Jessa Jordan
Pronouns:
She/Her
Occupation(s):
"I've dabbled in various types of sex work including work as a camgirl, an escort/sugar baby, a dominatrix, a burlesque performer, and a peepshow girl. Currently, I'm a stripper and nude model—which means I'm paid to pose nude, sometimes explicitly but usually for fine art, boudoir, fetish or even alternative fashion themes. I also shoot for, curate, and operate my own subscription-based app for uncensored adult entertainment content."
What has your time in the industry been like? How has FOSTA impacted you?
"My overall experience has been varied; as with any other occupation, it's been fulfilling in some ways and draining in others—I'm a womanist and I have had to really learn ways to mitigate the harmful psychological effects of the cis-heterosexual male gaze. Sex work has been my most steady stream of income for the past 7 years. The worst part has been the entitlement others have felt to persecute or fetishize me and since I'm Black, you can only imagine the misogynoir. The current socio-political climate has ensured that rampant whorephobia has increased, including trolling, harassment, and physical harm in real time.
"But even in that vein, I've met some of my best friends, seen and experienced more of this world than I ever would've thought possible due to my work. Unfortunately, FOSTA has ensured I have fewer resources to draw references for new clients or even platforms to meet new clients without going through tertiary means—which are often more dangerous, complicated, and unnecessary. FOSTA means I can have my social media, financial, email, or other accounts utilized for my businesses shut down randomly, which would destroy my ability to generate or continue receiving income I've already labored for."
"Being a sex worker is direct opposition to traditional norms and values surrounding what make a person respectable and yet it is also one of the most powerful and empowering occupations despite the incredible oppositions."
What should the world know about sex work?
"There have been a litany of posts regarding what sex work is and it's overdue that our society really discusses, unpacks, and educates people about what sex work is not. Sex work is the title bestowed to providers of services in the sex industry by a fellow sex worker and activist, Carol Leigh; it's an umbrella term and houses everyone from sex therapists to escorts. Sex work is not human trafficking. Sex work is not what people fall into just in order to pursue their drug habits, and it's not what people who make bad decisions do for work or just for dumb girls who are pretty and can't or won't do anything else. Sex work isn't often thrust upon someone; in fact, most of the time sex work is a choice—and even more often than not, it's an informed choice, given how accessible the industry has become because of social media and the elevation of the profession within pop culture. The sex industry is just that—an industry—and as such, its workers should be entitled to the same standards of dignity, empathy, and unionization as workers in every other field of work.
"Sex workers have graduate degrees (and loans to pay back), personalities, relationships, pets, families and friends just like other people because that's what we are—people. We are not asking for permission to exist and we are no longer entertaining the established, bizarre idea of morality that treats SWs as second-class citizens while abandoning scrutiny and justice for actual abusers, corrupt figureheads, and those who would rather keep marginalized citizens from true equity. We are demanding not to be murdered because 'no one will miss a whore.' We are demanding not to be raped, or to be believed when we do come forward because yes, you can be sexually assaulted even as a sex worker and no, that does not mean you are any less entitled to or deserving seeing your attacker be penalized to the fullest extent of the law... Being a sex worker is direct opposition to traditional norms and values surrounding what make a person respectable and yet it is also one of the most powerful and empowering occupations despite the incredible oppositions."
To read more, click "Next Page."
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Having the meeting is only the first step. Now, it’s time to take action. One of the simplest ways to breathe new life into a relationship is by reintroducing consistent, intentional time spent together. For many couples, life gets busy, and date nights fall by the wayside. But dating doesn’t stop when you say "I do"—in fact, it’s even more essential.
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However, to my surprise, I received an email that read: “It’s with great excitement that we announce your film, Super High: A Period Piece, has been selected for the 24th Anchorage International Film Festival.” After looking at the flight distance from Atlanta to Anchorage—a solid 10 hours one way— I’d decided this would be one I wouldn’t attend.
That was until there was a follow-up email that shared that the festival was sponsoring two excursions for filmmakers: A Northern Lights Tour and A Glacier Hike.
With that, I knew I had to make the trip to the 49th state! I flew Delta, which offered the shortest layovers—just 50 minutes each way. For a more comfortable flight on the longer legs that were about six hours between my layover city and Anchorage, I upgraded to first class with an in-app discount for $256 (the regular price of a first-class ticket runs about $2,100), which was so worth it for additional space and service for the six-hour trek.
Courtesy of Bianca Lambert
"So What’s Alaska Like? Did You Have To Wear a Snowsuit? What’s the Food Like?"
These are among the major questions I’ve gotten. Anchorage reminds me less of a bustling major city and more of a small town with an easygoing feel. When I arrived, they’d just had snow a few days before, so it was cold, and the streets were slick. So, I was so happy I’d invested in a pair of snow boots. For my first few days, the locals said it was warm. Warm to them being 20s at night and mid-30s during the day.
However, by the time I left, fresh snow was on the ground, and temps were well into the single digits—and it felt like it. Oh, the sun doesn’t rise until 10:30 a.m., and it sets around 4 p.m. That was among the most challenging things to experience because I felt like I never really woke up. So, between the lack of sun and the four-hour time difference, I felt tired the whole time I was there.
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And, for coffee, I thoroughly enjoyed That Feeling Co. The coffee was great, and being surrounded by plants helped to perk up my spirits.
The Northern Lights
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Sometimes, the weather just doesn’t do what we earthlings would like, which can lead to disappointment. However, our guide did give a recommendation. When you book a trip to see the lights, give yourself four to five days to see them. Don’t bank on one day because, at the end of the day, this is science.
Courtesy of Bianca Lambert
Now, On to the Glacier!
Just six hours after returning from the Northern Lights tour, we were up for the glacier tour because they were back-to-back! I was exhausted and so excited. If someone had told me I’d hike on a glacier, I would have given them a mean side-eye. I mean, where on earth does one climb a glacier? Let me share a few destinations with you, just in case you want to plan an icy adventure: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Chile, Argentina, and Alaska.
Aside from the fact the Matanuska Glacier is 22,000 years old, it’s the largest glacier accessible by car in the United States—27 miles long and four miles wide, making it one of the easier ones to see IRL. As a girlie with generalized anxiety disorder, I get anxious about doing this kind of thing because I know that to see these world wonders is usually a mountainous trek.
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Courtesy of Bianca Lambert
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If you’re open to adventure travel, I highly recommend putting a glacier tour on your list of things to do. There are a few reasons. First, standing on an ice age-old massive piece of glacier was my 2024 version of touching some grass. I was reminded that I’m a speck on this spinning rock and need to spend more time grounded in that fact as I move through the world. I looked to the sky and thought of how proud my ancestors would be, even though I know they’d be telling me to get my butt home and off a dog on a glacier!
Secondly, I gained an ever-large appreciation for Mother Nature as I learned that glaciers are the world's largest reservoir of freshwater, containing around 69% of the world's freshwater. Again, another fact that helped me gain perspective. Lastly, it’s just fun and stunningly beautiful!
After this, I’m looking forward to my next cold-weather adventure! Iceland and Argentina are at the top of the list!
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Featured image courtesy of Bianca Lambert