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“I was a freshman in high school when two of my senior friends started dancing, and I heard some of the ups and downs of their experiences," she said. I've had the joy of working with queer customers, and most of those experiences have been powerfully subversive in a (seemingly) heteronormative space.”įagnelli found stripping “like everyone else-as a concept in pop culture.” She remembers growing up fascinated by Tina Turner’s “ Private Dancer,” and once sneaked a few episodes of HBO’s G String Divas. “It adds a level of camaraderie the same way any other marginalized identity finds comfort in finding each other. As a stripper, she’s worked in a variety of clubs that cater to typical male clientele, and “at least a third of the dancers I've worked with in clubs across the country are LGBTQ,” Fagnelli said. “Being a queer stripper is a special experience,” says Gia Fagnelli, a stripper and drag performance artist based in Pittsburgh. Outside of queer hubs, many queer and lesbian dancers build their own communities within the strip clubs where they work. They compliment me on my armpit hair, and are very fun to dance for because I'm usually attracted to them too.”
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“I love when queer clients see my shaved head and hairy armpits-they can totally tell I’m queer and give me the wink like they know what's up,” said Iris. It all depends on “the quality of the customers,” many of whom are queer women themselves. As with any job, Iris said she has good days and bad days, and doesn’t think being queer makes her job easier or more difficult. With so many queer dancers on the scene, there isn’t much of a noticeable distinction between queer and straight strip clubs in Portland. “As a queer dancer, I’m in the majority! Almost all of the Portland strippers I’ve met are queer, it's amazing!” said Iris, who’s also using her stage name to protect her privacy. She explained that working in a club not only offers financial freedom, but affirms her identity and place in the local queer community. Though most strip clubs are traditionally known for being aggressively heterosexual environments, some queer-friendly cities like Portland attract a lot of dancers like Iris.