Biography

[reflecting on her porn career] I was treated well. I made my own decisions; it was my body and my survival technique. I wasn't forced into doing anything. I was approached with the idea, and all I would have to say was, "No, I'm not doing that." I was young but I was independent and supporting myself.

People are still uptight about the disability thing. Having an amputation is a hard pill to swallow, particularly later in life. I grew up with it so I don't see myself as being different. I get up, I throw my leg on, and I go -- I even puked in my leg once. It was next to the bed. The next morning I forgot, put my leg [on], and was like, "Ew!" I've even taken my leg off and thrown it at people -- I joke about it a lot. I'd like to let people with disabilities know that they can have fun with their lives: Don't be afraid to experiment. Stop putting it in the closet.

There's not enough discussion about sexuality and disability. It's usually just about masturbation. Here, you can please yourself but what about sex with another partner? Or people with two disabilities? I dated another amputee briefly -- when somebody touches you with their stump, it's not a natural feeling. People have to be really comfortable with it. My kid's dad, when we started going out, he didn't want me to take my leg off at all. All the education out there is like, "Here's how to get yourself off, because you're disabled and not attractive at all."

[on her daughter Irene Silver finding out about her past in porn] My daughter didn't find out until she was 20 or 21. She researched "one legged stripper" on the Internet, and then calls me up and goes, "Hey mom, you ever hear of Long Jeanne Silver?" I hung up the phone on her. When I called her back, she said, "Well it's pretty cool, you've got a Wikipedia page!" In my day, we didn't think of the Internet or how far things would follow you, but I'm glad it's out in the open.

After getting inducted into the Legends of Erotica Hall of Fame, I started getting invited to conventions, and we re-released Long Jeanne Silver (1977). I was shocked at how many fans would approach me. People with disabilities would say, "You changed my perspective on being disabled and that it's OK to feel sexy." I recently did an expo called Cinema Wasteland and there was a young man who was also an amputee. He asked to have a picture, stump to stump, and I actually did it. I'm one of the people who made him feel comfortable about it.