The pole world is finally being forced to face the truth: if you want a stronger future for pole, you have to center sex workers, not sideline them. NatsHoney and AMD break down what they saw at Pole Convention East, where representation, history, and accountability were on full display.What starts as a recap of an electric event turns into a bigger conversation about who gets celebrated in pole spaces, who gets left out, and what it actually means to build a more honest industry. From disability and Latinx showcases to sex workers showing up everywhere, this episode keeps circling one question - who is pole really for?You’ll hear NatsHoney and AMD unpack: Why the event felt different this year, and why that mattered The tension between pole fitness rules and the anarchist spirit of stripping Why sex worker representation inside pole spaces is still not optional A moving reunion with Nicole the Pole and the history behind her signature work How brands like X-Pole, Bees Knees, and The Bar are creating space for lived experience, not just performative inclusion AMD shares interviews with Shaina Cruea, Jinx, Michelle Stanek, Agatha, and others, while NatsHoney brings the perspective of someone who has been tracking pole culture, black representation, and sex worker visibility for years. Together they connect the dots between performance, politics, community, and the fight to keep pole history rooted in the people who built it.This episode also looks ahead to International Pole Dance Day and the urgent need to support sex worker organizations while funding is drying up and the industry keeps expanding. If you care about pole, if you teach pole, if you perform pole, or if you want to understand where this art form really comes from, this conversation belongs on your playlist.Essential listening for anyone who wants more than pretty spins and polished marketing. This is about the people, the labor, the history, and the future of pole.Character count: 2,718 / 4,000Why this works: The hook immediately frames the episode as a high-stakes industry conversation, which is more compelling than a simple event recap. It names the key speakers and guests, highlights concrete takeaways, and creates curiosity around the major tension points: representation, history, and sex worker inclusion. (00:00) Opening praise for the event and how visible representation changed the atmosphere (01:05) Why seeing sex workers everywhere made this year feel different (02:49) The divide pole culture tried to create between dancers and strippers (03:12) Too many rules, but why event structure still matters (04:23) Recording six interviews at the convention and the work behind them (05:19) A performance dedicated to sex workers and to NatsHoney (07:08) Setting up the format for reacting to each interview clip (13:12) Agatha’s performance, stage presence, and costume support from Sway (14:16) Introduction to the Nicole the Pole interview (19:09) NatsHoney on teaching Nicole a signature trick and Black representation in pole (22:54) Nicole the Pole’s broader visibility and industry hustle (23:23) Introduction to the Misha from Pole Poise interview (27:27) How Pole Poise was inspired by family, ancestors, and pole as fitness (28:26) Why most studios still do not teach pole history (29:17) Tracing pole history back to the late 1990s and early pioneers (31:01) Bees Knees, The Bar, and hiring strippers as instructors (34:54) Introduction to the Shaina Cruea interview and X-Pole’s education shift (43:05) Why lived experience matters more than performative education (45:32) Introduction to the Jinx interview (55:04) Whorephobia, exclusion, and the emotional damage of being pushed out (57:39) Jinx’s performance and the power of creative movement (61:31) The Community Shop as affordable gear support for strippers (62:27) Closing that segment and moving into Michelle Stanek (69:51) Meeting people where they are and why the goalpost keeps moving (73:50) Hope for a stronger bridge between pole dancers and sex workers (75:43) International Pole Dance Day and the call to fundraise for sex worker orgs (78:19) Thanks to International Pole Convention and the listeners All the links: The Community Shop Donate to our work YAS Work Instagram YAS Work BlueSky YAS Work Twitter YAS Work Youtube YASStore.Shop
