Episode 2

April Fiasco

Published on: 6th January, 2021

We talk with April Fiasco, a stripper, burlesque performer, comedian, writer, instructor, and activist based in London, about how stigma is the root of all evil and how creativity is healing and necessary.

April Fiasco Links:

Twitter: @AprilFiasco_

Instagram: @aprilfiasco

OnlyFans: @aprilfiasco

Cybertease Links:

Website: cybertease.co.uk

Twitter: @Cybertease_

Instagram: @cybertease_

Sexquisite Events Links:

Website: sexquisiteevents.com

Twitter: @sexquisiteevents

Instagram: @sexquisite.events

Transcript

Parker

Welcome to a sex workers Guide to the Galaxy, where the answer to life the universe and everything is sex workers. It only feels better every time I say it. I'm Parker Westwood, I'm going to be your host. Today, we get to talk about a whole bunch of things. We go from talking about activism in the community to stigma to the sex work is work slogan, to stripping, it's it's kind of a nice grab bag. And it's a really fun conversation with someone who I met because of COVID-19, I saw this writing workshop for sex workers advertised on Instagram. And I immediately wrote to get signed up. It was through Sexquisite events, and they wrote me back. And they were very kind and said, we only do in person classes in London, and I wrote back and was like, Well, if you ever move to doing anything online, let me know. I was super bummed. It seemed like a really good thing. And then COVID hit, and they wrote me back. And it turns out, they moved everything online, like all the rest of us did. And so I got to attend this workshop for sex workers by sex workers. And it was a really beautiful experience. And I got to meet my guest today, April Fiasco, or Carmen Ali, we had an incredible interview, and I'm not going to keep you from it. So here we go. Everyone listening, we are here with April Fiasco, I'm actually going to let you take the time to introduce yourself the way that you prefer to be introduced, so pronouns, and however you'd like to introduce yourself.

April

Well. Yeah. So I'm April she, her. And I'm a sex worker and burlesque performer, and I also co run a virtual strip club called Cyber Tease. And I co run a sex worker community called Sexquisite. We put on live events. And we also run online workshops for sex workers and allies. I also do stand up and acting under my real name, but we're not here to talk about that So.

Parker

a woman of many hats.

April

Exactly!

Parker

So incredible. Um, yeah, I so admire the work that you do. And it's been a pleasure to get to know you. I was curious. So one of the questions that I asked most people on the podcast is, how did you get your start in sex work specifically?

April

So basically, I was at university and some of the guys in my course were like, oh, I want to go to a strip club for my birthday. So we went to the strip club. And then basically, one of the stippers came over to our table, and was like, Hey, does anyone want a dance? And I was like, Yeah, I want a dance. Um basically because she was super hot. So I went to have a private dance with her. I was like, the first one. I think I got up before any of the guys.

Parker

Of course you were,

April

Then I had a private dance. And I was like, I could do this. Why am I not doing this? And then a few months later, I was like, oh, I need some more money to pay my rent at uni. These university loans. Student loans are not going far enough.

Parker

Oh wow

April

So I basically just called them up and I was like, Hey, can I come in to work? And they were like, yeah, come in for an audition. Which basically, why so I had just a [garbled] basically went in. He was like, walk on the stage, take your top off. And then he just looked at me. And he was like, Yeah, that's fine. Come in tonight. And I was like, he was like, you've got to wear stilettos. And I was like, I don't really have any money to buy and stilettos. So he lent me 30 pounds to go to the shop in Lester in Midlands in the UK. It's like crappy little shoes shop that sold stripper shoes for 30 pounds. And I bought those stripper shoes. And then that night, went in and like made like over 100 pounds. And then gave them back the money for the stripper shoes. And then I was like, This is my life now, I guess.

Parker

That's amazing. And how long was your stripping? career? I know like COVID has changed everything in that department for a lot of us. But how long did you strip?

April

For me it was on and off. So like I stripped when I was at uni and then for a few years after then I stopped for a long time and worked in admin and I wanted to kill myself. Then I started to do stand up on the side as well, which was really cool. And then a few years ago, I was doing a few part time jobs and I was like, hi, I need some extra money. And I was like, oh, once a stripper, always a shipper So I went to a club in London, which I'd worked at a few times, like years ago, and then basically went back. So I've been like, on and off. And then before COVID I wasn't really working at the club that much I was doing more like stage manager and and PA freelance work. And also like stand up and burlesque performing. I did one kind of, basically pop up strip club in February before lockdown called Brazilian Wax, which is like a really corny brand. Run by Jonah Starry, who did "fuck you pay me", which is a show about being a stripper. And we've run it as a co-op. So basically, we split all the profits equally. So even if you're on the door, like charging people entry, or you were doing dances on stage, or you're doing private dances, we split it all. And that was kind of a bit of inspiration for Cyber Tease. Because after that, when lockdown started, I mean, you know, a lot of sex worker stripper chatting on WhatsApp was like, oh, you know what we should do? We should do a virtual strip club. And we should make it a co-op. And we should share all the profits between us. And like, just make it into this amazing thing. We didn't even know how how it was gonna take off at that point. It was just an idea. Let's do it on Zoom. Let's see if we can get people to come to the strip club without being able to come to the strip club. Because you couldn't

Parker

yeah.

April

And then like it's basically really taken off since then. So that, like found a newfound love for stripping but in a different medium.

Parker

Yeah.

April

Yeah.

Parker

Yeah. How is that? Because I know I mean, like I do some virtual things. But I know feeding off the audience and like, feeling that energy present in the room is something that I personally really love. How has how has that changed, your experience with like doing it virtually?

April

Yeah, obviously it's different. Like you don't get that kind of real life interaction and real life connection. And in terms of like, performance wise, you don't get that kind of buzz off being on stage or anything like that. It's just a different way of doing things. And you still get that support in that people are writing in the chat being like, This is amazing. That was so good.

Parker

Yes

April

Like, Cyber Tease, we're very interactive as well. So we have a list of tipping options that people can tip for specific things. So we make sure that the audience are involved, even though they're not actually there.

Parker

I love that. That's such a good idea. And just because I'm really curious, this is going back in our conversation a little bit. Do you still have your first pair of stripper shoes?

April

Do you know what? I don't think I do. And that's really [garbled] I wish I did actually I they will they were red I remember they were red I must have thrown them out when they when they got all fucked like you know,

Parker

as they do. Yes.

April

But I I would love to have been able to find them.

Parker

Yeah,

April

One day have an exhibition of my life I

Parker

Yes.

April

Should have woulda coulda. I'm a hoarder. But for some reason, I've got rid of those.

Parker

It happens even when you're hoarding it happens sometimes you accidentally let something go.

April

If you're listening to keep your first pair, because you might want to find them one day.

Parker

Yes.

April

Like, even my first ever stand up show, I didn't record it. And afterwards, I was like, Oh, I wish I recorded it and I bet wasn't as good as I thought in my mind, but I'll never know. But it would have been nice to be able to look back and be like, that was the first time I told jokes on stage. And I could watch that.

Parker

100%

April

I just have to remember it.

Parker

Yeah, it's like no matter how embarrassing, you might think it is to have it recorded. It's worth having it recorded.

April

That's my mentality, isn't it?

Parker

Yeah absolutely. That's kind of how I feel about this podcast. I'm like, I will get better.

April

You're great. You’re asking Like great questions.

Parker

Thank you! I'm working on it. So I know, like, we're not here to talk about like your time in comedy, because that is like your other other life. But, um, I know you do do some comedy with Sexquisite. And so I would love to give you the opportunity to tell us a little bit about Sexquisite, maybe plug anything you want to plug. But I also really want to hear about how you got connected with that work or how it started and like your work in it

April

Yeah, so basically, Maeve is the founder of Sexquisite she posted on Facebook that she was looking for sex worker artists for a live performance show. And then I got in touch with her and we ended up going for coffee and I like gave her kind of quite a bit of input for the first one She was thinking about hosting it, and doing some poetry. And then she was like, actually, do you want to host it? And I was like, Yeah, of course. And then when we did the next one, she was like, oh, I want you to, you know, be resident host or I want you to come back and host again. And then after that. She messaged me again, she was like, I'm thinking about applying for lottery funding to run a block of writing workshops for sex workers. And would you be interested in teaching and I was like, I'm not taught anywhere in workshops before you sure [garbled] like teach the comedy section. My cats just meowing at me It's not about you

Parker

Oh she's so cute

April

[garbled] the limelight? She's like me, she's such an extrovert [garbled]. what was I saying? Oh, yes. So she basically talked me into agreeing to these writing workshops. We apply for lottery funding. And we said we want to run workshops, specifically for sex workers, so that sex workers can have a safe space to talk about our experiences with other sex workers, away from judgement away from the outside world. And then we got the lottery funding, which we will like, were really surprised about, which is sad. We shouldn't be. But you know, sometimes, some organizing can have stigma towards sex workers. But they were super supportive,

Parker

cool

April

gave us funding to one workshops. We started them in March, we did one real life session, and then lockdown happened, and we had to move them online, which was great, because then we could invite sex workers like yourself from all over the world to join our workshops. Well, everyone said they really enjoyed it. What we're doing at the moment, while we apply for more funding for other projects, is we're running online writing workshops, which is open to everyone at the moment. So sex workers and allies. But of course, it's still a really safe space where people can talk about whatever they want and write about whatever they want.

Parker

That's amazing

April

but We work for but we offer things for sex workers only, we like to be able to offer them for free. Just because we want to support the sex worker community like the sex worker community as much as possible. But when we open them up to sex workers and allies, we do charge for our tickets. But we also try to offer a few low income or donation spaces for our workshops so that people can access it who might not be able to access them otherwise.

Parker

I love that. It's so good. Yeah. And the experience for anyone listening who might be thinking about doing one of the workshops, I had an incredible time, I highly recommended it was so good. The one that I did was called "Writing to Process Experience". And I was super surprised at the comedy element, but it was comedy is one of the ways that I process experience without even really thinking about it. And it was so cool to have that be part of part of that workshop.

April

You're a great writer as well.

Parker

Thank you so much. Yeah, I

April

[garbled]

Parker

Oh go ahead.

April

I don't know when, when this podcast is going to come out, because we are still doing the drop in sessions for the writing workshops. And we're also going to, we had planned to do a live show in November in London. But because of the new lockdown, there were some more other restrictions. So it was October with household bubbles, and everything it didn't end up happening. So it will happen again in the next in the new year. So basically, if you just follow us on Instagram at Sexquisite dot events, you can keep updated with everything that we're running workshops and live events. And then if you also follow Cyber Tease at Cyber Tease underscore, you can keep up to date with all Cyber Tease events, as well.

Parker

And it's magical, highly recommended. All of that will be in the show notes too. So everyone who's listening, you can access those links.

April

Yeah, and then Cyber Tease Winter Wonderland is 17th of December. Because there's no there's no winter wonderland in London this year. We usually have Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. But Cyber Tease [garbled] Winter Wonderland to all over the world and it's gonna be even more sexy than going on rides and drinking mulled wine outside so

Parker

yes. Is that That's like a tradition in London is to have that in the in the park

April

Yeah in the park, Hyde Park Yeah,

Parker

that sounds beautiful

April

like a little like stalls and rides and food and stuff. overpriced, but a very good, you know, cute little date thing to do before Christmas or to go with your friends. But yeah, you're gonna have to stay in and watch Cyber Tease instead this year.

Parker

I'm not mad about that. But I'm also not in London so.

April

I'm performing on this one because we take turns performing and working behind the scenes and I've got some very special Christmasey surprises in store for you.

Parker

Knowing you it's going to be really out of left field and I'm very excited about that.

April

In the 80s one, I did a Dirty Dancing theme show, and I did, I made, I had a cake like, basically that did the lift for me because I like kind of like jumped onto the cake. I also had a watermelon. And on my tip list one of the options was fuck a watermelon. So someone tipped me 40 pounds for me to fuck a watermelon. So I put my strap on on and I fucked the shit out of that watermelon.

Parker

Oh my god, I love that's amazing. I remember you said something about a watermelon and I was like, is she gonna crush it with her thighs like I was.

April

Well do you know what but Pussy Willow who was a guest performer we had on the other night, what day is it Thursday, two nights ago, they crushed a watermelon with their thights because they were doing a wrestling themed kind of cosplay because it was our cosplay event. The other day,

Parker

I love that.

April

They are so strong. They like when they were lifting up their flatmate. They were crushing the watermelon between their thighs, they were wrestling with a shark, it was epic. And like the thing is about Cyber Tease is every show is different. And every show has all these weird, random amazing things that happen. So if you miss it, you don't get to see it. Again, we don't record it. We take a few little clips for social media as a kind of sneak preview.

Parker

Yeah,

April

you have to have to be there, you have to watch it to see the magic that happens in Cyber Tease basically.

Parker

That is so so good. I love that I also had no idea that the with the writing workshops and stuff that that was your first time teaching things, you're a very like natural teacher.

April

Well I had, I had taught some pole and burlesque classes a long time ago. But I hadn't taught writing before, and I but I really enjoy doing it. I love doing it. And I've had some really good feedback. So I definitely want to carry on doing that and develop that and add that to my repertoire of freelance things I can do.

Parker

Yes, one of one of the questions that I tend to ask people on this podcast is like, would you can you walk us through like a day, a normal day of work, like an average day of work in sex work for you? I know that's weird, because they're all very different.

April

That's fair enough but it just totally depends. So, like for example, I might wake up and check my emails, check my social media, or do a Cyber Tease posts to promo our show. Then I might you know take some sexy pictures and videos for only fans, then I might send a few emails because I do a lot a bit of everything I might you know apply for some burlesque shows online apply for some comedy gigs. That kind of thing. What else like, do a dance class, organize my my stuff, organize my receipts, go to the shop and buy watermelon. There's something different for each day, that's the thing like every day is different. And there's lots that goes into being a freelance sex worker, show performer, show writer.

Parker

That's an understatement.

April

Every day is like, yeah, you do some something creative something admin, then maybe something sexy, where I'm performing at Cyber Tease or making a sexy onlyfans video or something. And then yeah, maybe go for beauty treatment. When we're when it's open, you know? It's just been [garbled] so we're allowed to have beauty treatments again in the UK.

Parker

Oh Wow.

April

Yeah. And watching Gossip Girl.

Parker

Yes.

April

Do you know what? I've only just started watching Gossip Girl. And the whorephobia is pissing me off.

Parker

Oh,

April

It's a great show but like,

Parker

It's rampant

April

can shows from like, even the:

Parker

Yeah

April

has, like, slightly has anti sex work things in an episode I was watching the other day. It really annoys me how like, people don't seem to understand that sex workers are people like they never get treated as sex work is a valid job. And you never see it where there's just a sex worker in a TV show. And that's their profession. And that's what they do. And it's not questioned and it's portrayed in a nuanced way. And it's not made a big deal out of it's always like, oh my god, they slept with a hooker. Oh, what are we gonna do? Oh my god, I can't believe she's a she's a prostitute. And they always use those words. They never use the word sex worker.

Parker

yes

April

And I'm like, What the fuck? Like, why? I don't know. And obviously hopefully things will start to I change a little bit more. But when you start noticing it, obviously, especially as a sex worker, but even like, if you're listening to this and you're not a sex worker, you're an ally, once you start noticing it, it's just it's everywhere. And it's so annoying.

Parker

You can't unsee it. Yeah. It's everywhere. That actually that leads into the My next question, which is what is something you wish the general public would understand about our industry?

April

That, that there's not like, two extremes, that it's not like super empowering, or super dangerous, that it can be both like, and everything in between,

Parker

yes

April

that you can have fun great experiences as a sex worker. And you can have experiences where you felt uncomfortable, or you felt unsafe, or you didn't want to do a certain thing, or you had a fallout with someone at work or whatever. Do you know, I mean, but

Parker

yeah,

April

[garbled] days that were that were okay. You made a bit of money, you did a bit of stuff. It's alright, it was just standard like, it's not like you're being trafficked, or you're fucking empowered Goddess is its complicated?

Parker

Yes.

April

And people understand. And also, people don't understand that they probably know, loads of sex workers, but because people are so what's the word blunt about their whorephobia, and like, kind of like blasé about it, that maybe people don't want to come out to you, because they, they're scared of how you will react. And if you treated sex work, like it was just a normal job, which it is,

Parker

yeah

April

then maybe, I don't know. You'd realize that some of your friends or family or coworkers, or some people, you know, actually have been sex workers, or are currently sex workers I feel very passionately about it. And I think like, when I was a baby stripper, I didn't really feel the same passion for activism that I do now, as I'm older. And like I've seen more of the world. And like, done more sex work, I feel much more passionate about changing people's mindsets about it.

Parker

Yeah, I think as a baby stripper, it's really overwhelming to start to think about activism for sex workers, because you're just, you're at this point, you're in this place where you get to see, at least this is how I felt when I was a baby stripper. I could see I was also taking sociology classes at the time. And I was just like, Oh, my God, all of the- isms of the world meet right here. There's capitalism, racism, sexism, heterosexism. It's all intersecting right here. And it was just a, it was like, so overwhelming for me to think about how to even start approaching it. But I totally agree. And especially as I've gotten older, it's like this is this is really important for people to understand that sex work is work. This affects so many people.

April

[garbled] But like, you'd never say it about anything else. I really want to [garbled] where it's like hashtag shop Work is work.

Parker

right

April

[garbled] Work is work. And be like, did you know that people who work in an office can also be considered workers with equal work rights or something?

Parker

yes

April

That makes it sound so ridiculous that we're not treated the same way. Does that make sense?

Parker

Yeah, I feel like I used to experience that when I was a server a bartender. People would be like, Oh, you're so lucky to have this job. It's so much fun, like, because you're facilitating, you're facilitating a fun job, right? Like and people said the same thing as a stripper. They were like, this is so much fun. And it's like, yeah, for for you, because you're here. I am the facilitator of fun. But I'm also like, this is work. And I'm doing this for like eight to 10 hours.

April

Exactly exactly. Yeah. I don't know why anyone would think Working in a bar is fun. Stripping is definitely more fun than working in the bar. Because at least as a stripper, you can sit at the bar and have a drink

Parker

yes

April

and your customers can buy you drink

Parker

yes

April

you can get drunk and it's completely fine. But as a bartender, no. That's one of my least favorite jobs I've ever done, I think,

Parker

Wow. I mean, when I could yeah, I really loved it when I was drinking and doing it. At the same time. I was like, This is great.

April

I really never worked anywhere fun enough to be able to do that. But the thing I like about stripping and actually is that say you're talking to a customer, like with any kind of sex work. Like if you're talking to a customer and you don't want to dance for that customer or do anything for that customer or interact with that customer. You don't have to. You can be like I'm sorry, I don't work with you. But like when you're on any other job of customer service. you have to serve that person, even if they're a cunt. Like, whereas in, in sex work, you have a lot more autonomy and power to refuse that. And obviously, yeah, you won't make as much money. But, you know, I don't have to dance for someone rude if I don't want to. Yeah, and I love that.

Parker

Yeah. Whereas like other customer service jobs you'd be penalized or written up for being like, why didn't you? Yeah,

April

Exactly but no one at the strip club is gonna is going to have a go at you if you walk away from a customer and go talk to another customer. Yeah,

Parker

yeah, yeah, it's empowering in that way. And then there's also like, the, the capitalistic forces at play, where it's like, if you're not making any money, there's more impetus to talk to someone who might be being a cunt, you know, where your just like,

April

yeah, no, that's completely true. That's an it's like an advantage and a disadvantage. When you go to work at the bar. And you know, you're going to get paid no matter what happens, you'll get paid to be there, you might get tips as well, you might not. Whereas at the strip club, you are not going to be paid to be there. So it's completely up to you. How much money you make.

Parker

100% Yep.

April

But it's a roundabout.

Parker

It's now we're on labor rights, which we could talk about for hours to be honest.

April

Yeah, the work is a bit messed up. I do think so.

Parker

Yeah. But I also, I love the point that you made, too, because I have it in the show description. For this show. Is that like, I want this podcast to humanize sex workers because we have been, like demonized,

April

We've been dehumanized by peope.

Parker

Yeah

April

[garbled] dehumanized the problem with um I read this quote the other day, and it was so good, I think was on Twitter. It's something like sex work isn't unsafe. The problem is that people don't respect sex workers. Yeah, something like that. Or that is, is the way it's that people treat sex workers badly. It's not that sex in itself is unsafe, it's that people don't respect us. Because if they did respect us, it wouldn't be unsafe,

Parker

yeah

April

if you like, we would never be scared of going to a customer. If we knew that they were never going to do anything bad to us. You know what I mean?

Parker

If we were treated as like, human beings.

April

Yeah, I guess that's a whole were like, obviously, I mean, sex workers are unsafe because the world is unsafe. Especially for women, especially by men. So like, sex work is another way that that comes from?

Parker

Yeah, unless you're seen as a certain caliber of woman. I mean, even then, like, it's definitely the world is more dangerous for women. But like, there's this. There's this like whore.

April

bit of a whore-complex

Parker

Yeah, where it's like, there's, yeah, it's not the like Virgin,-whore complex, but it's like, a little different, where it's like, if you're a certain caliber of sex worker, it's not seen as dangerous. And you're not looked down upon. In fact, you're like, held up in the eyes of the community. Like it's celebrated in a way that like, some of these movies and things that have come out, celebrate sex work, as like, you're making six figures and like you're doing the thing, and

April

I completely knwo what you mean. I think that people respect sex workers who make more money, and who, who seem to have their shit together? I don't know. Does that make sense?

Parker

Yeah,

April

like, oh, you work at like really high-class strip club, and you don't see any customers outside the club, and you're making loads of like money, but you're very glamorous, then. Yeah, I think that would be something that some people would respect more. But if you're, if you're doing only fans, or you're doing full service, or you're not working at the classiest, strip club,

Parker

yeah

April

yeah. Like people will say, oh, like, what's the strip club like, or? And then you will be like, Oh, that one wasn't very good. And they'll be like, Oh, was it too sleazy? And you're like, Well, what do you mean?

Parker

right

April

Like, what do you what do you mean by that? Like, it's not good. If you don't make money.

Parker

yeah

April

It's, there's no, no, if you're not treated well by the bosses. That's why a club would not be good to work at

Parker

just like any other job. Yeah, people will overlook a lot of things in a person if they're wealthy, if they're rich or if they are seem to be rich, and I'm thinking specifically of the current American president. Like

April

he's not president anymore.

Parker

He won't yet come January something he'll be January 21.

April

[garbled]

Parker

We they don't they don't do the full transition of power till January.

April

That's funny. I think in the UK it's literally like the next day your Prime Minister.

Parker

I wish that were the case. Yeah.

April

I didn’t know that. that that's really weird. I guess America is a bit slow. So that makes sense.

Parker

100% We are Yes. We're still learning the hard way. Um, cool. There's, I have a, like a list of rapid fire questions that I'd like to ask you. If you're alright with that

April

That sounds amazing

Parker

Sweet. So just answer these as, as quickly as you feel possible.

April

okay

Parker

And we have some easy ones to start with. vanilla or chocolate.

April

Vanilla,

Parker

pancakes or waffles.

April

Oh, pancakes,

Parker

books or movies,

April

movies.

Parker

Favorite place you've ever been?

April

Oh my god, I went to [neese] in the summer when we were allowed to go on holiday and it was fucking beautiful.

Parker

Oh, that sounds magical. That was last summer.

April

Yeah Yeah. In August.

Parker

So good. A book from your mandatory reading list.

April

Oh that's a hard one. I'm gonna be really annoying. And say, like the power of now.

Parker

that's a good one

April

Because I think it really helped me like living in the present moment. It is a little bit hippy. It is very kind of spiritual. But the message of it is a really good way of living your life in terms of like, you don't really need to worry about the past or the future because they don't really exist. All we have is like now.

Parker

Yeah. And as someone who's like comedy and improv, that's really important.

April

Yeah, totally.

Parker

What is a secret talent of yours?

April

Oh God. secret talent. I feel like I don't like to keep my talents secret. So

Parker

I knew this one would be hard for you.

April

I’ll show it to the world

Parker

Or maybe one that not many people know about?

April

Um, I really like crosswords and playing chess, but I don't get to do them as often as I would like.

Parker

Yes, that's a good one. Chess is becoming in vogue again with the new show. Queens Gambit.

April

As soon as I finished Gossip Girl that's next on my list.

Parker

Yes. All right, song or musical artists or album that you've been obsessed with lately.

April

Oh, I've been listening to this random singer called Mary Moore.

Parker

Okay. What genre?

April

Kinda like weird pop I guess?

Parker

I'm into that

April

they played her on the 'Guys We Fucked' podcast and yeah, I'm going to be dancing to one of her songs for the Cyber Tease circus show in the new year.

Parker

Oh, I'm excited about that. Everyone tune in. Um, if you had a superpower, what would it be?

April

Um, to take away all the stigma of sex workers and have us totally accepted in society and integrated into society.

Parker

I fucking love you so much. What is something simple?

April

And um actually by integrated I mean, worshipped.

Parker

There we go. Yeah. Correction. worshipped. What is something simple that brings you incredible joy?

April

Um, my cat.

Parker

That's a good one. they're so good.

April

Um, stationery, a nice cup of tea.

Parker

I love that All of those things. All of those are really lovely. And then the last one I threw on right before we got on this call, which was a TV show that you can't stop watching.

April

Um I really love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I think it's a great show

Parker

it is a great show.

April

[garbled] And some of the things are a little bit problematic when you rewatch them. But that's always going to happen with any 90s show.

Parker

Yeah,

April

but characters and storylines and the fact that it's kind of the tone of it is very specific. It's like fantasy, but it's got a very specific sense of humor, which I really love. Yeah, Buffy till i die. I really want to get a Buffy tattoo.

Parker

You have to get a Buffy tattoo. I love that. I really love the like the 90s sort of like staccato delivery of humor that they have. Yeah.

April

{garbled ] saying some people think. Michelle Geller wasn't wasn't that good a comedy actor, but I, I think she's really funny in Buffy.

Parker

Oh, yes,

April

she nails it.

Parker

That’s o good. Well, that those are all the rapid-fire questions that I have. Thank you for doing that with me. Yeah. And I think that that brings us to a close. I'm so grateful that you took the time in your afternoon, because it's a five-hour time difference, which is wild

April

[garbled] thank you for asking me

Parker

Yeah,

April

I feel honored

Parker

absolutely. Um, do you want to let people know where they can find you? Obviously, I'll put it all in the show notes. But if you want to do it,

April

Yeah, so um I did say about Sexquisite and Cyber Tesae already if you want to follow me on Insta, it's at April Fiasco. And if you want to follow my comedy career instead, it's at Carmen Gene Ali.

Parker

Wonderful. Cool. Well, thank you so much. And thank you, everybody, for listening. Enjoy the rest of your day,

April Fiasco

Thank you very much.

Parker

I hope you all enjoyed that interview as much as I did. The the timing delay on Zoom can be really hard, but I think we made it work regardless. Thank you for joining me, and I'm always gonna forget this at the beginning, so I'm going to do it now. You can support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/sexy Galaxy pod and you can find us on Twitter at sexy Galaxy pod. Thank you so much for listening. May the Force Be With You. May all your dreams come true. These are hard still. I don't got one. Who knew? Who knew it was so funky in space though, right? This is great.

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About the Podcast

A Sex Worker's Guide to the Galaxy
Interviews with Earth's most multi-dimensional beings, sex workers.
A Sex Worker's Guide to the Galaxy takes us on a journey into the lives and minds of sex workers from across the industry. It is an interview-based podcast that has one mission -- to go where no man has gone before -- to imagine a world in which sex workers are not demonized or sensationalized, but humanized.
Keep up with us on Twitter at @SexyGalaxyPod.
Contact us at sexygalaxypod@gmail.com.

About your host

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Parker Westwood

Parker Westwood has been in sex work on and off for the last decade in various different aspects of the work. They are one of the founding members of ANSWER Detroit (A Network of Sex Workers to Excite Revolution) a social justice collective of sex workers in Detroit that exists to uphold the right of sex workers to engage in this work for whatever reasons they choose. Parker is a pretty stereotypical Libra, has a dog named Typo, and drinks her coffee black. They believe in the power of stories to connect us all as humans and create bonds that can change the world. When we own our stories, we own our liberation.