Sex worker’s presence in the Perth Pride Parade 2010 marks ten years since the introduction of the Prostitution Act, and is the birth of the contemporary sex worker rights struggle against police brutality on the streets of Perth and its suburbs. Assaults on our privacy have been enshrined in law during this last decade and have shown no positive outcomes for sex workers, our clients, or the non-sex working public. We still operate in a confusing framework of tolerance for some workplaces dating from the historic containment policies of the 1950s, and lamenting the failure of the Carpenter Government and Greens laws that would have decriminalised sex work. In 2011 we will have another barrier to contend with – a push to drive our industry into sanctioned red light zones in industrial areas fringing Perth.
This new draconian push has not gone unnoticed and sex workers and researchers around the world are aware of the risks. A Symposium is being held in Perth on November 3, including both local and international experts who will present on the outcomes of various approaches to sex industry regulation. There is a strong hope that any policy development in Western Australia will be evidence driven and recognise the mistakes of other countries and other Australian jurisdictions. Amongst the speakers is Catherine Healy who will discuss the outcomes of decriminalisation in New Zealand and the five year evaluation of the model. Basil Donovan, Professor of Sexual health at the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research will present on the recent LASH (Laws and Sex workers health) research and its Western Australia findings.
There will be an opportunity for questions at the symposium, and there are many important questions to be asked about the government’s recent comments on the direction of the new laws. How the proposal will be policed is difficult to know – increased resources to harass and arrest private workers in suburban areas? Newly constituted licensing bodies to mandate which brothels will be permitted and which will be outlawed? Existing brothels in WA would be further criminalised – will those small business owners be compensated? How will local councils cope with creating new zoning for brothel businesses? These questions remain unanswered in practical terms, but one thing is for sure – it will be damn expensive, and not only to the sex workers who will lose income. Similar moves in other jurisdictions have cost Governments, Police, Local Councils, and inevitably the taxpayer, millions in annual regulatory and policing costs. Costs that could have been avoided.
The health outcomes for sex workers would be predictably dismal under the new proposal. National research shows that decriminalisation has far greater occupational health and safety benefits than brothel licensing regimes. As a community affected by HIV, sex workers would be further marginalised and placed at further risk.
We ask who will benefit from such laws? The vocal minority who are vehemently opposed to sex work may sleep easier at night, but sex workers will not be afforded such luxury: we face raids by police, the use of condoms as evidence against us, a basic lack of human rights and no incentive to comply with bad laws.
Sex workers are part of the queer community of Perth. Carrying red umbrellas and displaying our pride during this month’s pride festival is not only a fun night out, it’s also important because we need your solidarity. Show you support and oppose efforts to further criminalise our work – our wellbeing depends on it. If you would like more information come along to the symposium.
Contact us at admin@scarletalliance.org.au or (02) 9326 9455 to RSVP.
Dan Bledwich
Scarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Workers Association
