When sex is just another day at work
TODAY聽is International Sex Workers鈥� Day (or International Whores鈥� Day, if you prefer, as long as you鈥檙e one of us). The sex industry encompasses more than what you might think of when you hear 鈥榮ex work鈥欌�攖hink strippers, webcam performers, porn stars, erotic massage and BDSM too.
It鈥檚 a day to celebrate being a sex worker, think about your attitude towards sex work, or fight for change in the way workers are treated.
Sex work is part of the LGBTI community. About queer guys have done it, and I couldn鈥檛 tell you how many queer women and trans folks I鈥檝e met through the industry.
I鈥檝e had a lot of jobs, but by far my favourite has been sex work. I don鈥檛 get to do it full-time anymore, but I miss it and I鈥檇 never change having made a career of it for a while. I even finally came out to my mum about it earlier this year.
It鈥檚 an appealing job in many ways. Whether you鈥檙e working in a parlour, for yourself, or online, the hours are flexible. The money is often good. And it鈥檚 a great way to meet people and collect stories.
I鈥檝e had some fantastic adventures as a sex worker. I instructed 18-year-olds in how to talk about sex and how to fuck. I taught an elderly couple how to spice up their bedroom with handcuffs and floggers. I鈥檝e (consensually) choked a guy out. I鈥檝e had threesomes and foursomes, visited sex clubs, and spent a long night in a penthouse suite with a celebrity licking cocaine from my armpits.
Some of my favourite times, though, were when I was running my own business, keeping normal hours and living a nice predictable life. I鈥檇 wake each day, see a few clients, and close up shop about five. I had evenings and weekends off, and I didn鈥檛 answer to anyone.
It鈥檚 a job not quite like any other but it is, ultimately, just another job.
Unlike any other job, though, sex work is subject to weird laws that vary throughout Australia. There are no legal brothels in the Northern Territory, for instance, and no agencies in Queensland. In Victoria, you can鈥檛 have a client come to your house or hotel.
New South Wales has full decriminalisation of sex work, meaning it鈥檚 not just legal, it鈥檚 treated like a normal business, without special regulations.
In South Australia, the only state that currently totally outlaws prostitution, it could soon be after a recommendation that the government follow the lead of New South Wales.
Many sex workers are vocal in their support for full decriminalisation, which allows us to operate like any other business and is associated with safer workplaces. Under decriminalisation we can, for instance, work on the same premises as another worker for safety. If our clients turn violent, decriminalisation means we can call the police without fear of arrest ourselves.
If you want to help the sex worker community, you might consider writing to your local MP about decriminalisation鈥攅specially if you鈥檙e in South Australia.
You can do plenty more to help sex workers. We need income to live and we don鈥檛 get things like paid leave, so if you鈥檙e curious, make a booking and help with your wallet. Be respectful and remember we鈥檙e just regular people with cool jobs.
Happy International Sex Workers’ Day.
If you鈥檙e a sex worker who needs support, contact your state鈥檚 to speak to a fellow worker.
