Honoring the Passing of Performer January Seraph
July 28, 2017 The adult entertainment community mourns the loss of longtime fetish performer/producer January Seraph, who passed away in San Francisco this past Saturday.
Seraph is remembered fondly by producers, performers, and fans who have responded to the star’s death by flooding social media with photos and memories of her career commemorating her generous spirit, intellect, and ferocity.
Adult Performer Advocacy Committee President, Ela Darling wrote of Seraph's passing on her blog, saying that Seraph openly struggled with depression, especially within the last 18 months of her life, and would not have wanted her death to be sugarcoated. “When someone kills themselves we want to talk about it in whimsical, delicate terms but she wouldn’t have wanted that. She died as intensely as she lived. She died on her own terms just the way she lived. This wasn’t sudden. This wasn’t unexpected. She wouldn’t want us talking about this in soft, gentle terms. She was hardcore and this was part of her intensity that made her shine so brightly.”
Finding mental health resources that are safe and welcoming to the industry is challenging, and sex workers from all walks of life often face discrimination and harassment when attempting to access services. If you are in search of sex positive/sex worker friendly mental health resources and support groups, please refer to the list below and reach out to FSC should you have questions.
St. James Infirmary (Bay Area)-A peer-based occupational health and safety clinic for sex workers and their families, offering peer counseling and psychotherapy as well as primary care and sexual health services.
Hernando Chaves MFT, DHS (Los Angeles)
Kate Loree, LMFT, ATR MBA (Encino)
Offering Individual, couples, and group therapy.
Dr. Marilyn Lawrence, Ph.D (Beverly Hills) Clinical Sexologist & Diplomate Certified Sex Therapist
http://marilynlawrencephd.com/
Amie Harwick, PhD, MFT (West Hollywood)
Dossie Easton, MFT (Bay Area)
Adult Performer Advocacy Committee
The Adult Performer Advocacy Committee advocates to maintain and improve safety and working conditions in the adult film industry by giving adult performers education and organized representation in matters that affect our health, safety, and community.
Sex Worker Outreach Project (Los Angeles chapter)
We are sex workers of all backgrounds who are interested in building support for each other. Sex work can cause feelings of isolation and connecting with someone who has had a similar experience can be comforting. To learn more, send us an email or give our hotline a call. Peers are verified and vetted for security
Abeni (Orange County)
Abeni exists to create a safe, confidential place for those working in the Orange County sex trades, as well as those being domestically sex trafficked. We aim to be a present source of relevant, relational, and holistic support for those who are working or have worked in the adult entertainment industry.