How do we rebrand being a sex worker, being an escort?
Become your own producer,
control your image, set your prices.
It's gorgeous.
I don’t understand why the anti-trafficking movement doesn’t see
that by taking away our ability to use the internet, to stay safe,
sex workers are the population that is going to end up being trafficked.
It's horrifying.
It's slaughter.
So just keep trying to create a different solution.
That’s the angle.
But I always feel when people say, “Oh, she’s a pimp,”
I’m just not going to go out of my way to constantly reassure people
who don’t like me.
I just don’t need that type of validation.
[Red Light]
[Heaux Mentor]
I’m Sarah Ratchford, a journalist specializing in sex and consent.
And this is
a show that explores the changing face of sex work around the world.
In the US, the industry has been turned upside down by a new law
known as FOSTA/SESTA, which essentially makes it illegal
to promote sex work online.
Before the bill was signed, websites weren’t liable
for the content people posted advertising sex work.
Now, they are. And sex workers have to get creative
in the face of massive restrictions on the websites they relied on.
Here in L.A., many are turning to a controversial woman
named Lydia Dupra, who goes with the alias, “The Heaux Mentor.”
She brands herself as a business consultant who helps sex workers
navigate this new legal landscape.
She also has apps, books, and an online reality show.
This is...
I never said, “Hey, move to the Doll House
and we’re going to hang out all the time.”
I know.
You’re supposed to move to the Doll House
and we’re going to work and make money all the time.
Kinsley has been out every single night past 3 AM.
And I just went by to say “Good Morning” to her.
And she's not home yet.
Do you consent to taking this drug test?
Alright, go pee in a cup. Come on.
It happened when my jellyfish overdosed on cocaine.
That’s the Doll life for you.
-Hi! -Hey!
-How are you? -So nice to meet you.
So nice to meet you.
Thank you for coming.
Thank you for inviting us over today.
I’m Lydia Dupra, and I’m The Heaux Mentor.
I mentor women in the adult industry,
so I help them get to wherever they’re trying to go.
So whether they’re trying to get into porn, start a business,
raise their rate as a provider or companion.
Whatever it is to help them get there.
So basically I’m like a branding strategist with emotional support.
So many escort websites look exactly the same.
I know and I don’t want that.
You know, also if we’re trying to be subversive...
Lydia’s an all around businesswoman.
And part of her daily ritual is waking up at the crack of dawn
to call her clients all around the world.
And I want to do virtual reality, 360.
I want them to be able to pan the room, and see you in every room.
And then, boom! There’s your $2,000 an hour.
Yeah, I would love to. I think that’s a great idea.
Everything is just a strategy.
I want to be incorporated in your life every single day,
whether it’s me personally, or my products.
Let’s nail down ten bomb photos.
We have the name, we have the backstory.
I’ll write a bio.
Yes, yes. OK, fair enough.
-I’ll talk to you soon.
Bye bye.
I mentor women all over the world.
And then, of course, there’s some that live in my house, too.
We need a fan, for your hair.
So let’s see, we’ve got to tilt it like this.
Oh, that looks nice. That’s like the perfect amount.
Lydia is heavily involved in the lives of all her mentees in the house
as she helps them market themselves to clients.
So you know that the painting was painted by the millionaire.
And now you’re looking at it like,
“Wait a minute, I’m worth more than this painting.”
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You look beautiful.
Just... that is the look.
The goal of the house is to always be
a constant flow of positive energy and support,
and learning and personal growth.
So what about the girls who live here,
do they pay you to live here?
Yeah.
But they signed the contract with the rent?
Yes. It’s a ten-page contract, and rent is from $700 to $1,100.
What’s funny is, that actually works.
Oh, beautiful.
Go ahead and relax.
In order for people to come and live in this house with you,
at what stage in their career do they need to be?
What are those criteria?
You have to have an established career
and an established sense of self.
Like, this is by no means any type of halfway house.
I’m not a babysitter.
It’s not like-- I’d never turn anyone away
in a capacity where they couldn’t get the information.
Like, I’ve never banned a customer from buying books or something.
Yeah, so I think that’s why I don’t feel too bad.
You’ll be fine anyway.
I’ll mentor you and help you find a place to live, just not here.
OK. Gold dress. Good job.
That was amazing.
Gold dress, gold dress, gold dress. I already have the shoes.
So this is the night time, nightclub, cocktail, yacht party after dusk.
I pick all the wardrobe, style,
fluff, fuss, choose hair, choose makeup, choose shoes,
accessories, everything.
They’re Dolls, they’re my Lydia Dolls.
Oh, did you want to help too?
This is Money.
My Frenchies.
What is it that we’re really out to do here?
Rebrand and...
just be different from what I came from.
And so, this is like a new journey for me.
Because I didn’t have anybody, like, literally, anybody.
She has been a really big help for me, I talk to her every day.
Every day.
Do you think you would maybe move in, would you consider ever doing that?
I love L.A., I wanted to move here.
This house, all these girls they’re like me. So, yeah.
I think a big, burning question that a lot of people would have
is they would see someone who has the knowledge and experience you have
and they would see newer workers coming into the industry
and coming to you for that guidance.
And they would see you and say, “Is this a madam, what’s going on?”
People recognize mentorship in other industries.
A lot of people say, “Oh I’m successful because I had a coach,
or I had a mentor, and thank God for this mentor.”
But because it’s the sex industry and I’m this mysterious, young woman,
how could I possibly want to help other women?
It’s so sexist and so... it’s just so frustrating.
It’s just, like, the total opposite.
But I mean **** them, right?
I got to know Sofia, one of Lydia’s in-person mentees,
and a grad student who’s planning to support herself through sex work.
She let me in on a call with one of her clients.
Hi, this is Sophia calling you back.
And told me how Lydia helps her navigate
this new world under FOSTA/SESTA.
Yeah, you sound really nice.
Yeah, you sound super sweet, I would love to meet you.
Tell us a little bit about Lydia, like what she’s been doing,
how she’s been helping you and mentoring you.
When I didn’t know anyone in the sex worker community
and was working for an agency, like nine months ago
it was really horrible working conditions and--
Like, I don’t want to have to hide certain parts of myself,
which my former agency was having me do.
She was able to take these qualities about me and really bring them out.
That were part of my queer identity and other identities too.
Right.
So everything I’m doing, including this branding and all my other jobs,
are really centralized on grad school.
It's my big goal for doing this.
And her adaptability is a really key characteristic,
because each girl is so different.
And she’s able to not just put me in this stereotypical place.
She’s able to see where I want to go in my academic career
and then she’s able to incorporate things like that into my my branding.
So this was a site that I developed with Lydia.
There’s that.
Yeah, we figured out I look really good in a beige-white.
Yeah, you do.
So we started focusing on that and the cream.
How are you doing to change this whole portrayal of yourself online
in the face of FOSTA/SESTA?
It’s been a lot of rebranding of... turning it into a photoshoot,
and booking for photoshoots.
So a lot of it is being really careful with language and... yeah.
Everyone had to go in really quickly
and just change their whole website around.
I think everyone in the industry kind of has this extra edge of uneasiness.
Like, at any point something can go bad.
And I think when you have such a high risk coming in,
it just makes the whole situation more stressful.
But I think also that anyone who is a sex worker is also extremely clever,
and I think already have all these alternatives.
Keep your legs more bent in, right there.
Sometimes, business and politics collide in the house, especially now.
Lydia invited me to watch her in action during a one-on-one
rebranding session with sex worker and activist Siouxsie Q.
-Can we have some fur on it? -Is that bad?
I’m not opposed to it, we can do some shots,
but I don’t want it to look showgirl-like.
Yes, you’re right.
What drove you to shoot with Lydia today?
I mean as soon as I saw Lydia...
even our first meeting, she was like, “I don’t care about politics,
I care about money.”
And I’m like, “I’m trying to be president in ten years.”
Everyone expects me to be politically active,
which is just a lot of pressure.
It's hard for a businesswoman.
So, I will probably be that side, she holds me on this side.
Yeah, that works out really well.
When I first met Siouxsie, she was like,
“We’re going to be friends.”
-Oh yeah. -And I was just like...
My name is Siouxsie Q, and I am a sex worker.
I’m also a writer and kind of a politician,
but from an activist and advocacy space.
So, we’re in the midst of a rebranding.
Well, she’s still learning who Porsha is.
And honestly, up until last night we were still conflicted.
So Porsha is Siouxsie’s persona,
because Siouxsie is basically a political figure now.
And that’s just not that hot, honestly.
Remember, Porsha, not pin-up.
I’ve been Siouxsie for like seven, eight years now.
So in terms of branding and making money in the adult industry,
I need some help there.
I need Lydia’s superpowers and she needs mine,
because she’s not super into the political side of stuff.
But she has to be, I mean you can’t not be right now.
What have you guys been working on?
I mean the SESTA stuff has been huge.
Between she and I, I’m on the conference calls
getting the briefings from people.
And we’re collaborating and getting that information out
to the people that really need it.
While the sex worker community is scrambling to find a solution
to these new restrictions.
Much of the general public isn't even aware of what's going on.
I needed to learn more about what FOSTA/SESTA was supposed to do,
and what it actually does in practice,
to better understand how the bill has been affecting people
like Lydia and her Dolls.
What is FOSTA/SESTA, exactly?
FOSTA/SESTA is supposed to be a measure to reduce human trafficking
of particularly young people into the sex industry
against their will.
What it does is make it potentially illegal
for anyone to be communicating online about anything related to sex work.
Which is really dangerous for the participants in the industry.
It is hard to see how FOSTA would actually be helpful to people
experiencing trafficking.
It’s a basic problem with laws criminalizing sex work.
When people are being exploited, the criminal laws combined with
the social stigma make it very difficult to reach out and seek help.
So to me, this just seems like furthering that stigma
and further complicating the process of trying to get help.
I don’t understand why the anti-trafficking movement doesn’t see
that sex workers, runaways, the queer community,
the trans community, people living with HIV, that’s who you’re killing.
You know for me sitting in a place of privilege, I can be like,
“OK, I’m going to rebrand, I’m going to utilize these things.”
But I think the people who are going to be hit hardest by this...
is POC, women of color, trans women.
And that’s why taking away our ability to use the internet
just to stay safe is so vile.
It's all we have.
It’s the only tool that we have. Time, space, and scrutiny.
That’s it.
And each other.
So, in the face of these new laws,
I know that you’ve been acquiring more mentees
and really reaching out to help a lot of people.
I know it’s been a really intense time.
How is your business changing?
By the minute. Truly by the minute.
I mean I have the largest influx of new mentees
and people asking for direction.
But also we’ve had the most restrictions I’ve ever had
on the company.
And it’s crazy because I’m trying to help people.
But if what I’m doing could compromise my own legality of it,
it’s really terrifying.
But honestly, I wouldn’t stop doing it.
Why wouldn’t you?
It’s just the right thing to do.
You just have to help people.
I think I’m going to get sent to a really nice jail.
I’m pretty sure, yeah...
I bet I can meet some new clients in there,
and they’re probably really nice, white collar.
It depends on how you spin it.
Oh, yes. Yes.
You want me zipping you up?
-Yeah. -Yes.
Yeah. OK, this is the one.
So everyone's getting ready for this party.
They’re going to this party that’s run by a bunch of pornstars.
And so it's just kind of a little hectic.
Everyone’s getting ready and looking forward to meeting some connections
in the porn industry today.
Oh, I’ll bring her some shoes.
So, what’s the significance of this party
in terms of the gathering aspect for you?
Like in the light of these laws, especially FOSTA/SESTA.
Do you think this in-person gathering will happen more in this community,
in the sex industry?
I don't know.
I don’t know, it’s really hard to change people.
What do you think are the implications of that kind of divide?
Do you think that can cause potential harm in the community or--
I don’t know, I don’t like these questions.
Honestly, it’s making me really uncomfortable.
I just know I’m going to get raked over the coals, no matter what I say.
So, I’m just very nervous about it.
-I’m sorry I’m having anxiety. -It’s OK.
I understand what that’s like.
Everyone’s future is really compromised.
But we’re trying, we’re trying everything that we can.
And now it's really like life and death.
I feel like I have such a responsibility to people.
I just don’t want to let them down.
So we’re trying.
So it’s like, “OK, girls. You can get in porn, there’s webcam.
Let’s do... let’s make a YouTube show, get ad revenue...
if you want modeling careers...”
Like, I’m trying so hard to at least save the girls that live with me.
I’m sorry for being emotional.
I haven’t really confronted my feelings about it, at all.
When there is such an urgency, it’s like you don’t have time to feel it.
I also have all this guilt associated,
because I know, no matter what, it’s not going to affect me
as a person.
So it’s, like, my business is doing great because of it.
And I feel guilty about that, too.
So if everyone’s panicking,
people are buying my books, or buying my videos,
and I’m just like, “I feel guilty about this.”
Kinsley, why aren’t you in a dress?
Because... Kendall don’t have nothing to wear.
Get in a dress. Tell Kendall to get dressed.
There's a pink dress in her room.
There's dresses on the couch.
We have to go.
What time is it then?
It’s... we’re supposed to be going now.
-Kinsley, get dressed! -OK.
Alright. I’m going to see if it fits.
If not, we have a red leatherette one.
And then just like that, I’m fine.
Are you sure?
Do you guys go out together often? Do you go out partying together?
We don’t really party party.
But we definitely do other things where we get to connect
and build a stronger relationship and everything, which is pretty cool.
It’s just that bond.
It’s not common to have someone to talk to within the industry.
A lot of people are alone.
You feel like everyone’s in competition.
And it’s always good to have a shoulder to cry on,
or someone to rub your shoulder and be like,
“It’s OK, I’m here for you.”
So, yeah, I actually love it.
You ready?
Where are the dogs? Head count, one, two.
They’re fine.
-Have fun guys. -Thank you.
[Station1640 Los Angeles, California]
After spending so much time in Lydia’s home with her and her Dolls,
and looking at how they’re changing their business
in response to FOSTA/SESTA,
I came to learn how much Lydia truly cares about her clients.
These women she calls her Dolls are her life.
And even though Lydia might be a bit non-traditional,
and definitely controversial,
she’s a vital part in every one of her girls’ lives.
And in their survival in this industry now.
But even though she’s working so hard to help women in the industry,
not a lot of sex workers have this opportunity for mentorship.
And that's scary.
Personally, what really gets me with working with sex workers
is just the strength and spirit of their community.
So time after time, no matter what obstacles come into play,
sex workers are a group of people who will unite together
and fight the dangers that they face on a daily.