Looking at nightlife mogul and award-winning nightlife producer Venus Cuffs (she/her), you might only see the glamor and decadence associated with her and her events. But that’s not the whole story. Venus’s events are resounding successes due to her prowess as a producer, but also because of her commitment to making them inclusive and uplifting. “I let people show up 100% authentically as they are,” she says. “I welcome everyone from all walks of life and I celebrate them in my spaces.”

The former dominatrix’s ethos of caring about others isn’t limited to parties, either. She has hosted community-only events, held fundraisers, and used her own money to fund grocery trips for marginalized people. She knows she can’t save the world alone (though she’s definitely doing her part), and urges everyone to get involved—no matter how small they think that involvement is.

“You can let the pressure fold you or you can rise up and fight,” Venus urges. “Please fight with every ounce of love you have running through your body.”

Read on for more from Venus.

What’s your favorite part about nightlife?
There is nothing quite like nightlife. I come alive at night, I love dressing up, and I love meeting new people. I love the music, the lights, and the energy. The dance floor and the stage are the rare places in the world you can go to create where people will cheer you on in a way that just doesn’t happen anywhere else. I could put on a vagina costume with Pleasers and do half a split and some drunk person will think I’m the hottest thing since sliced cheese. Or you can be in the bathroom crying over some guy and random women will love on you and tell you that you’re beautiful. You can’t find that kind of support everywhere.

But you’ve used your platform to talk about the other side, too?
There is this unspoken rule. In nightlife, queer, Black, and sex work culture are all used to push tickets but we are rarely leading in these spaces due to capitalism, racism, and homophobia. This is so pervasive that nightlife can be extremely segregated. People love the culture we create but don’t want us to truly exist in these spaces. I don’t care about any of that. I will go where I please, be as sexy as I want, and be the Black queer (former Dominatrix) woman in charge and running the show. I love that for me, but I adore that for us.

January is Poverty Awareness Month. Can you share a bit about your experience with poverty and homelessness and how that has informed the work you do now?
I came essentially from nothing. I grew up struggling. Everything I have I had to bust my a*s for. I’ve experienced homelessness, extreme poverty, and living in shelters. I learned a lot about people while I was homeless. When you have nothing, you see what others are really about. I was ignored a lot and people didn’t even look me in the eye. I don’t wish the way I was treated—even by doctors—on anyone. You are invisible to society unless they want to move you somewhere else.

This is why I welcome everyone. That is why if someone cannot afford tickets, I’ll put them on my list. If someone tells me “I’m hungry,” I buy them food. If someone says “I need to do sex work to figure out how to pay expensive rent,” I help them with housing. I believe in paying it forward. When I was at my lowest, people I didn’t even know helped me so much. I would be nothing without those people.

You said you believe in paying it forward. How do you do that?
In 2020 during lockdowns, a lot of sex workers I know (and didn’t know) were asking around for help because they couldn’t afford anything while being out of work. Everyone was still expected to pay rent and a lot of people weren’t making money, lost jobs, and were financially in really bad positions. I previously owned a dungeon in Brooklyn, and used it to provide emergency housing to people who needed a place to sleep at the time. I was sending people emergency cash stipends, taking them to the grocery store to buy food, and helping them figure out housing if they had a landlord that kicked them out illegally. I’m still doing this work and will accept donations to help people out via CashApp ($venuscuffs).