Honoring the Roots of Pole and Standing with Aotearoa's Strippers
💌 This blog & our social media posts for Pole Roots 2024 draws on what the Fired Up Stilettos have been up to this year along with insights gathered in 2023 from current and former strippers across the country. We deeply appreciate their time, experiences, and willingness to share their stories. While we’ve aimed to present a thoughtful and balanced view, it’s important to acknowledge that every individual's journey is unique. This blog reflects the most commonly shared experiences and opinions on the topic, but it may not capture every nuance or viewpoint.
As we enter into our annual Pole Roots Month / Ho Ho Heels December, it’s the perfect time to remind ourselves of (or learn about) the history of pole and this year we want to specifically focus on the work being done by our stripper fam here in Aotearoa.
If you’re not familiar with the origins of pole, the TLDR version is that the pole dancing that we know and love started in the clubs. Pole dance studios wouldn’t be here without the strippers that paved the way for us, so we are eternally grateful for the mahi they did in order to create a space in the world where pole dancing can exist within the mainstream 🙏
Unfortunately strip clubs and those that work within them in Aotearoa still to this day don’t have the same luxuries we do.
They may physically exist, but are very much hidden in plain sight within society. And we want to help change that.
Not only are our stripper friends having to face the constant judgement and stigma purely for the work they do, but they are also forced to put up with poor working conditions, illegal contracts and sometimes even physical & mental abuse. We know that the key to acceptance is education, so we are here to help re-explain what life for strippers in Aotearoa is actually like (it's not like the movies).
Let’s start with some facts:
⭐ Strippers (aka dancers) don’t get paid by the club! No minimum wage, no annual salary. The only funds that they earn are via the tips offered by the customers and even then they will receive a % of those tips, not the full amount. Customers pay a cover charge to enter the club and this money stays with the club - it does not get distributed to the dancers.
⭐ Dancers often have to pay to work at a club! Majority of clubs will charge the dancers with a “bond” before they are allowed to work. And most strippers never have that money returned to them at the end of their working journey with the club either.
⭐ Need to take a sick day? Prepare to pay! Along with paying a bond, dancers are also charged fines for various reasons. Sickness, lateness, being whatever management describes as “rude” to a customer, all come with consequences. Is it legal to charge fines for these types of reasons? No.
Pretty crazy stuff huh?
Luckily, the Fired Up Stilettos movement is fighting to combat some of these challenges by petitioning for change in Aotearoa 🙌
As said in their own words:
“Fired Up Stilettos (Inc.) is an organisation and social movement working to improve the lives of strippers and sex workers in Aotearoa. We are entirely volunteer based. All of our money comes from fundraising, and is reserved for mutual aid, legal fees, and operational costs (postering, website hosting..etc.).
Our core team is made up of Wellington based strippers, most of whom were fired from Calendar Girls Wellington in January 2023 following attempts at negotiation.
We have four major goals:
⚖️ Establish labour rights for strippers through political action.
✊ Unite the workforce so that we can advocate for ourselves against exploitative venues.
💟 Provide financial support to workers for whom the revolution is financially inaccessible.
🤝 Dismantle social stigma and discrimination towards strippers and sex workers.”
This group of powerhouses have been putting in some serious mahi this year and we are here for it!! Some of the highlights:
⭐ 5 Protests held in Wellington supporting stripper rights
⭐ Petition handed into Parliament with 7,159 signatures
⭐ 52 page submission handed into Parliament in support of the petition AND an oral submission IN Parliament 🙌
All whilst raising awareness online and creating online resources for those working in or looking to work in the industry! (check it out here!)
The actions taken by this group are phenomenal, and something we highly encourage all pole dancers to get behind and support. Follow them on social media, show up to their fundraisers & protests, but most importantly - educate those around you on the industry.
Pole dancing would not be here without the adult entertainment industry. We have been gifted this incredible art form so let’s pay homage to the roots of pole by talking about it! Sex work is real work, and anyone working in the industry deserves the same amount of respect and healthy working conditions as anyone else ✊
Want to help but not sure where to start? Check out these resources below to share with the world!
⭐ Deep dive into the history of pole
