YAS Podcast

By YAS WorkSociety & Culture

YAS Podcast episodes

October 14 Everybody Should Be Visible
Host Daisy Ducati welcomes Carolina Are, a researcher at the London School of Economics and longtime advocate against social media censorship, to unpack how platforms decide who gets seen and who gets silenced. Carolina recounts joining forces with AM Davies to challenge Instagram’s shadow banning of pole dancers, helping launch the #EverybodyVisible campaign. She explains how vague moderation policies and automated enforcement disproportionately punish marginalized creators, while celebrities often get a free pass. The conversation exposes the human cost of content moderation, including the exploited workers tasked with policing the internet. Daisy also shares her own experiments with Instagram verification and gender settings, revealing just how little users understand about the rules governing their accounts. Carolina argues that meaningful reform requires transparency and accountability, not another round of bans.

All the Links:
Carolina’s Instagram https://instagram.com/bloggeronpole
Carolina’s Website https://bloggeronpole.com
Donate to our work https://yaswork.org/donate
YAS Work Instagram https://instagram.com/yasworkorg
YAS Work BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/yaswork.bsky.social
YAS Work Twitter https://x.com/YASWorkOrg
YAS Work Youtube https://youtube.com/@YASWorkOrg
YASStore.Shop https://yasstore.shop

All the Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Yes Podcast and Its Mission
00:43 Carolina Are: Background and Connection to AM
02:44 The Impact of Shadow Banning on Creators
06:32 Understanding Shadow Banning and Censorship
10:19 The Challenges of Content Moderation
14:28 The Role of Human vs. AI Moderation
17:20 Future of Content Moderation and Legislative Changes
19:09 The Need for Transparency in Content Moderation
21:22 The Rise of Explicit Content on Social Media
24:15 Inequality in Content Moderation
26:06 The Impact of Verification on Moderation
28:05 Conspiracy Theories and Lack of Transparency
29:25 The Role of Social Media in Modern Life
31:55 The Importance of Community and Connection
34 min
September 09 Turning Lead into Gold: The Hidden History of Ballroom
Ballroom historian, storyteller, and producer Sydney Baloue joins NatsHoney to trace the histories that get left out, and the people who refuse to disappear from them. From ballroom’s deep ties to sex work to the erasure of trans men and masculine people, Sydney challenges respectability politics and asks who actually gets a seat at the table.
They explore chosen family, Black culture, spirituality, and the importance of letting communities tell their own stories. Along the way, Sydney connects ballroom to generations of collective resistance and creativity, reminding us that liberation doesn’t happen through a single hero: it takes all hands on deck.

All the Links:
Sydney’s Instagram https://instagram.com/sydneybaloue
Sydney’s Website https://sydneybaloue.com
Donate to our work https://yaswork.org/donate
YAS Work Instagram https://instagram.com/yasworkorg
YAS Work BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/yaswork.bsky.social
YAS Work Twitter https://x.com/YASWorkOrg
YAS Work Youtube https://youtube.com/@YASWorkOrg
YASStore.Shop https://yasstore.shop

All the Chapters:
00:34 Introduction to YAS Podcast and Guest Sydney Baloue
02:57 International Horrors Day: Significance and Experience
10:29 The Role of a Ballroom Historian
21:49 Trans Visibility and Current Challenges
31:30 Power Dynamics in the LGBTQ Community
32:28 Visibility and Inclusion in the Trans Community
36:31 Documenting Trans History and Representation
49:54 Spirituality, Hoodoo, and Storytelling in Identity
01:00:17 Cultural Connections: Ballroom, Spirituality, and Resilience
01:01:08 The Alchemical Experience of the African American Journey
01:06:34 Creative Projects and the Pursuit of Storytelling
01:12:20 The Intersection of Ballroom Culture and Sex Work
01:19:24 Understanding Transphobia and Its Roots
01:22:59 Building Bridges and Community Engagement
1 hr 25 min
August 25Mini-sode: The Community Shop - A Thrift Store for YAS Work
This is a mini-sode about how The Bar Studio and Bee's Knees created a Community Shop that turns donated dance and workwear into affordable finds, with proceeds supporting YAS Work. The idea is simple, but the ripple effects are bigger: it helps students, supports sex workers, and gives the studio a tangible way to live its mission.

Looch and Sara Bee share how the shop works in person and online, why the model fits their community, and how it inspired adjacent projects like a quarterly newspaper and community-driven wrapping paper.
Key topics
In this episode:
Looch, owner of The Bar Studio in Bellingham, Massachusetts, explains how the studio became the in-person home for the Community Shop. All proceeds go to YAS Work, making the shop a direct fundraising channel for sex worker stories and support.
Sara Bee and Looch share:
The shop started as a way to solve the problem of donated clothes piling up on the studio floor and to create a better, more intentional shopping experience.
Timestamps
00:00 - Introducing The Community Shop and why it matters
01:44 - Looch introduces The Bar Studio and the in-person shop
01:59 - Sara Bee explains her role curating the shop and online collection
02:25 - How the Community Shop started as a solution to donated clothes piling up
03:24 - Sorting, steaming, tagging, and restocking donated items
03:51 - YAS Work as the nonprofit beneficiary
04:10 - What shoppers are saying: audition outfits and baby strippers finding value
04:39 - Monday restocks and the shop’s growing weekly following
05:13 - Online and in-person inventory are intentionally different
05:40 - Price points that make the shop accessible
06:08 - Why people love it: cute, cheap, and mission-driven
06:52 - Full-circle impact for community, sex workers, and YAS Work
08:13 - Living the mission through a shop that reflects the studio’s values
09:41 - Donations and interest spreading beyond the local studio
10:38 - Imagining Community Shops at more studios nationwide
11:21 - The quarterly newspaper and community-written articles
12:19 - Using old newspaper issues as wrapping paper for online orders
12:42 - The consignment model they chose not to use
13:04 - How the donation-bin idea came together fast
13:51 - Their nonstop idea-sharing workflow
14:20 - Where to find Looch and The Bar Studio
14:43 - Where to find Bee's Knees and what’s next for the brand
15:14 - Closing thoughts and sign-off
14 min
August 12NatsHoney & AMD Do Pole Con East
The pole world is finally being forced to face the truth: if you want a stronger future for pole, you have to center sex workers, not sideline them. NatsHoney and AMD break down what they saw at Pole Convention East, where representation, history, and accountability were on full display.What starts as a recap of an electric event turns into a bigger conversation about who gets celebrated in pole spaces, who gets left out, and what it actually means to build a more honest industry. From disability and Latinx showcases to sex workers showing up everywhere, this episode keeps circling one question - who is pole really for?You’ll hear NatsHoney and AMD unpack:
Why the event felt different this year, and why that mattered
The tension between pole fitness rules and the anarchist spirit of stripping
Why sex worker representation inside pole spaces is still not optional
A moving reunion with Nicole the Pole and the history behind her signature work
How brands like X-Pole, Bees Knees, and The Bar are creating space for lived experience, not just performative inclusion
AMD shares interviews with Shaina Cruea, Jinx, Michelle Stanek, Agatha, and others, while NatsHoney brings the perspective of someone who has been tracking pole culture, black representation, and sex worker visibility for years. Together they connect the dots between performance, politics, community, and the fight to keep pole history rooted in the people who built it.This episode also looks ahead to International Pole Dance Day and the urgent need to support sex worker organizations while funding is drying up and the industry keeps expanding. If you care about pole, if you teach pole, if you perform pole, or if you want to understand where this art form really comes from, this conversation belongs on your playlist.Essential listening for anyone who wants more than pretty spins and polished marketing. This is about the people, the labor, the history, and the future of pole.Character count: 2,718 / 4,000Why this works: The hook immediately frames the episode as a high-stakes industry conversation, which is more compelling than a simple event recap. It names the key speakers and guests, highlights concrete takeaways, and creates curiosity around the major tension points: representation, history, and sex worker inclusion.

(00:00) Opening praise for the event and how visible representation changed the atmosphere
(01:05) Why seeing sex workers everywhere made this year feel different
(02:49) The divide pole culture tried to create between dancers and strippers
(03:12) Too many rules, but why event structure still matters
(04:23) Recording six interviews at the convention and the work behind them
(05:19) A performance dedicated to sex workers and to NatsHoney
(07:08) Setting up the format for reacting to each interview clip
(13:12) Agatha’s performance, stage presence, and costume support from Sway
(14:16) Introduction to the Nicole the Pole interview
(19:09) NatsHoney on teaching Nicole a signature trick and Black representation in pole
(22:54) Nicole the Pole’s broader visibility and industry hustle
(23:23) Introduction to the Misha from Pole Poise interview
(27:27) How Pole Poise was inspired by family, ancestors, and pole as fitness
(28:26) Why most studios still do not teach pole history
(29:17) Tracing pole history back to the late 1990s and early pioneers
(31:01) Bees Knees, The Bar, and hiring strippers as instructors
(34:54) Introduction to the Shaina Cruea interview and X-Pole’s education shift
(43:05) Why lived experience matters more than performative education
(45:32) Introduction to the Jinx interview
(55:04) Whorephobia, exclusion, and the emotional damage of being pushed out
(57:39) Jinx’s performance and the power of creative movement
(61:31) The Community Shop as affordable gear support for strippers
(62:27) Closing that segment and moving into Michelle Stanek
(69:51) Meeting people where they are and why the goalpost keeps moving
(73:50) Hope for a stronger bridge between pole dancers and sex workers
(75:43) International Pole Dance Day and the call to fundraise for sex worker orgs
(78:19) Thanks to International Pole Convention and the listeners

All the links:
The Community Shop
Donate to our work
⁠YAS Work Instagram⁠
⁠YAS Work BlueSky⁠
⁠YAS Work Twitter⁠
⁠YAS Work Youtube
YASStore.Shop
1 hr 17 min
July 15 Monty the Monster Slayer
Host AM Davies welcomes artist and sex worker, Stephanie "Monty" Montgomery, to discuss the billboard she hand-painted after surviving workplace assault and being failed by club management and police. Monty traces how rage transformed her art from carefully marketable work into a weapon for public accountability, guided by the mantra “vengeance for me, justice for them.” Their conversation moves through childhood grief, forced positivity, Los Angeles grime, Texas conservatism, and the exhausting work of unlearning systems built on patriarchy and control. Monty also shares how her story became the animated short Monster Slayer, which has screened at 18 festivals and connected with survivors through their shared experiences of violence. She explains why sex work never makes someone responsible for assault and previews her companion art book, created to document the film’s illustrations and creative process.

All the Links:
Monty’s Instagram https://instagram.com/montymonsterslayer
Donate to our work https://yaswork.org/donate/
YAS Work Instagram https://instagram.com/yasworkorg
YAS Work BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/yaswork.bsky.social
YAS Work Twitter https://x.com/YASWorkOrg
YAS Work Youtube https://youtube.com/@YASWorkOrg
YASStore.Shop https://yasstore.shop

All the Chapters:
00:00 - Violence and Solidarity
01:26 - Introduce Monty
04:49 - The Billboard
13:36 - Artist Background
16:17 - Mental Health
19:04 - Life in Los Angeles
22:10 - Texas Culture
24:25 - The End of Conservatism
25:57 - Me Too
31:10 - Unlearning
39:04 - Monster Slayer Film
45:32 - Reception
49:45 - Where to Find Monty
54 min
June 10 Diving Deep with Dr. Mireille Miller-Young
On YAS Podcast, host Daisy Ducati interviews Dr. Mireille Miller-Young (UC Santa Barbara), author of A Taste for Brown Sugar: Black Women in Pornography, about researching Black women’s labor, representation, and sexual agency in adult media. Miller-Young discusses identifying in solidarity with sex workers, academic stigma and career pushback, and how sex workers cared for her during fieldwork as she sought to disrupt extractive research traditions. She explains developing a “Black feminist pornographic gaze,” critiques anti-porn feminism’s shallow analysis and alignment with criminalization, and connects policies like the Nordic model and FOSTA-SESTA to increased danger and deplatforming. The conversation also addresses racialized policing of massage parlors, censorship and surveillance in academia, and her argument that Black women navigate both exploitation and agency through “erotic sovereignty,” urging listeners to avoid stigma and center sex workers’ voices.

All the Chapters

00:00 Conference Backlash
00:39 Podcast Welcome
02:00 Pronouns Solidarity
04:34 Care From Workers
07:07 Awards And Motherhood
09:00 Research Origins
11:47 Labor Roots Story
14:48 Archive Hunt
16:31 Pornographic Gaze
20:52 Policy And Policing
23:29 FOSTA SESTA Fallout
26:23 Surveillance Creep
28:20 AI Sex Project
30:23 Academic Silencing
32:52 Fear of Wokeism
33:29 CRT and Property
34:50 Education Under Attack
36:11 News Burnout Break
36:53 Support the Podcast
37:24 Book Exploitation and Agency
37:51 Feminist Sex Wars
38:28 Queer Porn Counterculture
42:36 Respectability Backlash
48:49 Erotic Sovereignty Theory
50:04 Money Sex Fame
51:33 Sex Work History Choices
01:00:19 Stigma Media Literacy
01:03:04 Sexual Radical Future
01:05:16 Closing and Where to Find

All the links

Dr. Mireille Website
Donate to our work
⁠YAS Work Instagram⁠
⁠YAS Work BlueSky⁠
⁠YAS Work Twitter⁠
⁠YAS Work Youtube
YASStore.Shop
1 hr 7 min
May 13 Let's Amplify Our Life Force with Stilettos 4 Survival
Host AM Davies welcomes Mari de Luna (she/they/ella), a sex worker, to discuss how stigma, criminalization, and deplatforming compound external and internal stressors for people in the industry and why community is vital for safety, mental health, and resource access—especially for those with intersecting identities such as immigrants and neurodivergent people. Mari shares her experience of family estrangement, lessons about mutual aid, and the importance of vetting support networks, including tools like pod mapping and safety planning. She describes her background with autism, CPTSD, ADHD, burnout, addiction, and four years of sober-ish living, and explains her work through Stilettos for Survival and neurosomatic intelligence, offering body-based practices for nervous system regulation. Mari previews collaborations on sober-ish eroticism and an upcoming workshop integrating somatics with anti-oppressive financial tools.
All the links:
Stilettos 4 Survival
Donate to our work
⁠YAS Work Instagram⁠
⁠YAS Work BlueSky⁠
⁠YAS Work Twitter⁠
⁠YAS Work Youtube
YASStore.Shop
All the chapters:
00:00 Stress And Vitality
00:43 Show Intro And Mission
01:36 Meet Mari De Luna
02:49 Finding Community
04:20 Mutual Aid Necessity
06:38 Intersectionality And Safety
09:06 Power With Not Over
11:07 Deconstructing Hierarchy
14:05 Synchronicity And Intuition
15:53 Sex Work Emotional Intelligence
18:11 Ancestors And Legacy
19:38 Isolation And Pod Mapping
23:27 Mari Work And Training
23:58 Neurodivergence to Sobriety
26:31 Somatic Practices Explained
27:49 Lavender Grounding Demo
29:40 Workshops and Collaborations
33:19 Regulation for Modern Stress
36:44 Community Survival Framework
40:23 Spanish Message to Comrades
42:28 Why Community Matters
44:44 Stilettos for Survival Mission
46:06 Closing and Credits

48 min
March 18 From the Creators Chairs - For the Love of Strippers
In this YAS Podcast episode, host AM Davies joins NatsHoney (president of Strippers United, vice president of YAS Work), Selena (writer and Strippers United wellness director), and filmmaker Julia to mark International Sex Workers’ Rights Day and the international community release of their documentary short, For the Love of Strippers. They discuss the film’s collaborative approach, why sex workers are often excluded from creative control in documentaries, and how limited funding shaped the project. The conversation covers pandemic-era organizing, SESTA/FOSTA, AB5, worsening club conditions that pushed Nats and Selena out of dancing, and the need to distinguish consensual sex work from trafficking narratives. They close with calls for visibility, community screenings, donations, and public advocacy against stigma.

All the links:
Strippers United
Culture House
Donate to our work
⁠YAS Work Instagram⁠
⁠YAS Work BlueSky⁠
⁠YAS Work Twitter⁠
⁠YAS Work Youtube
YASStore.Shop
All the chapters:
00:00 Beyond the Stereotype
00:21 Welcome to YAS Podcast
01:13 Meet the Guests
02:39 Why Today Matters
03:42 Making the Film Together
08:09 What the Film Covers
09:09 Trust and Motivation
12:51 Funding and Motherhood
14:31 Who Funds These Stories
19:12 DIY Podcasting in the Pandemic
20:46 Pushed Out of Clubs
21:34 AB5 Crackdowns
23:47 Devils Bargain Exploitation
25:05 Why Civilians Must Watch
26:25 Stigma Deconstruction
30:46 How to Support Sex Workers
34:07 Trafficking vs Consent
40:08 Fun Credits and Updates
43:11 Rollout and Screenings
45:58 Closing and Credits
48 min
January 29 AMD & Daisy Do AVN 2026
In the first episode of 2026, host AM Davies introduces listeners to the revamped YAS Podcast, featuring a special compilation of interviews from the AVN Expo in Las Vegas. The episode highlights the experiences and insights of various adult performers and industry veterans including Kaiia Eve, Lala Ivey, Aiden Starr, AJ Fresh, Shay Fox, Summer Hart, Tef Wesley and representatives from Decriminalize Sex Work. Discussions cover the challenges and evolving dynamics within the sex work industry, the impacts of legislation like SESTA/FOSTA, the role of social media, and the importance of community support. The episode emphasizes the resilience and professionalism of sex workers and concludes with a call for continued advocacy and understanding. Links to everyone below chapter list.

00:00 Welcome to YAS Podcast
00:33 First Episode of 2026: Snowed Out and Slow Start
02:00 AVN Expo 2026: Meeting Daisy Ducati
04:17 Interview Highlights: Kaiia Eve
08:16 Interview Highlights: Lala Ivy
12:53 Interview Highlights: Aiden Starr
22:18 Interview Highlights: AJ Fresh
28:19 Interview Highlights: Shay Fox
28:54 Returning to the Industry: Changes and Reflections
29:24 The Impact of Fan Access and OnlyFans
30:28 Industry Challenges and Legal Changes
31:14 Mainstream Media and the Adult Industry
33:10 Interview with Summer Hart: Age Verification and Industry Impact
39:31 Decriminalize Sex Work: Advocacy and Challenges
46:18 Interview with Tef Wesley: Myths and Realities of Porn Performers
52:34 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Kaiie Eve
Lala Ivey
Aiden Starr
AJ Fresh
Shay Fox
Summer Hart
Decriminalize Sex Work
Tef Wesley
Donate to our work
⁠YAS Work Instagram⁠
⁠YAS Work BlueSky⁠
⁠YAS Work Twitter⁠
⁠YAS Work Youtube
YASStore.Shop

56 min
November 19, 2025 Strip Club Companies are Corrupt... Allegedly
In this episode of YAS Podcast, hosts AM Davies and NatsHoney, discuss the latest developments in the strip club industry, focusing on RCI Hospitality Holdings. They address the multiple allegations against RCI, including tax fraud, bribery, and a current misclassification lawsuit affecting employees and shareholders alike. The conversation features insights from dancers at RCI-owned clubs in Colorado and highlights the broader implications for the industry. With multiple lawsuits and increased house fees, there's an urgent need for transparency, better labor practices, and a reevaluation of worker classifications. The episode emphasizes the significance of community allyship and the ongoing struggle for workers' rights within the industry.

00:00 Welcome to YAS Podcast
00:44 Reflecting on the Year 2026
02:14 Investigating RCI Hospitality Holdings
03:52 Employee Misclassification and Legal Troubles
09:18 Voices from the Clubs
19:23 The Impact of House Fees
23:09 Independent Contractors vs. Employees
27:12 Dress Code Dilemmas
28:04 Panel Updates and Announcements
28:33 Independent Contractor vs Employee Debate
29:27 Misclassification and Labor Rights
30:44 Tipping Culture and Management Expectations
31:55 Young Dancers and Industry Challenges
33:48 RCI Lawsuits and Investor Concerns
41:43 Denver Labor Investigation
46:07 Future of the Industry and Worker Rights
55:44 Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

Links:
NY Attorney General Press Release
RCI's Official Response
Investor Scrutiny
CNBC News Story
Denver Strip Clubs Steal Wages
Wage Theft in the Adult Entertainment Industry
Donate to our work
⁠YAS Work Instagram⁠
⁠YAS Work BlueSky⁠
⁠YAS Work Twitter⁠
⁠YAS Work Youtube
YASStore.Shop

58 min

About YAS Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Formerly known as "Yes, a Stripper Podcast". Strippers are real people that are capable of amazing things, in and outside of the strip club. On “YAS Podcast” each week with a different guest, our hosts discuss what strippers are up to, what the climate in and outside of the clubs is like and how social classifications can be harmful to marginalized groups. Strippers, sex workers, pole dancers and civilians can learn from stripper and sex worker community members and their allies.