FKA Twigs sets up GoFund Me for sex workers affected by COVID-19

FKA Twigs has set up a GoFund Me campaign for sex workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

In a post to Instagram on August 4, the avant-pop singer drew on her own experience in the industry to highlight the importance of the cause, and wrote that the initiative aims to destigmatise the profession in the public eye, working toward protections and rights for sex workers.

“I was 19 when I learnt my first pole move, I learnt a back hook spin from a stripper when I was working as a hostess in a gentleman’s club,” Twigs said.

“I feel like now is the time for me to step forward, pay respect, and shine a light on the challenges facing sex workers, especially during these uncertain times.

“Sex workers I know and have met have discipline, craft, talent and work ethic – not only do they deserve better long-term, but their income has been wiped out by the lockdown and many are invisible to the financial aid available to others.” Find more information on FKA Twigs’ ‘Sex Worker Mutual Aid Funds’ campaign here.

The GoFundMe campaign is in partnership with SWARM, Lysistrata and East London Strippers Collective. Twigs also said she would be allowing the organisations to take over her social media channels later this week, in order to share information about their work.

Twigs released a new short film, We Are The Womxn, following her 2019 performance at the Afropunk Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, exploring “the dynamic healing of womxn of colour”.

“My experience… solidified that, although historically womxn are often pitched against each other for their looks or their assets by the patriarchy, when left to our own devices we are incredibly nurturing and healing for each other,” Twigs said of her experience shooting the film.

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i was 19 when i learnt my first pole move, i learnt a back hook spin from a stripper when i was working as a hostess in a gentleman’s club. for those of you who don’t know, hostessing is when one person pays another person for their time, anything from a conversation over dinner to sex work, and the club gets a cut of the fee. my lived experience as a very young woman in these environments has not only informed the strong and formidable woman that i am today, but also a lot of my work as a music and visual artist – sometimes even subconsciously. i feel like now is the time for me to step forward, pay respect, and shine a light on the challenges facing sex workers, especially during these uncertain times. sex workers I know and have met have discipline, craft, talent and work ethic – not only do they deserve better long-term, but their income has been wiped out by the lockdown and many are invisible to the financial aid available to others. there’s a bigger journey in challenging public attitudes, tackling stigma, and fighting for rights and protections – but today I’m inviting you to join me in helping with cash donations to SWARM, Lysistrata and ELSC. these organisations are providing direct financial support to strippers and sex workers, we’ve kicked off the the fund with £10,000 and you can donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/sexworkermutualaidfunds this week, SWARM @swarmhive Lysistrata @lysistratamccf and ELSC @ethicalstripper will also be taking over my social media channels.

A post shared by FKA twigs (@fkatwigs) on Aug 4, 2020 at 8:22am PDT

Watch FKA Twigs new short film, We Are The Womxn below.