Who is Zahra Stardust?
I am a rainbow-haired, textile-loving, queer femme writer, artist and scholar, who grew up on Gadigal land. I am herbal tea enthusiast, a chronic over-committer, and a devotee of maximalist fashion. My work is concerned with building more equitable sexual cultures, on and off-screen.
For over 15 years I was a professional undresser, aerialist and award-winning stripper, pole dancer and porn star. I performed across film, print, stage and festivals around the world.
After abandoning a legal career, I worked in policy and research roles with community organisations, universities and the United Nations on sexual and reproductive health, sex worker activism, LGBTQ+ health, and sexual rights.
A sapiosexual and relentless nerd, I wrote my Masters thesis on striptease and my PhD dissertation on pornography, which formed the basis of my new book Indie Porn: Revolution, Regulation and Resistance. It explores the politics of online sexual content moderation and asks how we might relate differently to sex, work and media.
These days I am working on a pipeline of books, including a sex work anthology, a critical introduction to sextech, and a memoir.
What would you differently from what you do now?
When I’m not busy writing, I like doing creative and care work. I recently studied as a death doula and enjoy supporting people to create rituals and legacy art projects to honour their loved ones or to mark transitions in their lives (like top surgeries, hysterectomies, menopause, etc).
I would like to spend more time freediving and mermaiding. In another life I would do more underwater photography, interior design, aromatherapy and remedial massage.
Who inspires you and why?
At this time in the world, with so much collective trauma and grief, I am endlessly inspired by the activism and resistance of Palestinian women. Locally, I’m thinking about Sarah Shaweesh who runs Khamsa Café, a vegan Palestinian café on Gadigal land.
She is such an incredible hub of activism and regularly hosts community vigils, mutual aid fundraisers, workshops, art installations, political conversations, cooking classes and book launches, bringing people together to share and learn Palestinian traditions and support families fleeing genocide.
Another Palestinian woman whose politics and conviction I admire is Dr. Randa Abdel-Fatteh, the fierce author and academic who is tirelessly calling out Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism in Australian media and university institutions.
I also love the strong leadership of First Nations women like Lydia Thorpe, who is fighting to be able to bring cases of genocide in so-called Australia, Dr Amy McGuire, who just published her first book Black Witness on the power of Black justice journalism, and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, the 22-year old Maori MP who recently performed the Haka in Aotearoa parliament.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Well, there are some obvious necessary steps that could curb the genocide in Palestine right now: sanction Israel, implement an arms embargo, stop sending weapons parts, divest in any company who profits from illegal settlements, and stop citizens from traveling to join the IOF.
Otherwise, there’s plenty more to do at home: support truth-telling commissions, healing and accountability processes, treaty, land back and decolonisation. Defund the police, abolish prisons, tax the rich, offer free education, housing and healthcare. Roll out comprehensive sex education and relationship education. Switch to renewable energies, welcome refugees, support trans kids – to name a few.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
I’ve been really fortunate to travel to some incredible places around the world. Some of my favourite places are Malawi (where I slept in a mattress up a tree), Zanzibar (for the fresh spices), Bolivia (where you can visit pink dolphins in the Amazon), Laos (for the butterflies and waterfalls), India (to behold the burning ghats) and Iran (for the fresh pomegranate juice and all the beautiful women who invited me into their homes). I’ve always wanted to travel overland through Central America from Mexico to Costa Rica.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
When I lived on Gadigal Country, I would always take people to Golden Lotus, a vegan Vietnamese restaurant on King St, Newtown, for their amazing pho. Honestly I could eat it every night. One time I tried to drive the combination laksa and duck pancakes up to Brisbane in an esky in the back of a Ute but they didn’t survive the trip. Highly recommend their amazing staff and anything on their menu!
What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts’ book Long Yarn Short. She is a Bundjalung Widubul-Wiabul woman, human rights advocate, lawyer and now the Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People. She writes so powerfully about creating a world where First Nations children are safe and interconnected with Country rather than at risk of incarceration or forcible removal.
I just finished Sam Elkin’s book Detachable Penis: A Queer Legal Saga which is a memoir of his experiences as a lawyer for Victoria’s inaugural queer legal service. It’s a funny and moving personal account of his journey against the backdrop of the marriage equality postal survey, debates over trans inclusion in sport, birth certificate law reform and attempts to peel back anti- discrimination protections for LGBTQIA+ people. I think I read the whole thing in a day!
What are you currently listening to?
I’ve been listening to the ADHD Adults podcast for its loving but self-deprecating humour and it’s light-hearted approach to the everyday impending chaos of ADHD life.
Happiness is?
Swimming lessons with my toddler! The privilege of being a mum.
What does the future hold for you?
I’m hoping to move into more intimacy coordination work. I’m really interested in the role sex workers can play in intimacy coordination. Many porn performers are now taking on intimacy coordinator roles in mainstream film and television. It makes sense because our core skillset already involves navigating people’s preferences, desires and expectations as well as fighting for labour rights, negotiating contracts and taking an ethic of care to production.
Zahra is the Author of Indie Porn: Revolution, Regulation and Resistance – which is published by Duke University Press and is available from selected book stores across Australia.
Image: Zahra Stardust – photo by Jill Kerswill