This interview is for “Hailing Hellions,” a Q&A series where I interview sex workers (or ex-sex workers) who have modeled for me and my Sex Positivity* book project. Today’s guest is Rhyna Targaryen!
*The longer title being Sex Positivity versus Sex Coercion, or Gothic Communism: Liberating Sex Work under Capitalism through Iconoclastic Art (2023). Part of an overarching movement that connects sex positivity to what I call “Gothic (gay-anarcho) Communism,” Sex Positivity essentially provides a hybrid; i.e., one established between academic (Gothic, queer, game and Marxist) theories, and wherein applied theory towards universal liberation is achieved by challenging Capitalist Realism (the inability to imagine a world beyond Capitalism) at a grassroots level. To it, Gothic Communism specifically occurs through direct mutual worker action and informed intersectional solidarity relayed through Gothic poetics: BDSM, monsters, and kink, but specifically what I call “ludo-Gothic BDSM.” If you’re curious about the book and want to know more, the first four volumes (and additional information) are available for free (the series is non-profit) on my website’s 1-page promo.
General CW: BDSM, Gothic content and theatrics (e.g., rape play and death theatre), as well as sex worker abuse and bigotry of various kinds (variable per interview).
Note: All images are of the model or myself unless otherwise stated.
Permissions: Any publicly available images are exhibited for purposes of education, transformation and critique, thus fall under Fair Use; private nude material and collabs with models are specifically shared with permission from the original model(s). For more details about artist permissions, refer to the book disclaimer.
Concerning Buggy Images: Sometimes the images on my site don’t always load and you get a little white-and-green placeholder symbol, instead. Sometimes I use a plugin for loading multiple images in one spot, called Envira Gallery, and not all of the images will load (resulting in blank white squares you can still right-click on). I‘ve optimized most of the images on my site, so I think it’s a server issue? Not sure. You should still be able to access the unloaded image by clicking on the placeholder/right-clicking on the white square (sometimes you have to delete the “?ssl=1” bit at the end of the url). Barring that, completed volumes will always contain all of the images, whose PDFs you can always download on my 1-page promo.
About the series: Like the book series it attaches to, “Hailing Hellions” aims to educate and critique; i.e., by raising awareness towards sex worker rights, but also gender-non-conformity through Gothic counterculture. This extends to gender identity (e.g., trans, enby or intersex) but also orientation and performance; i.e., BDSM and sex positivity through various Gothic theatrical roles that invite things beyond vanilla, heteronormative (thus conservative, reactionary and harmful) sexuality. I would consider this to be things like mommy dommes and consent-non-consent, breeding fantasies and heavy metal (e.g., Satanic material and the Gothic at large). Also, these questions are broader insofar as they cover wide praxial/poetic ideas and concepts. Regarding these, the opinions of the subject and myself are not identical, but often overlap through us collaborating together to raise awareness.
About the interviewee: Rhyna is relatively new to sex work, making it with her partner. To that, Rhyna especially loves fantasy material (re: Targaryen) but also colorful photography. She isn’t GNC, so those portions of the Q&A have been omitted, but there’s still plenty to discuss and appreciate about the work that she and her partner do together!
(model and artist: Rhyna Targaryen and Persephone van der Waard)
0. Persephone: Hi, everyone! My name is Persephone van der Waard. I’m a trans-woman erotic artist, sex worker, writer/author and researcher who specializes in cross-media studies (I wrote my MA on Metroidvania, but extended my PhD-grade independent research to Gothic/BDSM studies). This interview is part of my Sex Positivity* book project, and is being conducted with those models and muses who would like to participate. Rhyna, could you introduce yourself and tell our audience a little bit about what you do?
Rhyna: Hi! My name is Rhyna Targaryen and I make a lot of porn and artist nudes, as well as other sex work on the side; e.g., sexting, camming, etc.
1. Persephone: This book project views sex positivity as a liberating act. What does sex positivity mean to you? Illustrating mutual consent; i.e., can porn illustrate mutual consent when sex workers are constantly dehumanized by the profit motive and the status quo?
Rhyna: Sex positivity to me means that consenting adults can express themselves sexually in a matter that feels the most comfortable and freeing to them, and for many people one of those outlets is through porn. I feel like sex workers have a better chance of being not dehumanized or exploited if they have access to supportive people around them that have similar ideals and ambitions, and in return, that can be liberating.
2. Persephone: In your mind, what is the biggest struggle facing sex workers today?
Rhyna: The biggest struggles today I see sex workers face include not getting enough money, exposure, rights and support. They all go hand in hand, in the end.
3. Persephone: How do you feel about sex work being work, thus paying sex workers for their labor? This can be unions, but also their representations in media at large.
Rhyna: Sex work is work. It encompasses a lot of different skill sets you learn in the “vanilla world” like customer service, etc. You’re dealing with people constantly which can cut into personal time. Also, a lot of sex workers are active 24/7, and usually during the hours most people with normal jobs are asleep. Sex workers absolutely deserve to be paid, and honestly a lot of the people who think they don’t could never even last in the shoes of those who do sex work. If the was still such a taboo subject, it would be easier for them to get the pay and rights they deserve.
5a. Persephone: What drew you to the project/interested you in working on it together with me?
Rhyna: What drew me initially to working with you is you actually offered to pay, which showed me you were legit about this. Once you explained the project, I was even more excited and happy you chose me as one of the models because it was a really fun experience, and I got some amazing pictures out of it too.
5b. Persephone: How has that experience been for you? Can you describe it a little?
Rhyna: The experience has been great. It’s been a lot of fun. No complaints.
7. Persephone: What do you enjoy most about sex work? What got you started in it?
Rhyna: What I enjoy most about sex work is how freeing and fun it is. What got me started initially is once I started to appreciate my body more, I realized I enjoyed taking nudes a lot. In the beginning way before even starting sec work, I would just share nudes in different online BDSM groups, etc because I realized I really enjoyed being an exhibitionist. Over time after leaving those groups, and circumstances of my life changing, I seriously considered sex work because I knew I could always do it, just never took the full leap until a few months ago.
8. Persephone: Do you have a favorite piece of sex work that you’ve done, in terms of custom material?
Rhyna: I would say the project we’re working on so far is one of my favorites so far. I haven’t had many customs yet, but I hope to change that.
9. Persephone: Do you friends and family know about the work that you do? How do you talk about it with other people who aren’t sex workers; i.e., how do you communicate sex worker rights to non sex workers?
Rhyna: I have one friend who knows I do because she has been doing it before me. Other than that, no one else knows, and I like it that way. I’ve always been a private person, so many parts of my life are hidden unless I want you to know. However, that would not stop me from discussing those topics with non-sex workers, especially if they have built the wrong perceptions around it.
10. Persephone: What are your thoughts on TERFs in sex work; i.e., those who devalue GNC minorities (and other marginalized groups) in the same profession?
Rhyna: What is there to think about them? They don’t deserve my acknowledgment.
11. Persephone: How do you feel about billionaires? Israel and Palestine?
Rhyna: Billionaires have never been good people, and we know by now most of the people who run this country and have ties to money will support whoever is gonna line their pockets first, so fuck them. Many of your favorite celebrities have expressed support for Israel over Palestine because it’s convenient to them, no matter how much on the wrong side of history they are on.
14. Persephone: There’s often a strong theatrical component to sex work and BDSM; i.e., costumes, gender roles, aesthetics of power and death, music, makeup. How do these things intersect for you, and do they cross over into real life for you? For example, do you find yourself wearing similar clothing and expressing yourself sex-positively when you’re not on the clock?
Rhyna: Oh definitely, and it’s pretty interesting actually. I’ve always liked makeup, cosplay, etc so intercepting those interest into sex work was easy for me. It also gives me a sense of anonymity while still being able to uniquely express myself. Ironically, I’ve gotten more appreciation and support for my makeup, style, etc, [among sex workers] than outside of sex work with people I know in my vanilla life.
16. Persephone: Sex workers are generally treated as monsters to harm and exploit under capital. Do you have a preferred way of expressing the humanity of sex workers, be that simply stating it or through the work that you do, art, or some combination, etc?
Rhyna: I’m most sure if I actually do besides just including personal things about myself and my personality so people still remember I’m a human being behind the screen. I also feel like opportunities like this help a lot to give sex workers a voice and humanize them.
18b. Persephone: Was there ever a moment where you were on the fence about BDSM or sex work/in the closet, but something happened that changed everything? I.e., was it gradual or more a singular event that motivated you to change; or, were you always kind of out (for me, I decided to change after several bad exes, but also watching Stranger Things, and relating to Max’s brush with Vecna in a GNC way)?
Rhyna: As far as sex work, I would say moving really helped push me over that edge. I knew I wouldn’t have any steady income coming in, anymore. So I really took a leap of faith and seriously started my page like a week before I moved, and here we are.
31. Persephone: I view sex work as an important means of de facto (extracurricular) education; i.e., entertainment, but also a means of humanizing people within the practice at large. How do you feel about this? Can we learn from art and porn as a means of humanizing marginalized groups?
Rhyna: I definitely think we can. Often times, these spaces are the only ways some marginalized people even have a chance of having a voice and being seen. Sometimes it takes people viewing others in a different way [in these spaces]: to actually be able to understand them and what they go through.
32.Persephone: I value establishing mutual trust, healthy communication and boundary formation/negotiation and respect, seeing them to be the most vital qualities in any relationship. Do you agree, and if so, why?
Rhyna: I absolutely do agree. If you don’t have trust as the number one thing, then it’s hard to go forward with anything else in any kind of relationship. It’s especially important in sex work because of how vulnerable the situation is already. People are sharing the most intimate parts of themselves daily, and they need to feel safety and respect in that. Communication is also a really big thing too, because without proper communication there can’t be trust.
34. Persephone: If you have a partner, do they know about the work that you do? How comfortable are they with it?
Rhyna: I do have a partner and he helps me in a lot of my work. A lot of the cool artistic shots I get are because of his help. It also helps that he is also an artist person himself so he can help see things in a different light, to really execute something amazing. Not only that, he also helps me with different business ideas to help me bring more income in with my audience I have now.
35. Persephone: How did you and your partner meet? What do you think makes an ideal partner?
Rhyna: We meet online through a mutual friend. It was funny because we both knew the friend separately for years until we meet that moment we did. What makes an ideal partner is someone who respects you and makes you feel safe all the time.
36. Persephone: What advice would you give incels, nice guys and other cis-het men (or token groups; e.g., TERFs and cis-queer tokens, etc) displaying bigoted attitudes towards women and other marginalized groups?
Rhyna: My advice would be for them to just leave us alone and get therapy. We aren’t your punching bags or the reason your life sucks. We also aren’t the reasons you can’t get a girlfriend. Look within.
37. Persephone: Likewise, what advice would you give to more privileged groups that need to understand the value of listening to those more oppressed than them in a larger struggle for liberation?
Rhyna: Maybe step outside of yourself and instead of getting offended when marginalized (especially black people) tell you that you’re doing something harmful, try to listen; recognize the privilege you were born with and maybe use it to help uplift those who never had the platform to begin with by default. Also, do your research. It’s not our responsibility to teach you 24/7 why something is harmful when Google is free.
39. Persephone: Similarly, for those thinking about doing sex work for the first time, where is a good place to start with that; i.e., what advice would you give to those starting out based on your own experiences?
Rhyna: This is my first time doing and I would recommend just being consistent and growing your audience. It may be discouraging at first but the money will come. Also look into other platforms you can make money with as well.
40a1. Persephone: What’s your idea of the perfect date? The ideal fuck? Do you have an ideal experience of either you’d like to share?
Rhyna: The perfect date would be going out to do a fun activity and then having a nice dinner at the end. The ideal fuck would be something soft and intimate.
40a2. Persephone: What’s your wildest/most enjoyable sexual encounter (e.g., sex in public, in the kitchen while the roomies are home, etc)?
Rhyna: The wildest maybe have been having sex at work in the past. It was risky but fun.
40b. Persephone: For you, what’s the cutest thing a partner can do, in bed or out? For example, my partner Bay loves it when new partners come really fast/are having their first time PIV with Bay. Consent, intimacy and affection are all really sexy and fun for Bay. How about you?
Rhyna: The cutest thing a partner can do it surprise me with something thoughtful, or just say really sweet and sincere things I need to hear, it makes me cry easily.
40c. Persephone: What are your thoughts on consensual voyeurism and exhibitionism as educational/entertaining acts? Does being able to be more open and communicative help us learn from each other to see each other as human and also what to watch out for/what to challenge at a systemic level?
Rhyna: I think consensual voyeurism and exhibitionism can be fun for people who enjoy being watched and in return, can be educational for people who are interested in it. It makes it easier for that to be a possibility since those into that works already be comfortable being watched. In return that does give people a voice to humanize them. I’d say what to watch out for is making sure the wrong audience doesn’t have access to it.
41a. Persephone: Does fucking to music, roleplay and other theatrical elements make sex better?
Rhyna: In my opinion, it sure does. I’m big on music so I really enjoy incorporating it into the mood. Another thing I enjoy is controlling the lighting as well; I feel like it can enhance the mood.
43. Persephone: Connections between sex workers and clients is often discrete under capital. Can a degree of friendship and intimacy make for a better relationship between the two?
Rhyna: Definitely. Building up a repertoire with your clients can not only build trust, but it also enables them to spend more money on you as well in the future.
45. Persephone: How does it feel being your true self, despite the risks of gay panic and similar moral panics in America and around the world?
Rhyna: It feels great being my true self. I always say do what makes you happy because you only have one life, and those who judge you for it can’t live that life for you.
46. Persephone: Is there anything else you’d like to say or add before we conclude?
Rhyna: Thanks for the opportunity, Persephone! I really liked answering these questions.
47. Persephone: Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions; and also, for working on Sex Positivity with me. If people want to follow you, where can they follow you and support what you do?
Rhyna: On Bluesky!
About the Author
Persephone van der Waard is the author of the multi-volume, non-profit book series, Sex Positivity—its art director, sole invigilator, illustrator and primary editor (the other co-writer/co-editor being Bay Ryan). Persephone has her independent PhD in Gothic poetics and ludo-Gothic BDSM (focusing on partially on Metroidvania), and is a MtF trans woman, anti-fascist, atheist/Satanist, poly/pan kinkster, erotic artist/pornographer and anarcho-Communist with two partners. Including multiple playmates/friends and collaborators, Persephone and her many muses work/play together on Sex Positivity and on her artwork at large as a sex-positive force. That being said, she still occasionally writes reviews, Gothic analyses, and interviews for fun on her old blog (and makes YouTube videos talking about politics). Any money Persephone earns through commissions or donations goes towards helping sex workers through the Sex Positivity project; i.e., by paying costs and funding shoots, therefore raising awareness. She takes payment on PayPal, Patreon, and CashApp, etc; all links are available on her Linktr.ee. Every bit helps!