Minneapolis Stripper Guild Gains Momentum

The Minneapolis Stripper Awards Gala drew an excited crowd to the Green Room in Uptown on March 3rd. And in between the pole performances and acceptance speeches, the organizers behind the Guild made sure the audience understood what they were fighting for

“SWOP [Sex Worker Outreach Project] was established by a bunch of sex working anarchist moms who needed to support each other and the need for that work grew and became immediately so important.” SWOP Minneapolis Executive Director Andi Snow told the crowd at the gala, which was a mix of strippers, their fans, and well-wishers from various corners of the labor movement.

The Guild’s current top priority is making affordable health insurance available to its members. As SWOP Minneapolis Public Relations Director Mila explained, “We know this work is hard on the body, and girls get hurt all the time. So we can make it a little bit easier on one another, if we’re organized.”

More than 200 of the roughly 700 strippers working in Minneapolis have joined the Guild, and SWOP aims to double that membership number by the end of 2025.

Press coverage:

Minnesota Public Radio: Stripper Awards Gala in Minneapolis Spotlights Sex Workers, Decriminalization Efforts

Minnesota Star Tribune (via ArcaMax): New Minneapolis Stripper Guild is Building Solidarity Among Downtown Dancers