In 1995 New South Wales became one of the first places in the world to decriminalise sex work. Against a backdrop of the Aids epidemic and a recommendation to fight police corruption from a royal commission into the state’s police service, sex workers succeeded in lobbying the government for change. [...]
There is still a lot of confusion about the difference between legalisation and decriminalisation. When sex work is decriminalised, that means it’s no longer in the criminal code. Obviously, we are subject to criminal laws just like everybody else. It’s just that our work itself isn’t seen as a crime. When it’s legalised there are still provisions that regulate sex work in the criminal code. Essentially, the many things around sex work – brothels, clients, etc – are made illegal to obstruct the work. These stigmatising and obstructing regulations do not help but hinder sex workers’ rights and safety. [...]
Sex workers aren’t always passive victims. They aren’t always slaves to the patriarchy. They aren’t people who need to be saved or have decisions made for them. I work – mainly – with a community of women and I love the support that comes from that. I find it life-affirming. I define myself as a feminist. But I have a fraught relationship with mainstream feminism. They silence sex workers by refusing to recognise our work and autonomy. And, in doing so, have committed a great act of violence against us.
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