YNOT — Okay, so it is a bit self-promoting to write the story announcing The Naked Truth (TNT) People’s Choice Awards. That’s because yours truly, Peter Berton, was voted Favorite Adult Journalist by members of www.nakedtruth.ca. Created by former exotic dancer Annie Temple, The Naked Truth is a smart, plain-speaking and positive site for dancers, sex workers and many other fine people who normally get treated with the respect they deserve. If you have chance to check out www.nakedtruth.ca, you should do so.Anyway, the awards don’t get presented until June. But the release of the winners’ names – including some majors in the adult industry – is a good enough reason for me to interview Annie now.

YNOT: Why did you decide to launch the TNT People’s Choice Awards?

Annie: The motivation for these awards is twofold:

1. Celebrate the positive aspects of the adult entertainment industry. Give entertainers something to be proud of. Demonstrate to the mainstream community that adult entertainers are skilled workers and deserve to be recognized for their valuable contributions.

2. Promote the best, most ethical, and most favored adult entertainment industry members and businesses. Encourage all industry members to be unfailingly professional; and let patrons know whom to support with their dollars.

YNOT: Who chose the nominees?

Annie: NakedTruth.ca listed the categories and members submitted nominations for their favorites. Then all members were invited to vote for their favorites.

YNOT.com: What were some of the more interesting categories?

Annie: Favorite Strip Club Server tied between two strip club competitors in Surrey, BC – Tia at “The Byrd Pub” and Juli at “Mugs and Jugs.” Favorite Pussy Squirter – Mz. Scream, The Female Ejaculation Superhero at www.mzscream.com. Favorite Feminist Advocate – Esther Shannon, www.firstadvocates.org. Favorite Support/Advocacy Organization tied between STELLA, Montreal, and WISH Society, Vancouver. Favorite Sex Worker Blog – www.yonilicious.blogspot.com. Favorite Industry Innovator – Ryann Rain, www.stilettostorm.com. Favorite Retired Exotic Dancer – Tammy Morris of www.tantrafitness.com. Favorite Adult Journalist – Peter Berton.

YNOT: As a winner myself, when can I expect the first class trip to the ceremony? The limo? The women? The endorsements? (Evil grin)

Annie: Haha! You will be presented with an award at our first awards ceremony on June 9, 2010, in Vancouver, BC. We’ll take a photo of you with some sexy ladies, if you’d like. You are invited to provide us with a video message for us to play on the big screen during the event. You are also entitled to one year of free advertising on www.nakedtruth.ca.

YNOT: But no limo? Seriously, what do these awards mean to the industry?

Annie: These awards will lend credibility and legitimacy to sex industry work. There are a lot of people in the sex industry who are ethical, responsible, and trustworthy but they don’t very often get any credit for their hard work and good business practices. These awards are one of many initiatives NakedTruth.ca is involved in to counter-balance the societal stigma that casts us all as inferiors. It is our hope that these awards will encourage sex workers to take pride in their work and escape the shame they may feel from years of conditioning that says sex is evil and men are uncontrollable. We hope to educate people about the positive aspects of the sex industry and promote healthy and safe business practices, as well as favored coworkers and clients in the sex industry. We also run a social community online to provide support and decrease isolation for sex industry workers. The community environment is positive and the entertainers get first priority. We are lucky to boast a large membership of caring patrons who support our efforts.

YNOT: Before I let you go (why would I do that?), tell me about your recent book on working in the escort industry, and why you wrote it.

Annie: Trade Secrets is a project of the BC Coalition of Experiential Communities, of which I am a member. We received funding from Vancouver Coastal Health and BC Provincial Health to create a health and safety guide for sex industry workers. I was the project coordinator for this initiative. Over the past two years, I designed and implemented a project to engage sex industry workers, coworkers, business owners, and patrons of the sex industry and learn from the professionals how to work safely. It’s not just about the escort industry. We cover BDSM and fetish work, exotic dance, adult film, webcam, street-based sex work and so much more. You can find out how to get into the work, start your own business, clean supplies, prevent disease transmission, what to expect traveling or working in small towns, laws that impact sex workers, resources close to you (Canada), managing patrons, how to tuck, and surviving burnout. These are just some of the subjects we cover.

The guide is a tremendous success thanks to the many people who participated in answering the questionnaires, attending the focus groups, or being interviewed one-on-one to achieve these results. The guide is extensive but incomplete. We hope to add information to it over time, making it a “working draft” that evolves to represent diverse perspectives we were unable to access so far. It is available at www.tradesecretsguide.blogspot.com. I am currently working to get the guide designed and published in a hard copy format so that city licensing offices can give it out to escorts and people can access it through medical and non-profit organizations.

YNOT: There is currently a legal battle in Canada to get prostitution out of the 19th century. What are your hopes for its success?

Annie: If Canada does not decriminalize sex work as a result of this charter challenge, our country is worse off than I ever imagined. The facts are there. No one can deny the research and statistics. To let things go on would be a gross violation of human rights. Canada should man up and do the right thing. I choose to believe that the challenge will be successful.

YNOT: Finally, we see your pretty face on your website, but have no opportunity to see the rest of you due to your retirement from dancing. How are we supposed to cope with this deprivation?

Annie: Come out for Naked Truth events. We’ll be holding many this year: Exotic Dancers for Cancer (date to be announced), TNT Awards Ceremony, and a Show & Shine in August. To build community and network, we’ll also soon be starting weekly industry meets in the Lower Mainland. Check out NakedTruth.ca often for event listings if you’re looking for a little adult fun. Right now, our events are limited to the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, but over time we’ll expand to other locations, as well.