Interview: Transsexual Performer of the Year Venus Lux

LOS ANGELES—It's hardly surprising that Venus Lux has won AVN's Transsexual Performer of the Year for the second year in a row when one considers everything that's going on in the Asian beauty's life over the past year—but she's still a bit overwhelmed by the win anyway. "I thought the first time was difficult enough; now winning again has sealed the deal, meaning that my performances have been well received," she told AVN. "As a performer, you're always challenging yourself to be a better performer and to reach new heights, and when you have that expectation of yourself, nothing really seems to be satisfactory, so I'm always working hard, and now that I have a second AVN Performer of the Year underneath my belt, it feels very accomplished. "Thank God for my staff!" she added. "Unfortunately, I kind of stumbled on stage and forgot to thank my staff who have been with me for so long, and have helped me assemble the things I have and really see my vision and have stayed with me through thick and thin and helped me establish my brand further." Fact is, this hasn't been a big year for Venus in terms of video output. She starred in three scenes for Kink.com, but perhaps the bigger news is that the deal she inked with Pulse Distribution late in 2014 to market her Venus Lux Entertainment signature videos has finally borne fruit. Venus Lux Fantasies, which was announced in late 2013, was released in June, followed quickly by her TS Fetishes, and the star expects to street several more this coming year. But that's only part of what makes Venus Lux a star in her field. "Transglobal magazine has been a passion project of mine since Day One, before the adult industry, before anything happened," she confided. "I worked in non-profits for eight years before joining the adult industry, so having this kind of outlet to be able to express myself and share my experiences to a community that I'm very well immersed in and a part of, I need to feel that sense of giving back somehow, and so I created Transglobal magazine to be able to help others have a platform to express themselves and to showcase their stories and experiences as a transgender person, and to inform those who don't know too much about the transgender world and its many lifestyles." But even that's not all! Her writings have been collected into a volume called Venus Lux Diaries, which is available as an e-book on Amazon, and she hopes to release a hardcover edition soon—and possibly to expand her tales of the trans world into a novel or an autobiography. But most of all, she wants to give back to her community. "In the transgender industry, we have no managers, no agents," she noted, "so you have to be able to dictate your own career and control the success. That's the reason why I choose to show others the experiences I've been through and to elaborate on some of the things that could be beneficial to them—and also for those who haven't had the opportunities I've had in the past, to help them create their own voice." As for the future, Venus is currently in discussions with several manufacturers about the release of her first transsexual toy line, something she notes that the adult community hasn't seen in many years. Photo by Nate "Igor" Smith at 2016 AVN Awards