Leya Tanit
Leya Tanit
Occupation: Founder and President of Pineapple Support
Location: Ibiza, Spain
The Sex in My Business: Pineapple Support provides stigma-free, sex-worker-aware therapy, counseling, and emotional support to people working in the adult industry.
A Typical Day: A typical workday for me is spent either in the office or traveling. When I’m in the office, I start at 9 a.m. and tackle a huge to-do list, arranging new workshops, webinars, and completing various administrative work. Then I take a break for lunch and try to spend some time outside. Afterward, I head back to my desk until 6 p.m. The other half of my time I speak at conferences across the United States and Europe. I educate people in the industry on how to support performers' mental health and well-being. I also try to meet with potential sponsors and raise much-needed funds for Pineapple Support.
The Best Part: The best part is knowing that my company is making a difference. Everyone involved with Pineapple Support gives their absolute all to ensure we provide resources to sex workers in need. I have an incredible team working alongside me and I am very grateful.
The Worst Part: My least favorite part of this job is being unable to help everybody. There are still so many performers out there who don’t know about us or are hesitant about therapy. That’s our main goal: to become a household name within the industry, so every sex worker knows where to turn when things become tough emotionally.
How I Got Here: The sex industry has always been a part of my life in some way. At 16, I was working in a fetish shop after school and on weekends. At 18, I was stripping. Then I took a break, got married, and worked in fashion. In my late 20s, I was running my own boutique that specialized in bondage, discipline, dominance, and submission (BDSM) and also hosted fetish events in England. By my 30s, I was a professional Dominatrix.
I never fit in with mainstream society but I felt safe and cared for in BDSM and sex work communities. When I discovered the lack of mental health resources available for sex workers and the dire effect that this was having, I wanted to give back to the people who gave me so much.
What Society Thinks: The current social attitudes toward my job are fantastic, inquisitive, and supportive. The attitudes toward my job when I was modeling, however, were completely different. Women guarded their men from me, and groups of people shunned me. My previous boyfriends were unhappy about the job and were controlling. I try not to let the opinions of others affect me. Sometimes that can be hard, but if a person is not willing to open their mind, then it is often healthier to walk away and focus on those who know and care about you.
When I’m Not at Work: When I’m not at work, I like to spend time playing with my four rescue dogs. On Sundays, I venture on organized walks around the island of Ibiza and learn about its history. In the evenings, I am usually out for dinner with friends or video-call with various acquaintances. It’s a simple, enjoyable life.
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Published in Issue IX: Community