WA Rally for Full Decriminalisation of the Sex Industry

[Sammi1974]

Date & Time: Saturday, May 18, 2013 · 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: Parliament House, Harvest Terrace, West Perth

Please note, I am not organising this event. Just spreading the word because I know this is relevant to many of us.

Sex workers (past and present) and our supporters demanding full decriminalisation of our industry now! The regulatory approach we want is full decriminalisation. We say NO to Colin Barnett and Liberal party treating us and our clients like criminals! NO MORE!!! DECRIMINALISE NOW!!
Please be aware that this event is to be friendly open and welcome to all sex workers-female, male, trans, LGBTQI sex workers past and present, and those who support us.

Colin Barnett wants to impose a licensing system on the WA sex industry. Only licensed sex workers would be allowed to legally work. This is would make the bulk of the sex industry unlicensed and illegal. This is bad enough, but more hard-line Liberal politicians have said they don’t think Barnett’s plan goes far enough. They want nothing less than a full scale crackdown on sex workers’ human rights. They are talking about implementing the “Swedish model”, or the criminalisation of clients, in Western Australia.

Criminalising the sex industry does not get rid of it. It only drives the sex industry underground. It makes sex workers more vulnerable to police violence and harassment, already major problems in Western Australia. It means less respectful clients are attracted to the industry. It also makes health outreach more difficult.

Criminalisation of the sex industry sets a bad precedent for civil liberties across the board, even for non-sex workers. We are seeing this now in Highgate, where in an effort to crack down on street based sex work, the City of Vincent is spending $50 000 on CCTV.

Nobody attending this rally will be expected to disclose whether or not they are working in the sex industry. It will be a mixed crowd of sex workers and their supporters. Stand up for sex workers. Stand up for full decriminalisation of the sex industry.

 

[Sir Stefan]

Good onya Guys... For waving the flag of democracy!

 

[colzilla]

I'll be there flying the pro hooker banner... Go girls!

 

[Pixie O'Malley]

Wish I could be there but I'm rostered on!

Let's finally get some sensible laws that reflect reality!

xx P

 

[Holford]

Hopefully there is a good turnout and the media don't get childish and make farce out of an important issue. Pity we can't all show our faces because of the media.

 

[whilom]

All this will do is High lite the industry and put the laws back on the agenda.
Its a very subtle way for the established houses to progress their agenda of total domination of who can work in the industry, where and at what price.
Take the rose coloured glasses off ladies you are being used!

 

[Pixie O'Malley]

We are being used?

Is that your perception of the situation or have you sat and talked to the intelligent women who: enjoy their job; have ambitious life; financial and lifestyle goals; are intelligent, wise, emotionally intelligent and secure, and self aware... Who also work as call girls?

Perhaps the cluey ones choose to work in establishments such as Langtrees where they have a pleasant environment, choice, insurances, safety, support, backup, 2 decades of brand establishment to work under, respect, appreciation and most of, the mastership of their own destinies.

The girls I work alongside are beautiful, smart business women who are creating the lives they want to live in an environment which supports and enables them to do so.

Nothing using about that!

Sorry to be harsh, but just my two bobs worth!

 

[Holford]

Crap all employees are being used and manipulated no matter what work you do unless you are CEO. No one wnants to work for the miniscule wage they are paid. We are all prostitutes that is a fact no one can deny, but put sex into it then those that have sexual problems and are scared of it turn it into something that it is not. You fu..king hipcocrites with marriage are the worst with real contracts for sex...

 

[whilom]

Pixie I have nothing but respect for the individual working ladies.
The laws were dead and forgotten.
Now you bring them to the attention of a Premier and a Treasurer who desparately need a diversion.
If you get any press, all you will have done is give them something to work with.

Who, you must ask yourself is driving the renewed interest in raising the Proposal and who will gain the most commercial benefit. .

If you really want to progress the Decriminalization I would wait until the SA law changes have been voted on and if they were successful follow their lead.
If they fail then you at least know what will not work.

 

[svengali]

Whilom is right about one thing; It really doesn't make any sense to me to hold rallies and focus media attention on this industry. They love a bit of titillation and will certainly be all over it but with the majority the present Government has they can do anything they like, particularly this early in the term.

Let sleeping dogs lie.

 

[HappyPirate]

I suspect the Law will change in S.A, in due time.
The law will look at conditions of work, Health, registration, pricing etc
All for the benefit of the W/L but in return, all the extra government revenue it will gain
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Pixie I have nothing but respect for the individual working ladies.
The laws were dead and forgotten.
Now you bring them to the attention of a Premier and a Treasurer who desparately need a diversion.
If you get any press, all you will have done is give them something to work with.

Who, you must ask yourself is driving the renewed interest in raising the Proposal and who will gain the most commercial benefit. .

If you really want to progress the Decriminalization I would wait until the SA law changes have been voted on and if they were successful follow their lead.
If they fail then you at least know what will not work.

 

[Langtrees VIP Perth 3]

Does anyone have an update on what happened at the meeting.
I agree with Sam criminalising the industry just drives it under ground. I worked in the industry in NZ when it was criminal. The brothels were owned by criminals usually with gang affiliations. But they were not the ones to worry about.
Most of the undue force (as they put it) was inflicted by the boys in blue. They hassled us day and night at home as well as work. I actually left the industry because of the constant harrassment in my home. I had kids and they always turned up at a time that my kids were at home.
I didn't want my kids to see their Mum cop a fat lip from a dirty copper.
And dirty they were. I remember one in particular who was always open to a backhander to close his eyes. Last I heard of him he had ridden off to a big promotion on a new Harley Davidson.
There are other problems that they are experiencing in NZ since they legalized it that we need to be aware of here too.
The City Councils are controlling where Brothels can be established. For example Christchurch has zoned the inner city the only place you can have a licensed brothel. There is no inner city and they are not relaxing their rules so houses are being run under the radar.
So expect trouble no matter what the do. If its not the Government it will be the councils. We will forever be fighting to have our industry recognized and accepted.

 

[Tania Admin]

I liked the way it was when I first worked in the industry. When containment actually kind of contained it. You had to register with police, which some girls didn't like, but there wasn't a million R&T's, the house numbers were limited to a degree, and it wasn't spread out into the suburbs as such. That's my opinion anyway. I'm not sure of the Madams opinions on it, but I know that when I was in admin at Adinas ( which used to be in Newcastle St), the Madame there was happy with it.

 

[svengali]

Yep, containment worked and at least prevented the Asian pimps opening brothels all over suburbia.

The trouble was that the Police were placed in the invidious position of controlling and managing an industry which, in the strict legal sense, is illegal. There was always the possibility (and who says it didn't happen) that individual officers could be tempted to shake down madams and girls to supplement their pay packets.

When Bob Falconer became Commissioner he formally pulled the plug on containment and told the Government "You make the laws and we will enforce them". We are still waiting for those laws.

In the meantime the vacuum has been well and truly filled by dodgy people opening brothels willy-nilly in suburban areas and staffing them with imported talent, putting an ugly face on the industry and providing ammunition for the purse-lipped god-botherers. I am afraid that any legislation we get out of the current crop of pollies will create more problems than it solves.

 

[Pixie O'Malley]

For a new gal starting in the industry, these perspectives are very interesting to read.

I had a vague idea as to the legality/illegality of the sex industry but it's very interesting to hear from those who know far more about it than me...

Does anyone know any of the detail of what happened at the rally? Did anyone commenting here actually attend?

xx P

 

[svengali]

There was a brief article about it in the Guardian Express local newspaper about it and from the accompanying pic it looked like a pretty small turnout. I can't believe it would have achieved much.

 

[Tania Admin]

I have done a search and can't find any articles pertaining to the rally. Can anyone else find anything?