Ava Adore

Why I Do It: Part V: Queer.

PART FIVE: Queer: ‘Holding a Light of Some Kind.’
The last part; Answering, “So, why are you a stripper?”

“It’s funny,” I said, “I sort of felt closer to you right then. And I was thinking about how brave you all are.”
“Brave?” Milli narrowed her eyes.
“Yeah. I don’t think I could be strong enough to fight without my clothes on.”
—Stone Butch Blues, 111.

That passage is part of my heart. Every time I utter the words, “I fight with my clothes off,” the phrase I created for what I do, that is what I am referencing. Words exchanged between lovers, between butch and femme, between working class women, between a factory worker and a dancer. Words of my proverbial ancestry.

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Why I Do It: Part IV: Drag.

PART FOUR: Drag: ‘In Her Hips, There’s Revolution.’
Answering, “So, why are you a stripper?”

“I’ve been called anti-feminist before and it makes me really mad. I don’t do my job for men, I do it because I love the make-up, the costumes, and the history of showgirls.” —Dita Von Teese.

Men are a mandatory part of the job, that’s a given; but, especially as a lesbian, men are a small part of the equation. I don’t feel threatened at work because the men mean little to me and I don’t feel scared because the bouncers and management protect us—that’s part of picking the right club to work at.

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Why I Do It: Part III: Third Wave.

PART THREE: Third Wave: ‘Feminist Sweepstakes.’
Answering, “So, why are you a stripper?”

“Sex was on my own terms… I don’t even recall having to work hard. I didn’t even wear heels and short skirts until the 90s were almost over. There was no stripper pole in the picture. It was super simple: I wanted to have sex and so I did.” —Ada, 90sWoman.com

Ada is not actually speaking about stripping there; she’s simply talking about coming of age in the 90s, when third wave feminism was theoretically in full swing. It was simple: ‘I wanted to have sex, and so I did.’ There’s ownership in that—and that autonomy is what’s important to recognize.

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Why I Do It: Part II: Emotional.

PART TWO: Emotional: ‘I’m Breaking Free, I’m Breaking Through.’
Answering, “So, why are you a stripper?”

“There’s been so much emotional upheaval, it’s enough to put anyone on their knees. Except instead of letting someone trip you by yanking the rug away, you grab a pole. You’re a fighter… and you fight in six inch heels.” —A former close friend.

Dancing has always been an outlet for me. Hip hop, salsa, pole—it doesn’t matter. It’s for me what running is for some other people. It’s meditation. It’s restoration. It’s salvation.

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Why I Do It: Part I: Physical.

The answer to the question, “So, why are you a stripper?” is incredibly complex and layered, so I actually have to answer it in 5 posts, as I could probably write a 25 page term paper on it, citing sources. This is an abridged version.

PART ONE: Physical: ‘Go On, Take the Money and Run.’

We’ll start at the surface: I’ve always wanted to do this. My friends in high school knew this about me—and that’s a decade ago. I think I first went to a dance club around 9th grade with some older friends to a pseudo-rave. And yes, I was out as a lesbian by then, too.

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