I Am a Deviant
I will be writing about how I became a deviant in society. In 2010 I was a 21-year-old mother separating from an abusive spouse which left me homeless, searching high and low for a job with no job experience. One day my aunt tells me “Apryl do you want to be independent and make sure that no one jeopardizes your life like this ever again? You should consider becoming a stripper.” In my mind this would never be an option, I would have to put away all my cultural values, morals, and beliefs just to support my family. Could I handle the role of being a deviant? Or will I become a tertiary deviant?
The word Innovation in summary from our course text book “happens when we accept our goals and try to obtain them through other means like the lottery, or drug dealing” (Kendall, 2017) In my case I became innovative by becoming an exotic dancer, the reason why I became a dancer is because I couldn’t keep up with societies approved goals and means and in order for me to win custody of my children I needed money, a house, and a vehicle, within four month of becoming a dancer I had bought my very first car, I had placed a roof over my head and for the first time in my life I was not struggling financially that year I was awarded full custody of my three boys, I was able to take down that mean man who damaged every ounce of my heart an left me to fin for myself.
As you may know exotic dancers have a big social stigma, dancing is considered immoral and taboo, it is completely against our societies norms. 8 years of dancing has impacted my personal life, I have had the worst luck of keeping a man in my life and my nightlife schedule prevents me from meeting “normal” people, every person I have dated would see me as just sexual energizer bunny that was ready for anything and everything at any time of the day. But what they didn’t realize is that I have career goals, savings plans and seek to be the best mother I can be. I couldn’t handle the scrutiny of men calling me vulgar names and disrespecting me as a person while dating, so I have decided to stay single until I obtain my nursing degree in hopes a different breed of man will come along my way in a professional business setting.
The strip club stigma has brought out political deviance, several years of investigation by our city officials has taken place, and in attempt to shut our company down police come in anytime they wanted to “check up” on the place, they have passed a law that all entertainers must obtain licenses that need to be renewed once a year, we have to obey the license rules and regulations, in order to be approved for a license you are not allowed to have any history of a victim less crime such as prostitution. In attempt to shut our club down they have passed a rule where we are no longer able to expose our bare bottoms or breasts.
Becoming a deviant has allowed me to be an independent contractor, which means I make my own work schedule which gives me the time to go to school and spend a lot of time at home with my children, I wouldn’t change my decision of becoming a dancer, for the first time in my life I am financially stable not living off of the government and asking for handouts, I do hope one day the label will go away for future people in my situation, so many people are afraid to become a dancer because of what their friends or family might say. Everyone needs to learn how to take a chance and not be so concerned about what society has to say, we are an ever-changing world and its time to let everyone live freely without scrutiny. Words I live by, if you want something done do it yourself, and remember at the end of each day you only have yourself to depend on.
Apryl Ceja.