- Culture
- 05 Aug 20
"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," she notes.
Following the release of her new collaborative track with 645AR, 'Sum Bout U', FKA Twigs has announced details of a campaign to assist sex workers, whose "income has been wiped out by the lockdown".
In an emotional Instagram post, FKA Twigs reflected on how she has been influenced as an artist by "working as a hostess in a gentleman's club" when she was 19 – where she learned her first pole move.
"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," she continues. "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."
FKA Twigs goes on to share a link to a GoFundMe page she has organised, with proceeds going to SWARM, Lysistrata and East London Strippers Collective – noting that these organisations "are challenging public attitudes, tackling stigma, and fighting for rights and protections for sex workers."
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The campaign, which aims to reach £30,000, has already raised £14,527. You can support it here.