Welcome back to our sex worker interview series 'A Tryst With...' We're joined by Las Vegas Escort Kane Fawkes, to chat about connection, collaboration and the Trans Erotica Awards!
We’d love to know a little of your backstory - how did you get here and what do you do?
I started as a FSSW 10 years ago! I wasn't aware of my transness yet, so I was able to get experiences in a few different areas. I've been a FSSW, stripper, and in porn! I've really connected with the idea of creating personalized and genuine experiences with my clientele. Being able to have that type of experience has helped me understand what my goals are in the sex work industry. As time has gone on, I've stuck mainly to in-person work and my content, but I am expanding by learning more about kinks and fetishes, and it's become very intriguing. Excited to see what the future holds for me there.
What looks different now than it did at the beginning of your journey?
My boundaries. I've learned so much on how to protect my peace and myself. I've had to learn a ton of lessons, but with that I've also learned what makes me safest: connection with other SWers. I didn't know how to connect with them, and I attribute that partially to not understanding how to woman™. I've gained a lot of confidence as well doing the work I do. It's a privilege for me to say it's been empowering in certain areas of my life. It's helped me gain a variety of skills that I might not have ever even had interest in had I not got into this line of work.
How do you see sex positivity/neutrality moving forward considering the increasingly conservative mindsets?
It's been incredibly heartbreaking seeing the way that people have decided to approach their ideas of sexuality, and this isn't centered around only non-SWers. Autonomy and freedom, especially relating to sex and sexuality, is typically a very important and personal thing that people come to understand about themselves – including those who discover they have little to no interest in it at all! It's been purposely ingrained by puritanical mindsets that sex is dirty and by extension, sex workers must be too, and it’s even worse that they do it to pay their rent. It's an incredibly dangerous way of thinking, and it evolves and becomes equated with queer people, sex education, anything that a person could possibly relate to sex. What needs to be done is to listen to sex workers and marginalized communities. It's intersectional and I won't rest until people fully understand what this means. We can NOT move forward until these things happen. By silencing us, they're only silencing themselves, and certain people don't see that.
What are three things you would have loved to have known going into the industry?
- 1. There are people will purposely prey on you because they know what you do has some risk, particularly in places where sex work is criminalized.
- 2. People do not view sex work as "okay". The amount of casual whorephobia I've witnessed, the way people interpret feminism by excluding SWers. They think it's okay because they view sex work as almost divine punishment. Either that or you are “demeaning yourself”, and you are a victim who needs to be controlled into a “better” way of life. So it becomes permissible for them to knock sex workers down, because they are told sex workers “put themselves” into that situation.
- 3. It's just like any other job (obviously), where you're going to meet people with different personalities, people you may or may not get along with. There are many different viewpoints on the industry as a whole. You have to find what works for you, and who you can trust.
Your focus with your clientele is intimacy, connection, and authenticity. How do you introduce these factors into your sessions and what do they bring to your clients?
I make sure that my clients know that what they're interested in is, more likely than not, something I'm not going to judge them for. Everyone is different! It's given me the opportunity to attract newcomers, they see me as someone comfortable that they can come to. Whether that's new to SW entirely, or new to the experience of a trans masc person. I feel honored to have been given the pleasure of being a brand new experience, and my clients get that vibe from me. I like forming those connections by getting to know who they are, whether it's by casual conversation or learning what they're into. I try to take time with my clients. It's not a race, it's an entire experience that I curate especially for them. I keep all my attention on them, and do my best to make them feel special and adored.
You’re a non-binary trans worker. Has your gender expression changed since you started sex work? Does your work impact your relationship with your gender and or your presentation?
My gender expression has gone back and forth, back and forth as I've progressed throughout the years. As I've been a SWer since pre-transition, my presentation has changed from ultra-high femme to the mix of femininity and masculinity you see today. I've become much more comfortable presenting fem when I see the guy in the mirror I always have, as opposed to the caricature of a woman I was led to believe I was. It affected me much more heavily pre-transition. I would burn out easier, and I would get incredibly anxious knowing people saw me the way they did. Being perceived as a woman hurt way more than dressing feminine ever did. Now, I love dressing the way I do. I still dress masc a good portion of the time, but dressing fem is fun! I love it!
You create content! Could you walk us through your process for shooting porn?
I set a basic premise at the beginning of my scene, but other than that, it's entirely improv! Sometimes I'll get a phrase in mind that I want to use, and I'll see if I can base my scene around that. Sometimes it works, sometimes my idea totally changes. My collaborative scenes are pretty much the same and it's some of my favorite work to do. You can see the difference when I work with others vs alone. Having an extra brain means you have more experience, more ideas, and more opportunity to make amazing work!
How do you navigate making content that feels genuine to you while also being marketable?
The most important phrase I try to remember is, "Someone will buy it". Not everything is going to be a winner, and it happens, so I just have to learn to take the L and move on. But I make what I'm comfortable making, and that's what I care about right now. Trans masculine people can have a lot of trouble making money from SW if they don't abide by certain standards, and these standards can be as extreme as having to appear cis4pay. It is absolutely possible for trans mascs to succeed, but we have different hurdles to face vs cis men in porn, whose standards are much more forgiving.
What’s the proudest moment of your career?
When I was at the Trans Erotica Awards in March of '23. It was my only nomination and it was my first nomination ever! "Best threesome/moresome" for Transnificent. My partner, who I make content with occasionally, came with me and the moment the title screen came up for nominations, and my name was said, she grabbed my shoulders and shook me in excitement and pride. Just for a nomination! No, we didn't win, but I couldn't have been happier. It was such a small moment, but I'll hold it forever.
How do you deal with burnout? How do you recharge or take a break?
Just plain rest. Not exactly extra sleep – although that is needed at times – but rest. Leaned back in bed, indulging in comforting foods, and putting on a movie or TV show that doesn't require too much energy to focus on, but that I can still enjoy.
What are some of your favourite pastimes?
I do art! I've been a hobby artist for years and years now. I've picked up gardening a bit, starting simple with some small-medium gardening pots for smaller veggies and herbs. It is a slow learning process, gardening in the desert is hard. I try to keep my hobbies low-energy in the physical sense, but high in mental. I like to problem-solve and see where I went wrong in my processes, without feeling pressured to make the "right" choices in a short amount of time. I seek to improve, not master. For the more fun type of pastime, I game! Very casually. I enjoy my cozy games.
My favorite piece of trivia is: Platypuses shine under UV light!
The most exciting thing I have ever done is: Traveling – travel of any sort is incredibly exciting to me.
We'll get along if: Our conversations feel like they could go on-and-on.
I feel most sexy when: I see that certain look in their eyes, with that smile…
My favourite work outfit is: Some sexy undies, and a really nice open-shirt to show off my chest.
Want to meet Las Vegas Escort Kane Fawkes in person?
Head over to his profile! 👇👇👇
