Why do we do it?

Because strippers deserve more than survival.

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The Stripper Awards exists to recognize the brilliance, labor, and leadership of dancers who are too often ignored, exploited, or pushed to the margins.

We built this event because no one else was going to celebrate us the way we deserve, so we did it ourselves.

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We do it to shift power. To rewrite the narrative. To make space where sex workers are centered, not silenced.

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This night is about visibility, yes, but it’s also about resources. The gala raises critical funds for the work we do year round at SWOP Minneapolis: from harm reduction to the creation of the Minneapolis Stripper Guild, a dancer-led initiative organizing for real rights, real safety, and real change in our workplaces.

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We do it because strippers are workers. We are leaders. And we shouldn’t have to fight to be seen.

Where Does the Money Raised Go?

The Stripper Awards Gala is more than a celebration, it’s a fundraiser for a future we’re building together.

All proceeds from the event go directly toward the development of the Minneapolis Stripper Guild, a dancer-led initiative organizing for real power, protection, and respect in the strip club industry.

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Strippers have been systematically left out of labor movement conversations, even though we’ve been organizing in our own ways for decades. The Minneapolis Stripper Guild is our way of changing that, by creating a structure where dancers lead, where our needs are centered, and where our labor is finally treated like it matters.

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The Guild is being built by current and former strippers across Minneapolis, especially those most impacted by exploitation, discrimination, and instability in the industry. We’re collaborating with union partners, listening to dancers from different clubs and experiences, and creating a model that puts power back into the hands of the workers.

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We’re not asking to become employees, we want to keep our independent contractor status, but still have access to the basic things every worker deserves: affordable healthcare, transparency, consistency, and the right to advocate for ourselves without being punished for it.

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The Guild will work toward:

• Safer working conditions in clubs

• Clear and consistent house fees

• Protection from retaliation and discrimination

• Access to healthcare and mental health support

• A way for dancers to collectively speak up and hold clubs accountable

• Building unity between dancers across clubs, backgrounds, and experiences

• And so much more!
   

The money raised through the Stripper Awards helps fund this work, covering everything from organizing stipends and outreach, to materials, space, and the time it takes to build something from the ground up. Because real labor movements aren’t built overnight, and they’re not built without resources.

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We’re not waiting for someone else to include us. We’re organizing ourselves and building a future where dancers have real power, real protections, and real community.