Trip Richards is a trans man and self-described country boy who has made his name in the adult entertainment industry.

As a performer, Trip is known for passionate authentic scenes that transcend porn expectations. He enjoys connections with a broad spectrum of men and fellow trans people, and always aims to show unscripted passionate encounters.

When he isn’t in front of the camera, or busy with managing his fan sites and other platforms, Trip can usually be found in the gym, hiking in the woods, or cuddling his cats.

We caught up with Trip to talk about life in the adult entertainment industry.

What led you to start exploring a career in porn?

I entered the adult industry very gradually – over the past six years – so I can’t really pinpoint a specific moment or a particular decision.

When I started, I certainly didn’t have any plans to become a top-tier full-time performer, I just knew that I wanted to share my erotic adventures and be able to support myself while remaining self-employed.

Those continue to be my goals, in addition to my growing mission as an advocate and educator.

As someone who takes seriously whatever I apply myself to, it was only natural to continue pushing the boundaries and strive for the greatest possible success. There’s still a long way up from here!

Would you describe yourself as an exhibitionist?

Everyone involved in the adult industry is, to some degree, an exhibitionist. In order to be comfortable showing our bodies and intimate parts of our lives, we need to feel freedom from social restrictions of shame, and we need to feel a willingness to push through social barriers.

That said, successful performers are not just people who enjoy taking their clothes off, but rather people who have found a balance between their own pleasure and that of their audience. Anyone can show off their body – the tricky part is getting other people to watch, enjoy, and support.

Who are some of your porn heroes or inspirations?

That’s a very hard question for me to answer.

Any niche performer, including trans performers, has to carve out space for themselves within the industry. When I started in the adult industry, I saw hardly anyone like myself. Trans men were few and far between, and I didn’t see porn content that matched the story-line of my personal interests or style.

Over the ensuing years, I’ve been delighted at the influx of diverse performers. Today, I stand on equal footing with many other, more established stars. That realisation has really bolstered my confidence.

In the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to, meet, and collaborate with people who I consider icons in porn, and that’s been just an incredible experience of acceptance.

Why is JustFor.Fans a platform that works for you?

Platforms like JustFor.Fans are absolutely incredible for performers because they give us complete control over our content. As an independent performer, I retain creative control and content ownership of every video I’ve ever filmed, something that the more traditional studio-based porn system of years past didn’t permit.

JustFor.Fans is also built specifically for hosting adult content. On many other social media and fan-site platforms, performers like myself are facing increasing censorship and restrictions, and de-platforming is a major risk to our livelihood on those sites. In contrast, JustFor.Fans is a place where I know that both my content and I are safe. Also, the customer service and model support which Dominic Ford – the sites’s creator – offers is unmatched.

What’s the creative and logistics process behind creating content for JustFor.Fans?

Being a content creator – as opposed to being a ‘porn-star’ – is an entirely new way of thinking. It means looking for every opportunity throughout my day to pull out my camera and share something with my fans.

My fans have come to expect a variety of content daily, ranging from full high-quality hardcore scenes to much more intimate glimpses of my life – trying on underwear, exercising, or casually playing with myself.

I always joke that the reality of being a modern porn-star is not very glamorous, and it’s true. I certainly spend more of my time editing, uploading, and managing my social platforms than I actually do in front of the camera. But what it lacks in glamour, it makes up for in satisfaction. I enjoy complete independence and the ability to share very authentic content with my fans.

The entrepreneurial side of the adult industry is so incredibly important. Ultimately, the ability to be a businessperson is what differentiates the models who enjoy a successful career from those who don’t. I think a lot of people have the misconception that just being attractive or well-endowed is enough, but the reality couldn’t be more different. I’m not saying that bodies don’t matter, but personality matters way more in the long-term. I’ve been self-employed for literally my entire life, and had a strong business background even before I got involved in adult work. The ability to remain focused, disciplined, and on-brand is so crucial, as is the ability to always seek out new experiences and opportunities.

Now that the porn industry is so democratised – anyone with a smartphone can make porn – we’re seeing so much more diversity. It’s normalising a broad range of bodies of every size, shape, colour, age, and gender expression. I think that’s amazing.

Follow Trip Richards on Twitter

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