We were lucky to catch up with Radikal Creasy-Rose recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Radikal, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project in the short history of Queering S*x by far was my interview with Ali Hendry from Diva Magazine. We had both been watching a livestream by a colleague, and Ali reached out to me asking to book a live feed of our own to discuss my work. What caught my attention was that she wasn’t interested in selling me anything, nor was she asking about the marketing side of my job, which is what most folks find interesting because it can be lucrative. Ali was curious about why I do what I do, and how I got here.

My conversation with her was intended to be about 45 minutes, but I think we talked for nearly an hour about the roots of my work in disabled and queer s*xuality, specifically about my lived experience as a survivor of s*xual and domestic violence, the importance of safety and negotiation in kink, and how fulfilling and crucial it is to do work that serves the marginalized communities to which we belong. I remember riding the high of that conversation for a full week, telling important people in my life about how much I adore my work, and how Ali captured that by asking the right questions.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As a sociology graduate from a renowned university, who also happens to be queer, trans, and disabled, my decision to work for myself in s*x education and relationship coaching was transformative for a myriad of reasons, and continues to surprise me more than a year into this work!

I originally started what became my business, Queering S*x, as a small Instagram account where I wrote short-form content about my lived experiences as a kinky, queer, trans, and non-monogamous survivor of s*xual violence. The inspiration struck unexpectedly, as it often does, while I was in the bathtub, soaking in one of my infamous steaming hot Epsom salt baths to manage my chronic pain. I got thinking about what I needed when I was 19, struggling through the emotional and physical trauma of an abusive relationship with my partner, and it all clicked when I decided to share my story. I have always processed my experiences by sharing them with others; something about synthesizing my own experiences and using them to help other people make sense of their experiences has always resonated, and it’s become a pattern of behaviour that I use to cope. When I realized I could provide for my peers what I needed at 19, I was all in.

In the year and a half, give or take, since then, Queering S*x has developed into a community space for raising awareness about domestic violence, safer s*x, and healthier kink, as well as a supportive cohort of people who believe in living our truths – be they non-monogamous, kinky, trans, as*xual, disabled, Black, Brown, or otherwise. The part of my work I treasure the most is working directly with clients on personal issues, which is mostly done through our Trans Grief Circle nowadays, but has taken shape in our Non-Monogamy Newbies Book Club and our Non-Monogamy Support Group as well.

So much of the s*xuality industry gets swallowed up in advertising, pushing product, and trying to standardize s*xual experiences with products, positions and pills. What I do is help people pull apart the threads of the societally woven fabric of s*xuality, to hand stitch it back together in a way that makes sense for them as individuals. My approach to this work stands out because of my lived experience as queer, trans, non-monogamous, kinky, disabled, and low income. I work with folks who share my identities, because I can understand them better than I can stories I haven’t lived. This isn’t to say I don’t work with folks who are different from me, but rather that my work centres on certain forms of marginalization I’ve experienced, and draws connections between my experiences of oppression and larger systems of oppression that affect those in my social circles.

If there’s one thing I want potential clients to know about my work, it’s that I am here because I care. I am here because I need healing too. I am here because I understand the value of community in healing from s*xual violence, and I recognize the complexity of navigating such complex traumas. I am here, doing this work, because I am one of you, one of us. We’re all navigating our own messy, complicated, beautiful, tragic journeys. Why not do it together?

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’ve surprised myself with the amount brands are willing to pay for custom content created by me. Some of the most consistent feedback I’ve gotten about my work on social media is that I come off authentically and that I am well-spoken. The content that’s gone viral is often videos where I’m talking about something that means a lot to me, and goes against the grain; I’m sparking conversation about really important topics, like kink safety, comprehensive consent, and solidarity with all kinds of identities.

The biggest suggestion I can give to newbies trying to grow on social media is to try and strike a balance between being authentically yourself and talking about whatever the hell strikes your fancy, and using tools like trending audios and short-form video templates to appease the algorithm. Social media growth is not rocket science – and by that I mean it’s largely a matter of trial and error, try and fail, try again, and see what sticks. The hardest part is that what works is going to constantly change, because the algorithm and the interests of your audience are always changing. Move with the times without too much rigidity, but keep a consistent brand voice, and you’ll be fine.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Since launching the photography branch of my business, the best source of new clients has been word-of-mouth from previous clients. I recently did a kinky boudoir session with a client who then referred me to someone they knew for business headshots! When folks have a good experience with a professional, they’re likely to recommend you to people looking for similar services. I’ve found that my work is particularly empowering for my clients, because many queer, trans, fat, disabled, kinky, non-monogamous or otherwise marginalized people have never, or rarely, had someone take the time to really capture them as they are, in their unique, weird, kinky, s*xy gorgeousness. When I can make my clients feel like they’re the hottest thing since sliced bread, they want to tell their friends about me and share that experience!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beacons.ai/queeringsex
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queeringsex/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radicalcreasy/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@QueeringSex
• Other: Sign up for our Trans Grief Circle here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeToTHlhNXlsPnyFJmpQoJPTbGrXhLynCReopBSmTgtkxxVmQ/viewform

  Sign up for our email list here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgdLQowDUmWzCQEH-lHT0pNTmhIJ_woDaG3RyfBx4Fl8JJAA/viewform

  Contact me via email at helloqueeringsex@gmail.com for client or brand inquiries.

Image Credits

Rose-Megan Tessier.