Event25.04.2025

Meeting with Antonia Crane

The UTSOPI team is thrilled to announce the visit of Antonia Crane in Belgium!

Antonia is a writer, activist, and sex worker from Northern California, U.S.. She is the founder of “Strippers United,” a non-profit organization meant to organize strippers and provide mutual aid, and more recently, “STRIPPER WORKER CENTER,” a political organization focused on advocating for the labor rights of strippers through education, advocacy, and legislative reform.

Beyond her organizing work, she is also a PhD candidate, filmmaker and author. She has written for publications such as The New York Times and Cosmopolitan.

In 1996, she played a key role in the founding of the “Lusty Lady Union” in San Francisco, the first stripper union in the U.S. (who won their union contract) and, years later, became the only stripper union collective in the U.S. Because of this, she can be considered a pioneer.

Antonia continues to advocate for the rights of sex workers all over the world.

Screening of "Lady Los Angeles" - Antonia Crane, USA, 14min43, original langage

The film is written and directed by Antonia Crane.

It follows the story of Tatiana, a young trans woman navigating the world of sex work in Los Angeles. When her online ads suddenly disappear due to the website being shut down by the FBI, she is forced to find alternative ways to pay her rent. This leads her to confront her own boundaries and puts her in dangerous situations.

The film offers a poignant look at her personal struggle and highlights the impact of the prevailing anti–sex work climate.

All actors (and extras) in the film (except for the client and barista) are trans*.

Afterwards, we’ll dive into an open conversation with Antonia herself to better understand the difference in realities between Belgium and the U.S..