Pineapple Support

{{Short description|Mental health nonprofit in porn industry}}

Pineapple Support is a nonprofit organization that provides free and low-cost mental health therapy to pornographic film actors, producers and others who work in the adult film industry. It was launched in April 2018 by adult performer Leya Tanit{{Cite web | url=https://www.ozy.com/the-new-and-the-next/shes-taking-on-porns-mental-health-crisis/265437/ |title = She's Taking on Porn's Mental Health Crisis |first=Mark|last=Hay|date=27 January 2020|website=Ozy|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120070748/https://www.ozy.com/the-new-and-the-next/shes-taking-on-porns-mental-health-crisis/265437/|archive-date=20 January 2021}} in response to a series of deaths in the adult industry in late 2017 and early 2018 resulting from mental illness or addiction, including that of August Ames.{{Cite web | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/how-august-ames-suicide-is-changing-the-porn-industry-123654/ |title = How August Ames' Suicide is Changing the Porn Industry| work=RollingStone.com |first=Tina|last=Horn|date=19 March 2018|access-date=7 October 2023}} In its first two years, Pineapple Support provided over a thousand members of the adult film industry with mental health support and resources, including free and low-cost therapy, counseling and emotional support.{{Cite web | url=https://avn.com/business/articles/legal/mental-health-helper-pineapple-supports-2nd-anniversary-arrives-879145.html |title = Mental Health Helper Pineapple Support's Second Anniversary Arrives| website= AVN.com | date = 2 April 2020}}

Pineapple Support brings therapists to the AVN Awards to provide free, walk-in sessions for adult performers.{{Cite web | url=https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/1/29/18200642/august-ames-death-last-days-mental-health-sex-workers |title = Porn actress August Ames Death Was a Lost Chance to Talk about Sex Workers and Mental Health | first=Lux|last=Alptraum|date=January 29, 2019|website=Vox}} In October 2019, Pineapple Support hosted the first online mental health summit specifically for the adult film industry, featuring sessions with over a dozen therapists.{{Cite web | url=https://avn.com/business/articles/legal/pineapple-supports-adult-industry-health-summit-lineup-announced-852287.html |title = Pineapple Support's Adult Industry Mental Health Summit Lineup Announced| first=Robert|last=Neuwave|date=Oct 30, 2019|website=AVN}} Pineapple Support works with over one hundred therapists worldwide {{Cite web | url=https://pineapplesupport.org/pineapple-support-therapists/ |title = Pineapple Support Therapists| work=PineappleSupport.org| access-date=20 May 2020}} and receives major funding from adult industry sources such as Pornhub, xHamster, Kink.com and Chaturbate.{{Cite web | url=https://pineapplesupport.org/sponsorship/ |title = Sponsorship| work=PineappleSupport.org| access-date=20 May 2020}} Pineapple Support says it has helped over 5000 performers and online sex workers, through both therapy referrals, active listening, and event partnerships with adult industry leaders, such as a Suicide Prevention Webinar hosted with non-profit advocacy group Free Speech Coalition or a Restorative Yoga Workshop hosted with the cam site XLoveCam(Shoshoro N.V.).{{cite news |title=Pineapple Support, XLoveCam to Host Restorative Yoga Workshop |url=https://pineapplesupport.org/2021/06/16/pineapple-support-xlovecam-to-host-restorative-yoga-workshop/ |access-date=10 September 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Adams |first1=JC |title=Pineapple Support to Host Grief, Loss Support Group for Sex Workers |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/261607/pineapple-support-to-host-grief-loss-support-group-for-sex-workers |access-date=10 September 2021 |work=XBIZ.com}}{{cite news |last1=Adams |first1=JC |title=Pineapple Support, FSC to Host Webinar on Suicide Prevention Workshop |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/261583/pineapple-support-fsc-to-host-webinar-on-suicide-prevention |access-date=10 September 2021 |date=10 September 2021}}

Tanit chose the name "Pineapple" because it is a common safeword in the BDSM community,{{Cite web | url=https://pineapplesupport.org/about-pineapple-support/ |title = About Pineapple Support| work=PineappleSupport.org| access-date=14 January 2020}} and she wanted the organization to be "a safeword for performers."{{Cite web | url=https://www.xbiz.com/features/247367/wia-profile-leya-tanit |title = WIA Profile: Leya Tanit| work=XBIZ.com |date = 30 October 2019}}