Toronto Burlesque, Columns and Activism

Some figures in Toronto's sexual-culture world have worked in several roles at once. A published profile described one such performer as a burlesque artist, sex columnist, part-time DJ and sex worker rights activist. The career shows how stagecraft, journalism and advocacy can overlap in a Canadian city.

From column to stage

The performer wrote a question-and-answer sex column for alternative weekly newspapers, and the column later moved to the website of a large alternative publication. Answers combined expert opinion with blunt common sense and a cheeky tone. A weekly video series about sex was also said to be planned.

The subject was described as stirring up many feelings, from inspiration to anger to calm, and attentive readers could often tell from the column whether the writer was in love, enjoying herself or heartbroken.

Troupes and theatrical burlesque

As the column grew, the performer was also helping to reinvent burlesque. Together with a fellow performer, she co-founded a troupe that pushed the genre out of variety evenings and into fully staged theatre.

The profile mentioned several large productions, including one prepared for a Toronto Pride event. These descriptions are historical and are not a listing of upcoming dates.

Sex as subject and politics

In the profile, sex runs through all of the work: the activism, the cabaret productions about sexual culture and politics, and everyday life. Neo-burlesque in Canada has often had this political side, using humour and costume to raise questions about gender, bodies and labour.

Organizations cited as inspiration

The performer singled out several organizations that push for respect and protection for people in the sex trades, often while facing severe pressure. They included groups in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Thailand, India and Hong Kong, along with a regional network of sex workers in Asia and the Pacific.

Such organizations belong to an international movement on sex worker rights, which raises labour protections, access to health services, freedom from violence and decriminalization. Positions on these questions differ, and the debate continues in Canada and elsewhere. Supporters and critics of different legal approaches both cite worker safety, though they reach different conclusions about the best framework.