2013 Transsexual Performer of the Year: Vaniity

LAS VEGAS—Aside, perhaps, from Golden Age TS star Sulka, Vaniity (yes, with two "i"s) may be the best-known transsexual performer in the adult business, owing to the fact that she first started acting in 1998 for Devil's Film (but quickly became a favorite of TS maven Joey Silvera), that she's done more than 50 XXX movies, and because she won AVN's very first Transsexual Performer of the Year award in 2004, an honor she still remembers fondly. "Of course winning the first [Transsexual Performer of the Year] award was exciting, phenomenal—and kind of just a tiny little bit disappointing that I wasn't able to go up on stage and get it the first time," the Latina star told AVN. "But after 15 years, I was excited that I got nominated, and I really did not know I was going to win. I thought Eva Lin was going to take it. I love Eva, and she and I were hanging out, and we were looking at each other, and we said, 'Okay, it's either you or me. Whoever it is, may the best man win, and who cares? I'm gonna celebrate you, I hope you celebrate me' kind of deal, you know?" But though she didn't attend last year's show—because "it's always nerve-wracking going to AVN, you know: looking fit; the skin's gotta work; gotta have a makeup artist and your hair's got to look good, you know?"—she decided that although she wasn't going to sign for any company, she missed the glamour of the award show and "because it was going to be historic," even though, apparently, the news hadn't reached her that for the first time AVN would be presenting the TS Performer of the Year award on-stage. "Well, it had been said before in other years that, 'Oh, it's finally gonna happen. We're gonna be able to accept up on stage,' but it never happened," she recounted. "But there was a rumor going around that this year was the year, so I was like, 'Okay, that's cool!' So I was a nervous wreck, and then I'm thinking, 'I'm just going to put that in the back of my mind and just have a good time,' you know? And I was having a good time, and in the middle of the show, to my surprise, is when they announced Transsexual Performer of the Year, and I was like, 'Oh, my God! Okay; I've got to stop being silly and taking pictures and all that and pay attention.' And the names were called, and then the spotlight hits me, and I'm like, 'Oh, fuck!' It was super-exciting, you know? It was tongue-tying exciting. I really did not know what to say. I was like, 'Uh, uh, uh, uh.' And all I could think of was like Joey [Silvera]; Joey's really the one who put me in the spotlight, and I love him, adore him. So it was super-exciting." So what's next for the Latina beauty? "I'm going to start shooting my own line, and I'm kind of doing a spoof on Wonder Woman," she confided. "I'm gonna be Wonder Woman, with my magic lasso, so as soon as I get back, we're going into production on that, and I'm still in partnership with SMC, and they're still doing my website, so I'll be shooting with them. Basically I'm going back to doing more creative stuff and really getting more involved this year. As soon as the year started, I was like, 'I'm getting involved, no matter what.' I'm starting to really get into my shoots; I want to do more shoots and I want my artistic side to come out this time, now that I'm single. I went from one relationship to another with guys that were really possessive, but now that I'm on my own, I feel I'm free to be me. It's been a long time coming." Photos courtesy of Evil Angel