XCritic Interview: Lisa Lace

Lisa Lace is what one would call a trailblazer in the industry, and rightfully so. Among sex workers and adult film stars, Lace has become famous for being one of the most successful post-op transwomen of all time. 

Along with being the first post-op transgirl to work in the legal brothel world, Lisa Lace has charmed countless fans with her amazing personality, striking beauty, and glowing inner strength. I was elated to have the chance to talk to her, and here’s what she had to say…

Ossiana Tepfenhart: How did you become the first transwoman to work in the brothel world?

Lisa: I started in porn and someone that worked at a brothel suggested I try it.

Moreover, how does it feel to break that barrier? 

It’s been difficult as most brothels are anti-trans, but it’s been a great opportunity since after transition I could not find work in programming.

When it comes to video shoots, you're known for being incredibly hot on set. How do you prep for a shoot?

In addition to my normal routine of eating healthy and workout 5 days a week. the day before I make sure and stretch and intake a lot of rice and bananas. Because I usually do anal only drink Gatorade or water the day of.

What are your favorite shoots to do?

I prefer scripted shoots vs. just getting down to business. I like funny or getting weird pushing boundaries.

Fun! Do you have any porn crushes you want to work with?

Oh, I’ve actually worked with a few. I definitely want to do porn with Natalie Mars and Charlotte Sartre. (We have done a two-girl at the brothel though!)

I love those girls! Especially Charlotte, she’s so cool.  Working in brothels definitely has to be an interesting experience. Truthfully, I don't know much about the legal brothel life. What are some things you were surprised to find out about when you first started working? 

How regulated they are and how the regulations change between countries. How much it cost each girl to work in the brothel on a weekly basis. 

Really?  How are your clients? 

The variety of clients is amazing and what keeps this job fun. When you think you've seen it all, someone will surprise me, even after years in a brothel.

Do you find them to be nice? 

Most are. Some come in with an attitude or a superiority complex. Those are the ones that leave disappointed because in the brothel the sex worker says when, who, and how much. Nice guys get the nice guy price. 

I can approve of that. Sex workers don’t get the respect they deserve from a lot of people. So, what was the most unusual thing you’ve encountered while working at a brothel?

Most people expect some crazy sex story but I don’t find anything unusual about human sexuality. The most unusual thing I’ve experienced is as an independent contractor is that some brothels like the Aliencathouse will not let you work at other brothels at the same time 

There's a lot of people who say that sex work can be lonely. 

With porn and brothel work, they’re complete opposite worlds, considering there’s people around 24/7 in a brothel. And I met my girl of over a year while in the brothel.

That might surprise a lot of people. Finding love in a brothel is very Moulin Rouge. Do you find that there's a lot of camaraderie in brothels, in general?

Well, there seems to be two extremes. There are girls and house workers that want to see everyone do well and help each other out. Then there are the ones that try to sabotage others to get ahead.

Tell me about a time that you saw a serious moment of compassion and love during your career. 

There's a lot of girls that have been doing this independently. There's reasoning why it should be legal not just decriminalized. Brothels help escape the bad stigmas of underground sex work. I can't express enough how much legal prostitution helps. 

So just the whole momentum of the legal movement itself is a moment of compassion…? I never thought of it that way, but I absolutely see it. What’s something that you wish brothel patrons knew?

It's not a get rich quick scheme. You do it because you love it. I could make tons more as a software engineer but it was slowly eating away at me.

Do you feel like America’s brothel laws made you feel like an outcast?

Basically I own that shit. I enter into convo where they feel bad for me, but I feel bad for them because I've been in an office job hating every day. Now I'm free. I love my work and travel!

That’s awesome. How do you see social attitudes toward sex work these days?

Society, in general, is changing, mostly accepting. I wish brothel owners would see us more than just a paycheck.

Do you have any advice for future sex workers?

 I'm sorry to say but pre-op does not work in brothels. But it's a trade-off post-op does not work in porn. Be patient it takes a bit to get the hang of it and build clients.