource Pineapple Support and the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP), have pledged to advance each others missions wherever possible, through the exchange of resources, contacts and other actions to further each group’s success.

“After meeting with Tim Henning of ASACP in Phoenix, we spoke about the various ways that the two organizations could support each others goals,” said Leya Tanit, founder of Pineapple Support. “We are both strongly aware of the interconnected nature of abuse, exploitation and mental illness and are now working to find ways to amplify each others voice and reach.”

Tanit launched Pineapple Support in response to a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illness. In its first year, Pineapple Support connected more than 100 adult performers to mental health services including free and low-cost professional therapy, counseling and emotional support by sex-positive, sex-worker friendly therapists.

Pineapple Support provides 24/7 free anonymous online emotional support through its online chat platform manned by trained volunteer listeners. In addition to offering direct services, Pineapple Support aspires to end the stigma associated with mental health and sex work on a larger more societal level.

Formed in 1996 as a way to protect children from adult content and to fight and report online child exploitation, ASACP has earned an enviable level of respect from the adult industry’s leading companies, with its CP Tipline processing more than 1 million reports since its inception, while its globally lauded Restricted To Adults (RTA) meta labeling system protects billions of webpages from access by minors.

“As the leading organization protecting against the exploitation of children, we are happy to have a partner like Pineapple Support,” ASACP Executive Director Tim Henning said. “Child exploitation has a lasting legacy that can lead to a lifetime of shame for its victims — shame that can grow into profound mental challenges that need compassion and understanding to address.”

To learn how your company can help protect itself by protecting children, click here or email tim@asacp.org.

To learn more about Pineapple Support, click here or email contact@pineapplesupport.org.

Pineapple Support Celebrates 1st Year, Highlights Achievements

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Adult industry mental health resource Pineapple Support is celebrating its first anniversary this month and sharing numbers that tell a story of growth and achievement.

According to the org, since its founding in April 2018, it has connected nearly 130 adult performers to vital mental health resources, including providing more than 40 performers with free or subsidized therapy. More than double that number have used the nonprofit’s active listening service.

“Pineapple Support was born out of the urgent need to provide adult performers with stigma-free and sex-work-positive mental health services,” says Leya Tanit, founder and president of Pineapple Support. “We are so grateful that so many people have come together to begin building a true resource for the adult industry workers.”

Pineapple Support, a U.S.tax-deductible 501(c)3 nonprofit, has no salaried staff. Funds raised have gone to therapists and treatment, outreach and awareness, and professional, technical and administrative services.

The currently reported stats are:

  • Total Money Pledged: $87K
  • Number of Performers Treated: 127
  • Number of Therapy Sessions Subsidized: 400
  • Number of Therapists Recruited: 29
  • Number of Volunteers Trained: 133
  • Number of Sponsor Companies: 21
  • Number of Events Attended Globally: 11
  • Number of Therapists Contacted: 1,250

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in just a year, but the need is vast,” said Tanit. “Because of the stigma associated with sex work, adult performers are at much greater risk for depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction and other mental health issues, but have fewer avenues to judgement-free care. As an industry, we can change this, but we need everyone to come together.”

Pineapple Support was launched by Tanit, a performer herself, in response to a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illness. Major adult companies have already stepped up to support the organization, including PornHub, ModelHub, xHamster, Kink.com, Clips4Sale, Gamma Films, Rabbits Reviews, WankzVR and others.

WankzVR Joins Pineapple Support as Silver Sponsor

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Pineapple Support has announced that WankzVR has joined on as a sponsor at the Silver Level, helping to provide mental health resources for adult talent.

The VR site joins Rabbits Reviews, PornHub, ModelHub, xHamster, Kink.com, Clips4Sale, Gamma Films and other major adult companies in committing funds and resources to the organization.

Bradley Phillips of WankzVR explained that the company is “more than just a website,” stating that their “deep roots” in the industry have provided them with a unique perspective on the issues Pineapple Support is seeking to address. Phillips continued to say that in addition to “publishing the best virtual reality content for our fans,” the company is also committed to “improving the actual reality of all the people who work with us.”

Pineapple Support was launched in 2018 by British performer Leya Tanit, and has since connected over one hundred adult performers to mental health services including free and low-cost therapy, counseling and emotional support. The company recently gained official nonprofit status in the U.S., nearly a year to the day from the organization’s founding. 

“Our mission is very straight forward,” explained Tanit. “We want the people working in adult, whether they are in front of a camera or behind one — to feel safe, love, respected, cared for and secure. We are working diligently to reach out to performers, agents, studios, crew, webmasters and business owners to grow the shared sense of community that already exists and to make sure every participant is fully included. Our goal goes beyond preventing tragic deaths and extends forward toward a future where the adult industry becomes known globally as the safest, most intimate and most joyful segment of the economy.”

To learn more about WankzVR’s contributions to Pineapple Support, click here.

For more information, find Pineapple Support online and on Twitter.