Portal:Sex work

Introduction

The red light district in Amsterdam

Sex work is "the exchange of sexual services, performances, or products for material compensation. It includes activities of direct physical contact between buyers and sellers as well as indirect sexual stimulation". Sex work only refers to voluntary sexual transactions; thus, the term does not refer to human trafficking and other coerced or nonconsensual sexual transactions such as child prostitution. The transaction must take place between consenting adults of the legal age and mental capacity to consent and must take place without any methods of coercion, other than payment. The term emphasizes the labor and economic implications of this type of work. Furthermore, some prefer the use of the term because it grants more agency to the sellers of these services. (Full article...)

Selected article -

Legal status of sex work in Australia by state or territory according to model.
  Decriminalisation: sex work is regarded as regular work and operates outside of criminal law
  Legalisation: sex work is legal and regulated, but operates within criminal law, with most activities exempt from criminal penalties
  Abolitionism: sex work is legal but not regulated, and organised activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal

Prostitution in Australia is governed by state and territory laws, which vary considerably, although none ban the selling of sex itself.

There is no evidence of pre-colonial prostitution amongst Indigenous Australians. However, sexual practices more consistent with the modern understanding of polygamy were common, such as the exchange of women to demonstrate friendship. Colonial-era prostitution was controlled via legislation such as the colonial versions of the Contagious Diseases Acts, passed in Victoria and Queensland. Although colonies such as South Australia chose not to pass any CD Act, seeing it as "infringement on the rights of women and official condoning of immorality". After Federation, criminal law was left in the hands of the states, which by and large did not make selling of sex itself illegal, although many acts associated with it such as solicitation, brothel keeping, and leasing accommodations were made illegal. (Full article...)

Selected images

Selected general sex worker

  • Image 1 24 November 1888 Penny Illustrated Paper illustration of Kelly Mary Jane Kelly (c. 1863 – 9 November 1888), also known as Marie Jeanette Kelly, Fair Emma, Ginger, Dark Mary and Black Mary, is widely believed by scholars to have been the final victim of the notorious unidentified serial killer Jack the Ripper, who murdered at least five women in the Whitechapel and Spitalfields districts of London from late August to early November 1888. At the time of her death, Kelly was approximately 25 years old, working as a prostitute and living in relative poverty. Unlike the other four canonical Ripper victims—each of whom had been murdered outdoors and whose mutilations could have been committed within minutes—Kelly was murdered within the sparsely furnished single room she rented at 13 Miller's Court, affording her murderer an extensive period of time to eviscerate and mutilate her body. Kelly's body was by far the most extensively mutilated of the canonical victims, with her mutilations taking her murderer approximately two hours to perform. (Full article...)

    24 November 1888 Penny Illustrated Paper illustration of Kelly

    Mary Jane Kelly (c. 1863 – 9 November 1888), also known as Marie Jeanette Kelly, Fair Emma, Ginger, Dark Mary and Black Mary, is widely believed by scholars to have been the final victim of the notorious unidentified serial killer Jack the Ripper, who murdered at least five women in the Whitechapel and Spitalfields districts of London from late August to early November 1888. At the time of her death, Kelly was approximately 25 years old, working as a prostitute and living in relative poverty.

    Unlike the other four canonical Ripper victims—each of whom had been murdered outdoors and whose mutilations could have been committed within minutes—Kelly was murdered within the sparsely furnished single room she rented at 13 Miller's Court, affording her murderer an extensive period of time to eviscerate and mutilate her body. Kelly's body was by far the most extensively mutilated of the canonical victims, with her mutilations taking her murderer approximately two hours to perform. (Full article...)
  • Image 2 Velma Fern Worden (born June 18, 1935), better known by the stage name April March, is an exotic dancer and prominent star of American burlesque. Billed as April March, The First Lady of Burlesque, she was a headline act in burlesque from 1952 to 1978. During her more than thirty-year career, she gained popularity throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe for her classy and sophisticated striptease. March was one of the innovators of the elegant strip tease. (Full article...)
    Velma Fern Worden (born June 18, 1935), better known by the stage name April March, is an exotic dancer and prominent star of American burlesque. Billed as April March, The First Lady of Burlesque, she was a headline act in burlesque from 1952 to 1978. During her more than thirty-year career, she gained popularity throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe for her classy and sophisticated striptease. March was one of the innovators of the elegant strip tease. (Full article...)
  • Image 3 Payton in 1953 Barbara Lee Payton (née Redfield; November 16, 1927 – May 8, 1967) was an American film actress best known for her stormy social life and battles with alcohol abuse and drug addiction. Her life has been the subject of several books, including her autobiography I Am Not Ashamed (1963), Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story (2007) by John O'Dowd, L.A. Despair: A Landscape of Crimes and Bad Times (2005) by John Gilmore, and B Movie: A Play in Two Acts (2014) by Michael B. Druxman. She married five times. Payton has been dubbed "one of the all-time great 'hot messes' in Hollywood history." (Full article...)

    Payton in 1953

    Barbara Lee Payton (née Redfield; November 16, 1927 – May 8, 1967) was an American film actress best known for her stormy social life and battles with alcohol abuse and drug addiction. Her life has been the subject of several books, including her autobiography I Am Not Ashamed (1963), Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story (2007) by John O'Dowd, L.A. Despair: A Landscape of Crimes and Bad Times (2005) by John Gilmore, and B Movie: A Play in Two Acts (2014) by Michael B. Druxman. She married five times. Payton has been dubbed "one of the all-time great 'hot messes' in Hollywood history." (Full article...)
  • Image 4 Photograph of St. James by filmmaker George Csicsery Margaret Jean "Margo" St. James (September 12, 1937 – January 11, 2021) was an American sex worker and sex-positive feminist. In San Francisco, she founded COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics), an organization advocating decriminalization of prostitution, and co-founded the St. James Infirmary Clinic, a medical and social service organization serving sex workers in the Tenderloin. (Full article...)

    Photograph of St. James by filmmaker George Csicsery

    Margaret Jean "Margo" St. James (September 12, 1937 – January 11, 2021) was an American sex worker and sex-positive feminist. In San Francisco, she founded COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics), an organization advocating decriminalization of prostitution, and co-founded the St. James Infirmary Clinic, a medical and social service organization serving sex workers in the Tenderloin. (Full article...)
  • Image 5 Famous nude painting of Emma Dupont by Jean-Léon Gérôme on his original canvas with scratches Emma Dupont (fl. 1876–1890) was a French model, known for posing for paintings and sculptures for various 19th-century artists, mainly Jean-Léon Gérôme. She is known for modeling for several of Gérôme's famous works depicting scenes from antiquity, including Pool in a Harem, Omphale, Tanagra, and Pygmalion and Galatea. Dupont began modeling out of necessity after being abandoned in Paris as a teenager but went on to have a successful career posing for celebrated artists of the era. Her regular income allowed her to maintain a modest apartment that displayed artworks gifted to her by the painters and sculptors she modeled for. (Full article...)

    Famous nude painting of Emma Dupont by Jean-Léon Gérôme on his original canvas with scratches

    Emma Dupont (fl. 1876–1890) was a French model, known for posing for paintings and sculptures for various 19th-century artists, mainly Jean-Léon Gérôme. She is known for modeling for several of Gérôme's famous works depicting scenes from antiquity, including Pool in a Harem, Omphale, Tanagra, and Pygmalion and Galatea. Dupont began modeling out of necessity after being abandoned in Paris as a teenager but went on to have a successful career posing for celebrated artists of the era. Her regular income allowed her to maintain a modest apartment that displayed artworks gifted to her by the painters and sculptors she modeled for. (Full article...)
  • Image 6 Urach in 2016 Andressa de Faveri Urach (born 11 October 1987) is a Brazilian reality television personality, best known for being a contestant on the sixth season of A Fazenda, the Brazilian version of The Farm. (Full article...)

    Urach in 2016

    Andressa de Faveri Urach (born 11 October 1987) is a Brazilian reality television personality, best known for being a contestant on the sixth season of A Fazenda, the Brazilian version of The Farm. (Full article...)
  • Image 7 Taylor on MTV Real World Tour at Chicago Vision Nightclub Brianna Taylor (born May 30, 1987) is a reality show personality, singer and songwriter, having appeared on both the fifth season of American Idol and The Real World: Hollywood, the twentieth season of MTV's long-running reality television series, The Real World. In 2008, she released her debut, self-titled EP, Brianna Taylor, on Chamberlain Records; according to that label's website, she was later signed to Universal Music. (Full article...)

    Taylor on MTV Real World Tour at Chicago Vision Nightclub

    Brianna Taylor (born May 30, 1987) is a reality show personality, singer and songwriter, having appeared on both the fifth season of American Idol and The Real World: Hollywood, the twentieth season of MTV's long-running reality television series, The Real World. In 2008, she released her debut, self-titled EP, Brianna Taylor, on Chamberlain Records; according to that label's website, she was later signed to Universal Music. (Full article...)
  • Image 8 Mata Hari, c. 1910 Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle, Dutch: [mɑrɣaːˈreːtaː ɣeːrˈtrœydaː ˈzɛlə]; 7 August 1876 – 15 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari (/ˈmɑːtə ˈhɑːri/ MAH-tə HAR-ee, Dutch: [ˈmaːtaː ˈɦaːri]; Malay for 'sun', lit. 'eye of the day'), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed by firing squad in France. The idea of a beautiful exotic dancer using her powers of seduction as a spy made her name synonymous with the femme fatale. Mata Hari's story has inspired books, films, and other works. It has been said that she was convicted and condemned because the French Army needed a scapegoat, and that the files used to secure her conviction contained falsifications. Some have even stated that she could not have been a spy and was innocent. (Full article...)

    Mata Hari, c. 1910

    Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle, Dutch: [mɑrɣaːˈreːtaː ɣeːrˈtrœydaː ˈzɛlə]; 7 August 1876 – 15 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari (/ˈmɑːtə ˈhɑːri/ MAH-tə HAR-ee, Dutch: [ˈmaːtaː ˈɦaːri]; Malay for 'sun', lit. 'eye of the day'), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed by firing squad in France.

    The idea of a beautiful exotic dancer using her powers of seduction as a spy made her name synonymous with the femme fatale. Mata Hari's story has inspired books, films, and other works. It has been said that she was convicted and condemned because the French Army needed a scapegoat, and that the files used to secure her conviction contained falsifications. Some have even stated that she could not have been a spy and was innocent. (Full article...)
  • Image 9 Chippendales dancers in Las Vegas with fans Chippendales is a touring dance troupe best known for its male striptease performances and for its dancers' distinctive upper body costume of a bow tie, collar, and shirt cuffs worn on an otherwise bare torso with jeans and undergarment. Established in 1979, Chippendales was the first all-male stripping troupe to make a business performing for mostly female audiences. The company produces Broadway-style burlesque shows worldwide and licenses its intellectual property for select consumer products ranging from apparel and accessories to slot machines. The Chippendales perform at The Linq in Las Vegas. (Full article...)

    Chippendales dancers in Las Vegas with fans

    Chippendales is a touring dance troupe best known for its male striptease performances and for its dancers' distinctive upper body costume of a bow tie, collar, and shirt cuffs worn on an otherwise bare torso with jeans and undergarment.

    Established in 1979, Chippendales was the first all-male stripping troupe to make a business performing for mostly female audiences. The company produces Broadway-style burlesque shows worldwide and licenses its intellectual property for select consumer products ranging from apparel and accessories to slot machines. The Chippendales perform at The Linq in Las Vegas. (Full article...)
  • Image 10 María Magdalena, by Manuel Ussel de Guimbarda. Caridad la Negra served as a model for the painting, which is on display at the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad in Cartagena (Spain). María de la Caridad Norberta Pacheco Sánchez (6 June 1879 – 1 March 1960), better known by her nickname Caridad la Negra, was a Spanish prostitute and madam, renowned for her activity during the last years of the Restoration and her protection of people and property during the Spanish Civil War. (Full article...)

    María Magdalena, by Manuel Ussel de Guimbarda. Caridad la Negra served as a model for the painting, which is on display at the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad in Cartagena (Spain).

    María de la Caridad Norberta Pacheco Sánchez (6 June 1879 – 1 March 1960), better known by her nickname Caridad la Negra, was a Spanish prostitute and madam, renowned for her activity during the last years of the Restoration and her protection of people and property during the Spanish Civil War. (Full article...)
  • Image 11 Juanita Dale Slusher (July 6, 1935 – December 30, 2005), better known by her stage name Candy Barr, was an American stripper, burlesque dancer, actress, and adult model in men's magazines of the mid-20th century. During the 1950s, she received nationwide attention for her stripping career in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, her encounters with the law, shooting her second husband, and her sentence to a prison term for drug possession. Barr was also in relationships with Mickey Cohen and Jack Ruby. (Full article...)
    Juanita Dale Slusher (July 6, 1935 – December 30, 2005), better known by her stage name Candy Barr, was an American stripper, burlesque dancer, actress, and adult model in men's magazines of the mid-20th century.

    During the 1950s, she received nationwide attention for her stripping career in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, her encounters with the law, shooting her second husband, and her sentence to a prison term for drug possession. Barr was also in relationships with Mickey Cohen and Jack Ruby. (Full article...)
  • Image 12 Baker in 1940 Freda Josephine Baker (née McDonald; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American-born French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture, the 1927 French silent film Siren of the Tropics, directed by Mario Nalpas and Henri Étiévant. During her early career, Baker was among the most celebrated performers to headline the revues of the Folies Bergère in Paris. Her performance in its 1927 revue Un vent de folie caused a sensation in the city. Her costume, consisting only of a short skirt of artificial bananas and a beaded necklace, became an iconic image and a symbol both of the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties. Baker was celebrated by artists and intellectuals of the era, who variously dubbed her the "Black Venus", the "Black Pearl", the "Bronze Venus", and the "Creole Goddess". Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she renounced her U.S. citizenship and became a French national after her marriage to French industrialist Jean Lion in 1937. She adopted 12 children which she referred to as the Rainbow Tribe and raised them in France. (Full article...)

    Baker in 1940

    Freda Josephine Baker (née McDonald; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American-born French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture, the 1927 French silent film Siren of the Tropics, directed by Mario Nalpas and Henri Étiévant.

    During her early career, Baker was among the most celebrated performers to headline the revues of the Folies Bergère in Paris. Her performance in its 1927 revue Un vent de folie caused a sensation in the city. Her costume, consisting only of a short skirt of artificial bananas and a beaded necklace, became an iconic image and a symbol both of the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties. Baker was celebrated by artists and intellectuals of the era, who variously dubbed her the "Black Venus", the "Black Pearl", the "Bronze Venus", and the "Creole Goddess". Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she renounced her U.S. citizenship and became a French national after her marriage to French industrialist Jean Lion in 1937. She adopted 12 children which she referred to as the Rainbow Tribe and raised them in France. (Full article...)
  • Image 13 Fleiss in 2006 Heidi Lynne Fleiss (born December 30, 1965) is an American former madam. She ran an upscale prostitution ring based in Los Angeles and is often referred to as the "Hollywood Madam". Fleiss also formerly worked as a columnist and was a television personality regularly featured in the 1990s American media. (Full article...)

    Fleiss in 2006

    Heidi Lynne Fleiss (born December 30, 1965) is an American former madam. She ran an upscale prostitution ring based in Los Angeles and is often referred to as the "Hollywood Madam". Fleiss also formerly worked as a columnist and was a television personality regularly featured in the 1990s American media. (Full article...)
  • Image 14 Lilliane Catherine Diomi (born June 1, 2001), known professionally as ppcocaine (previously known as trapbunniebubbles), is an American social media personality and rapper. She is perhaps best known for her song "3 Musketeers" that gained popularity on the video-sharing platform TikTok. (Full article...)
    Lilliane Catherine Diomi (born June 1, 2001), known professionally as ppcocaine (previously known as trapbunniebubbles), is an American social media personality and rapper. She is perhaps best known for her song "3 Musketeers" that gained popularity on the video-sharing platform TikTok. (Full article...)
  • Image 15 Corio in Jungle Siren (1942) Ann Corio (born Ann Coiro; November 29, 1909 – March 1, 1999) was a prominent American burlesque stripper and actress. Her original surname was Coiro, changing it to Corio for stage purposes and because some family members did not approve of her profession. (Full article...)

    Corio in Jungle Siren (1942)

    Ann Corio (born Ann Coiro; November 29, 1909 – March 1, 1999) was a prominent American burlesque stripper and actress. Her original surname was Coiro, changing it to Corio for stage purposes and because some family members did not approve of her profession. (Full article...)
  • Image 16 Thunder From Down Under in 2015 Australia's Thunder from Down Under is an Australian male revue who perform in Las Vegas and tour internationally. The show is a 90-minute, interactive performance with choreographed dance and flashing lights. Their main competitor is Chippendales. The show is co-owned by Adam Steck and founder Billy Cross. Since its debut in 1991, nearly 10 million people have watched them perform. Originally, the show uses the Australian practice of no tipping as a way to attract audiences. Their first show was in an old theater in The Frontier in '01 and booked a show in the Excalibur Hotel in '02. Since then, Thunder has toured over 15 countries including Russia, England, Canada, South Africa, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Ireland and, in 2017, will be headed to Thailand and China as well. (Full article...)

    Thunder From Down Under in 2015

    Australia's Thunder from Down Under is an Australian male revue who perform in Las Vegas and tour internationally. The show is a 90-minute, interactive performance with choreographed dance and flashing lights. Their main competitor is Chippendales. The show is co-owned by Adam Steck and founder Billy Cross.

    Since its debut in 1991, nearly 10 million people have watched them perform. Originally, the show uses the Australian practice of no tipping as a way to attract audiences. Their first show was in an old theater in The Frontier in '01 and booked a show in the Excalibur Hotel in '02. Since then, Thunder has toured over 15 countries including Russia, England, Canada, South Africa, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Ireland and, in 2017, will be headed to Thailand and China as well. (Full article...)
  • Image 17 Leone in 2022 Karenjit "Karen" Kaur Vohra (born May 13, 1981), known by her stage name Sunny Leone, is a Canadian American actress, model, and former pornographic actress. She was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003, was a contract performer for Vivid Entertainment, and was named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010. She was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2018. She has played roles in independent mainstream events, films, and television series. Her first mainstream appearance was in 2005, when she worked as a red carpet reporter for the MTV Video Music Awards on MTV India. In 2011, she participated in the Indian reality television series Bigg Boss. She also has hosted the Indian reality show Splitsvilla. (Full article...)

    Leone in 2022

    Karenjit "Karen" Kaur Vohra (born May 13, 1981), known by her stage name Sunny Leone, is a Canadian American actress, model, and former pornographic actress. She was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003, was a contract performer for Vivid Entertainment, and was named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010. She was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2018.

    She has played roles in independent mainstream events, films, and television series. Her first mainstream appearance was in 2005, when she worked as a red carpet reporter for the MTV Video Music Awards on MTV India. In 2011, she participated in the Indian reality television series Bigg Boss. She also has hosted the Indian reality show Splitsvilla. (Full article...)
  • Image 18 Jameson at the XBIZ Awards 2014 Jenna Marie Massoli (born April 9, 1974), known professionally as Jenna Jameson (/ˈdʒeɪmɪsən/), is an American businesswoman, writer, television personality, and former pornographic film actress. She has been named the world's most famous adult entertainment performer and "The Queen of Porn". Jameson started acting in erotic videos in 1993 after having worked as a stripper and glamour model. By 1996, she had won the "Top Newcomer" award from each of the three major adult movie organizations. She has since won more than 35 adult-video awards, and has been inducted into the X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO) and Adult Video News (AVN) Halls of Fame. (Full article...)

    Jameson at the XBIZ Awards 2014

    Jenna Marie Massoli (born April 9, 1974), known professionally as Jenna Jameson (/ˈdʒeɪmɪsən/), is an American businesswoman, writer, television personality, and former pornographic film actress. She has been named the world's most famous adult entertainment performer and "The Queen of Porn".

    Jameson started acting in erotic videos in 1993 after having worked as a stripper and glamour model. By 1996, she had won the "Top Newcomer" award from each of the three major adult movie organizations. She has since won more than 35 adult-video awards, and has been inducted into the X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO) and Adult Video News (AVN) Halls of Fame. (Full article...)
  • Image 19 Dawn in 2007 Anett Bocsi, known by her stage name Anette Dawn, is a Hungarian call girl, make-up artist, ceramist, model and former pornographic actress. She rose to prominence for her career as a model and adult film actress during the 2000s. She is known for playing in both lesbian films and solo scenes. Dawn began her career as an erotic photography model in Budapest, and made her adult film debut with the film Wild Adventures (2002), produced by Private, which was followed by several adult films throughout the 2000s. She subsequently appeared in the films Girl + Girl 9 (2004) and Street Heat 2 (2004). Her most prominent role was as a supporting actress in the film Butterfly (2005), in addition to appearing in other Viv Thomas productions, including Our Movie (2005) and Viv's Dream Team (2005). Dawn also played a softcore solo scene in the film Prime Cups 1 (2007), followed by a major supporting role in the high-budget production Downward Spiral (2008). (Full article...)

    Dawn in 2007

    Anett Bocsi, known by her stage name Anette Dawn, is a Hungarian call girl, make-up artist, ceramist, model and former pornographic actress. She rose to prominence for her career as a model and adult film actress during the 2000s. She is known for playing in both lesbian films and solo scenes.

    Dawn began her career as an erotic photography model in Budapest, and made her adult film debut with the film Wild Adventures (2002), produced by Private, which was followed by several adult films throughout the 2000s. She subsequently appeared in the films Girl + Girl 9 (2004) and Street Heat 2 (2004). Her most prominent role was as a supporting actress in the film Butterfly (2005), in addition to appearing in other Viv Thomas productions, including Our Movie (2005) and Viv's Dream Team (2005). Dawn also played a softcore solo scene in the film Prime Cups 1 (2007), followed by a major supporting role in the high-budget production Downward Spiral (2008). (Full article...)
  • Image 20 Blaze Starr in 1974 Blaze Starr (born Fannie Belle Fleming; April 10, 1932 – June 15, 2015) was an American stripper and burlesque star. Her vivacious presence and inventive use of stage props earned her the nickname "The Hottest Blaze in Burlesque". She was also known for her affair with Louisiana Governor Earl Kemp Long. Based on her memoir Blaze Starr! My Life as Told to Huey Perry (published in 1974), the 1989 film Blaze told the story of that affair starring Paul Newman as Long and Lolita Davidovich as Starr, with Starr herself acting in a cameo role and as a consultant. (Full article...)

    Blaze Starr in 1974

    Blaze Starr (born Fannie Belle Fleming; April 10, 1932 – June 15, 2015) was an American stripper and burlesque star. Her vivacious presence and inventive use of stage props earned her the nickname "The Hottest Blaze in Burlesque". She was also known for her affair with Louisiana Governor Earl Kemp Long. Based on her memoir Blaze Starr! My Life as Told to Huey Perry (published in 1974), the 1989 film Blaze told the story of that affair starring Paul Newman as Long and Lolita Davidovich as Starr, with Starr herself acting in a cameo role and as a consultant. (Full article...)
  • Image 21 Jennie Lee (born Virginia Lee Hicks, October 23, 1928 – March 24, 1990) was an American stripper, burlesque entertainer, pin-up model, union activist, and a minor role movie actress, who performed several striptease acts in nightclubs during the 1950s and 1960s. She was also known as "the Bazoom Girl", "the Burlesque Version of Jayne Mansfield", and "Miss 44 and Plenty More". (Full article...)
    Jennie Lee (born Virginia Lee Hicks, October 23, 1928 – March 24, 1990) was an American stripper, burlesque entertainer, pin-up model, union activist, and a minor role movie actress, who performed several striptease acts in nightclubs during the 1950s and 1960s. She was also known as "the Bazoom Girl", "the Burlesque Version of Jayne Mansfield", and "Miss 44 and Plenty More". (Full article...)
  • Image 22 Cardi B in 2021 Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (née Almánzar; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Noted for her unfiltered public image and lyrics, Cardi B is one of the most successful female artists. From 2015 to early 2017, she gained recognition on Vine and Instagram, as a cast member on VH1's Love & Hip Hop: New York, and by releasing two mixtapes. Her first studio album, Invasion of Privacy (2018), debuted atop the Billboard 200 with the largest female rap album streaming week of all time, and was later ranked the top female rap album of the 2010s by Billboard. Critically acclaimed, it made Cardi B the first solo female artist in history to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, and Rolling Stone ranked it the best debut album of all time by a female rapper. Its singles "Bodak Yellow" and "I Like It" both topped the Billboard Hot 100 and were certified diamond by the RIAA; the former made Cardi B the first female rapper to top the Hot 100 with a solo song in the 21st century and the first to achieve a diamond-certified song, while the latter made her the first with multiple number-one songs. Her third US number-one, the collaboration "Girls Like You" (2018) with Maroon 5, made her the first female rapper to earn multiple RIAA diamond-certified songs. Cardi B's upcoming second studio album, Am I the Drama? (2025), is preceded by the Hot 100 number-one singles "WAP" (with Megan Thee Stallion) and "Up"; the former is the only female rap collaboration to debut atop the Hot 100, made Cardi B the first lead artist to top the Billboard Global 200, and had a large cultural impact. (Full article...)

    Cardi B in 2021

    Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (née Almánzar; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Noted for her unfiltered public image and lyrics, Cardi B is one of the most successful female artists. From 2015 to early 2017, she gained recognition on Vine and Instagram, as a cast member on VH1's Love & Hip Hop: New York, and by releasing two mixtapes.

    Her first studio album, Invasion of Privacy (2018), debuted atop the Billboard 200 with the largest female rap album streaming week of all time, and was later ranked the top female rap album of the 2010s by Billboard. Critically acclaimed, it made Cardi B the first solo female artist in history to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, and Rolling Stone ranked it the best debut album of all time by a female rapper. Its singles "Bodak Yellow" and "I Like It" both topped the Billboard Hot 100 and were certified diamond by the RIAA; the former made Cardi B the first female rapper to top the Hot 100 with a solo song in the 21st century and the first to achieve a diamond-certified song, while the latter made her the first with multiple number-one songs. Her third US number-one, the collaboration "Girls Like You" (2018) with Maroon 5, made her the first female rapper to earn multiple RIAA diamond-certified songs. Cardi B's upcoming second studio album, Am I the Drama? (2025), is preceded by the Hot 100 number-one singles "WAP" (with Megan Thee Stallion) and "Up"; the former is the only female rap collaboration to debut atop the Hot 100, made Cardi B the first lead artist to top the Billboard Global 200, and had a large cultural impact. (Full article...)
  • Image 23 Vednita Carter is an American anti-sex trafficking and anti-prostitution activist. Carter is an author and the executive director of Breaking Free, an organization which helps women seeking to leave prostitution. (Full article...)
    Vednita Carter is an American anti-sex trafficking and anti-prostitution activist. Carter is an author and the executive director of Breaking Free, an organization which helps women seeking to leave prostitution. (Full article...)
  • Image 24 Francisca da Silva de Oliveira (c. 1732–1796), known in history by the name Chica da Silva and whose romanticized version/character is also known by the spelling Xica da Silva, was a Brazilian woman who became famous for becoming rich and powerful despite having been born into slavery. Her life has been a source of inspiration for many works in television, films, music, theater and literature. She is popularly known as the slave who became a queen. The myth of Chica da Silva is often conflated with the historical accounts of Francisca da Silva de Oliveira. (Full article...)
    Francisca da Silva de Oliveira (c. 1732–1796), known in history by the name Chica da Silva and whose romanticized version/character is also known by the spelling Xica da Silva, was a Brazilian woman who became famous for becoming rich and powerful despite having been born into slavery. Her life has been a source of inspiration for many works in television, films, music, theater and literature. She is popularly known as the slave who became a queen. The myth of Chica da Silva is often conflated with the historical accounts of Francisca da Silva de Oliveira. (Full article...)
  • Image 25 Depiction from a contemporary portrait mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna Theodora (/ˌθiːəˈdɔːrə/; Greek: Θεοδώρα; c. 490/500 – 28 June 548) was a Byzantine empress and wife of emperor Justinian I. She was from humble origins and became empress when her husband became emperor in 527. Theodora was one of his chief political advisers. She is recognized as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and commemorated on 14 November. (Full article...)

    Depiction from a contemporary portrait mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna

    Theodora (/ˌθiːəˈdɔːrə/; Greek: Θεοδώρα; c. 490/500 – 28 June 548) was a Byzantine empress and wife of emperor Justinian I. She was from humble origins and became empress when her husband became emperor in 527. Theodora was one of his chief political advisers. She is recognized as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and commemorated on 14 November. (Full article...)

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