“I can hardly speak what vitriol … need to catch my breath and consider what to say, such incitement to hatred..”

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The above statement was made by a sex worker in response to an article which appeared in The Sunday Telegraph (article can be found below). The tone and language used in the article was over the top and biased which sex workers find insulting and fear it carries the very real potential for inciting hatred and violence.

Sex workers would also appreciate if journalists could make the effort to get their facts straight. It is not illegal for a sex worker to solict on the streets in NSW unless it is done “near or within view from a dwelling, school, church or hospital…” (see – Summary Offences Act 1988 No 25: 19   Soliciting clients by prostitutes). NAUWU feels The Sunday Telegraph should print an apology to the Daily Telegraph readers for failing to research yet another article properly and again printing misinformation about the legality of this activity.

Members of NAUWU and other sex workers are now involved in a campaign to try and get an apology printed by The Sunday Telegraph including writing letters, leaving comments under the article and responding on the author’s Twitter. So far we have had no response and only 1 comment pointing out the correct legal facts and asking for fair an unbiased reporting has been approved and published.

Below you will find the article, responses sent to NAUWU by sex workers who had tried to leave a comment on the article which were not approved and the contact details of the “journalist” who wrote the article. NAUWU would like to encourage you to either contact the author, leave a comment under this post or send us an email with your comment to: nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com

 

Underbelly: Razor’s myth hides the ugly truth

  • Claire Harvey
  • From: The Sunday Telegraph
  • August 28, 2011 12:00AM
 
Underbelly Razor

The gorgeous actors in Underbelly Razor make prostitution look a lot of fun. Picture: Channel Nine. Source: The Sunday Telegraph

SEEN the gorgeous hookers in Underbelly: Razor?

Silk-satin dressing gowns, rosebud lips popping with bright red colour, pin curls, those elegant little kitten-heeled bedroom slippers I’ve always wanted a pair of those. They make prostitution look pretty nice.

What a great big fib that is and how galling that the horrible lie of glamorous sex work persists into 2011.

This week, as scandal hung like a 1930s soot cloud over federal Labor MP Craig Thomson and Prime Minister Julia Gillard, I’ve been baffled by the way the debate’s been framed.

If you listen to the political commentary on this affair, Thomson’s greatest alleged wrongdoing which he denies is supposed to be the misuse of union funds.

I think there’s another, much more serious and damaging element of the allegations that Mr Thomson’s credit card was used by someone other than him to pay for the services of prostitutes and escorts.

 I think using prostitutes the most exploitative and damaging commercial transactions anyone can undertake. Sex workers are the most vulnerable people in the Australian economy. There is nothing glamorous about their work or their lives.

Craig Thomson deserves the presumption of innocence. He has denied the claims against him, which boil down to this: while he was working for the Health Services Union, he allegedly used his union credit cards to pay for prostitution and other services.

Thomson has previously claimed someone else, whom he refuses to name, used the cards and forged his signature. He has not revealed how that person got access to his drivers licence, which was listed on some of the card receipts.

On the request of the union, and after much urging from the federal opposition, police are now investigating whether there is any case to be made from the alleged fraudulent misuse of union funds.

The Health Services Union represents the working underclass of Australia   hospital cleaners, aged-care staff, disability support workers.

Somebody – and Craig Thomson won’t tell us who – used their money to pay for prostitutes. That, I believe, is the real scandal here.

Let me be clear: I am not suggesting prostitution laws should be changed.

In NSW it is no longer a criminal offence to conduct paid sex work in brothels or private homes, although it is still illegal to solicit on the street.

I think that’s the right balance -  it’s inevitable that sex work will go on regardless of anyone’s attempts to ban it. You know the old cliché, prostitution is the oldest profession.

Prohibition generally does little except create a new and wealthier class of criminal, as author Larry Writer so eloquently demonstrated in his book Razor, upon which the present Underbelly series is based.

One of the star characters is Ellen “Nellie” Cameron, a beautiful and fiery prostitute who, according to common myth of the 1920s and`30s, loved sex so much she abandoned her privileged Sydney life to become a hooker. I heard an acquaintance repeat this myth just the other day as we sat chatting a bar He thought Nellie sounded pretty cool.

The cold truth, as Writer documented, was that Cameron lived a sad and violent life, full of drugs, cruelty and intimidation that characterised wild Razorhurst.

She was repeatedly beaten, shot and stabbed by clients, loversqland enemies.  At least five of her lovers and husbands were murdered in gang hits. Cameron herself committed suicide at the age of 43.

Today the organisations that represent sex workers, including the Scarlet Alliance, say NSW’s legal framework helps encourage safe sex and fair employment conditions, helping reduce the risk of abuse by clients or police intimidation.

Despite that, sex workers are still at a much higher risk of sexual assault than the rest of the community, with perpetrators including clients, employers and people in their everyday lives who believe that because they sell sex for a living they have no right to say no.

Study after study, including the research of Dr Antonia Quadara of the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault, reveals up to 60 per cent of prostitutes have been raped  and many feel police do not take their complaints or fears seriously.

I am not suggesting that the person who used Mr Thomson’s credit card raped, assaulted or abused anyone.

I have every sympathy for the sex workers themselves, and I’m grateful we live in an age when they are no longer at risk of criminal charges for their work.

But legality does not make prostitution any less dangerous or exploitative. It does not make it right or fair. It certainly doesn’t make it glamorous.

No man would want his daughter to become a sex worker  but it’s rare to hear anyone saying it’s morally reprehensible, or hypocritical, to pay someone else’s daughter for emotionless sex.

So I’m saying it. I think visiting prostitutes is wrong. I hate the idea union members’ funds were used to pay for such services.

And I hope Underbelly goes on to tell the true story of Nellie Cameron and her fellow prostitutes: they were raped and abused and mistreated, the pawns in a violent criminal game that goes on today.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/underbelly-razors-myth-hides-the-ugly-truth/story-e6frezz0-1226123524269

 

Sex worker responses
Other sex worker have sent their response to NAUWU after they read the article and tried to post a response on The Sunday Telegraph’s comments section. Their comments were not published, however we are proud to be able to give all sex workers a voice here: 

Comments on this article apart from ****’s are disgusting. Took me 10 minutes and a shower to calm down enough to write a rational response.

After reading the Razor editorial in the “TERROR” today , I am perplexed as to why the journalist employed at the Telegraph are in such denial of the fact that their employer is also living of the earnings of PROSTITUTION .
The daily Telegraph Adult Services section is a very lucrative business , and after doing the math , I’m sure the revenue earned by this section would  keep the many journalist employed at news.com.
Perhaps  the  Labor  MP Craig Thompson found the Tiffany advert in Telegraphs Adult Services section  ???,such HYPOCRISY  ” People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones” .
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“You say you have sympathy for sex workers, yet you write with a tone that perpetuates hate.You’re sorry we have to deal with you?”

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If you would like to contact the author of this article, her contact details follow:
Claire Harvey
9288 3329 or 0424 359 879
@chmharvey (Twitter)

Australian Christian Lobby
Just on a final note, we thought we’d mention that Claire Harvey’s article also featured on the website for the Australian Christian Lobby…..
http://australianchristianlobby.org.au/2011/08/pick-of-the-news-%E2%80%93-monday-august-29-2011/

 

 

 

 

Note: NAUWU makes every effort to ensure the quality of the information available on this website. Before relying on the information on this site, however, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. NAUWU cannot guarantee and assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information.

Disclaimer: Images used on this site have been used with the permission of all parties pictured. If you happen to find an image of yourself and do not wish for it to appear on http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com please let the webperson of this site know by contacting nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com  .

Contributions on  http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com  have been made by NSW Sex Workers and other concerned parties of NSW Sex Industry; site design and maintenance by nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com ; Copyright Nothing About Us Without Us  2009 – 2020

 

 

 

The Western Australian Government has been reviewing its legislative response and policing practices for the sex industry in Western Australia. The proposed law reform and regulation to be imposed in Western Australia is of great concern to sex workers all over Australia including the sex workers of NSW. It is an issue NAUWU is following closely and our members are actively lobbying on. 

In this post we will outline what the proposed Prostitution Bill 2011 will mean for the WA sex industry, provide copies of the draft Bill, the submission peers submitted to the WA Govt and the Governments response. We feel it’s important to provide you with this information to show that sex workers are not defined by State or any other boundaries and what is inflicted on one sex worker affects us all. As one NSW sex worker stated…..

‘another fine example of the lobbying skills and efforts of individual NSW sex workers working collectively to challenge current and impending legislation that puts sex workers in harms way wherever we see it’

Members of NAUWU will be monitoring this post and encourage you to leave comments or questions either in the comments box or please feel free to email them to us at nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com

Alternatively, sex workers are able to contact Scarlet Alliance to discuss what the proposed law reform will mean when working in WA and with any other questions you may have. Scarlet Alliance contact details can be found here

 

Western Australian Prostitution Bill 2011 – Draft Bill for Public Comment
The following document is the Draft Bill that outlines what the WA Government proposes to make the legislation for the sex industry in Western Australia. Sex worker activists and lobbyists read through this Bill and analyse it to find out what the Government proposes, how it will effect the sex industry including what this will mean in every day practice for sex workers, how it will effect OH&S, how the industry will be regulated etc. The Bill must be made available for public comment and submissions from the public collected. These submissions are then supposed to be taken into consideration to help inform and/or ammend the Bill.

 Western Australian Prostitution Bill 2011 – Draft Bill for Public Comment

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Sex workers in action
Sex workers activists and lobbyists, other key stakeholders and researchers are constantly behind the scenes working to inform Government on the best model of legislation for the sex industry. An example of this is the LASH Report which has already been posted on NAUWU here. Organisations like Scarlet Alliance are also in constant contact with politicians, health bodies etc to inform and educate them on the sex industry.

When this proposed Bill was made public, other individual sex workers, groups including NAUWU, e-list groups and sex worker organisations begin working on submissions as well as informing other sex workers on what’s happening. Again this is done nationally because it is not considered an issue that Western Australian sex workers should have to deal with alone. 

Scarlet Alliance put together an information pack on proposed sex industry laws for WA. This information pack breaks down the Bill into plain language and highlights the key points in the Bill so sex workers are better able to understand what the proposed sex industry laws will mean. The pack also informs sex workers on how to write a submission and letters, who to send them to, how to stay informed and how to help spread the word to other people. The more people writing, the more chance we have; the more people who know about the proposed law reform and it’s consequences, the more power and the louder the voice we have! To have a look at Scarlet Alliances info pack and to see what the proposed law reform will mean, please check the links below. One is to a downloadable pdf and the other a direct link where the info pack appears on the Scarlet Alliance website.

WA Law Change Information Pack_Scarlet Alliance

http://www.scarletalliance.org.au/library/wa_2011/

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Submission by NSW sex workers to the Western Australian Prostitution Bill 2011 – Draft Bill for Public Comment
Below is a submission that two NSW sex workers made to the WA Government’s proposed Bill. We’d like to acknowledge their bravery in outing themselves as sex workers to the WA Government in their submission. Making this decision is never taken lightly and when it’s done, it does add power to any submission, letter written or media contact made.

WA Prostitution Bill 2011_Submission in response to the WA Prostituion Bill 2011_Final

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Government of Western Australia Department of the Attorney General Response
Below you will find the response the Department provided to the submission above. It basically just states that the submission has been received and gives no further detail.

WA Prostitution Bill 2011_Response to Submission from Governmentof WA Department of the Attorney General Offic of the Director General

 

So what now?!
Now we wait and keep lobbying with phonecalls, letter writing, responding to media and trying to generate our own positive media. We keep watch and yet remain proactive. As to the stages of how a Bill progresses….

This Green Bill (draft Bil) closed for public comment on Friday 29 July 2011.

It then goes to the WA Cabinet for approval

Then the Attorney General will introduce the approved Bill into Parliament, where it will be debated in both Houses, ie the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.

It is then the decision of Parliament whether this Bill will become a law of Western Australia, as both Houses of Parliament will be required to pass and approve the Bill.

This process varies for each bill and therefore a time frame cannot be provided.

Once this Bill is approved by Parliament and assented to by the Governor of Western Australia, it will come into operation on a day that will be fixed by proclamation in the Government Gazette.

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 NAUWU will keep you informed!

 

We’d like to send out a special thank you to Saul Isbister, Julie Bates and Scarlet Alliance. Without their work and allowing us to publish just a tiny piece of the massive amount they’ve done, we wouldn’t be the group we are both locally as NSW sex workers and as a wider national sex worker family.

 

 

 

 

 

Note: NAUWU makes every effort to ensure the quality of the information available on this website. Before relying on the information on this site, however, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. NAUWU cannot guarantee and assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information.

Disclaimer: Images used on this site have been used with the permission of all parties pictured. If you happen to find an image of yourself and do not wish for it to appear on http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com please let the webperson of this site know by contacting nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com  .

Contributions on  http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com  have been made by NSW Sex Workers and other concerned parties of NSW Sex Industry; site design and maintenance by nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com ; Copyright Nothing About Us Without Us  2009 – 2020

 

 

Below is an open letter sent to NSW Parliamentarians and Director Generals of Government Departments regarding a NSW Liberal Party proposal to introduce a licensing regime for brothels – a threat to the evidence based benefits of decriminalisation of the sex industry in NSW.

NAUWU and lobbyists are also concerned about the negative media hype the sex industry has been experiencing at the hands of special interest groups including members of the Adult Business Association (ABA), Chris Seage from Brothel Busters, various local councils and particular journalists who have alligned themselves with these special interest groups. We’ve been placing examples of the negative media on the NAUWU website which can be found in the NSW Media menu item.

At this time it is worth taking a moment to reflect how the Sex Services Premises Planning Guidelines (2004) perceived the role of the media in the portrayal of sex work – contrary to the recent racist and xenophobic portrayal of one sector of the sex industry, without evidence or giving a voice to those so vilified by such scurrilous claims from competitors with obvious self-interest:

 
6.6 Portrayal in the media
Media portrayal of sex workers can be very damaging to the sex industry and assist in perpetuating negative impressions of the industry within the wider community. Importantly, it can have implications for the health and safety of workers. Often the media use simplistic arguments and incorrect terminology when referring to sex services premises. For example, the term ‘illegal brothel’ is often used when it is simply unauthorised. At other times, sensationalist reporting such as occurred recently with premises in Bondi Junction, can be factually incorrect, further damaging the sex industry.
 
Terminology affects client perceptions of sex services. It may lead some clients of sex workers to believe incorrectly that sex work is illegal and that they may make demands of the worker, including to practice unsafe sex. When the debate about sex work escalates in the media, it can also affect the self-esteem of workers, who lament the lack of public acceptance of the industry, despite their efforts in regard to safe sex, protecting public health and not impacting on surrounding amenity. This situation may also lead to risk taking, such as the practice of unsafe sex.
 
6.6.1 Suggested solutions
In order to ensure fair and equitable media coverage, councils should:-
• develop an implementation and communication strategy for any new planning policy for sex services premises (as discussed above), and
• be proactive with the media, preparing information, obtaining statements of support from key government agencies to strengthen the approaches taken by individual councils and responding to negative and/or inaccurate media reporting to avoid continuing stigmatization of sex workers.

 

The letter was written by Saul Isbister and Julie Bates. NAUWU would like to thank them for giving us permission to place the letter on this site and for their relentless lobbying on behalf of sex workers, their clients and the NSW sex industry as a whole.

We’ve provided the letter in picture files as well as a downloadable pdf. Please feel free to download but credit Julie and Saul if you wish to republish or use the content in any way. Their details can be found at the bottom of the letter.

Open Letter to NSW Politicians and Director Generals of Government Departments_2 August 2011_Julie Bates & Saul Isbister_downloadable pdf     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Note: NAUWU makes every effort to ensure the quality of the information available on this website. Before relying on the information on this site, however, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. NAUWU cannot guarantee and assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information.

Disclaimer: Images used on this site have been used with the permission of all parties pictured. If you happen to find an image of yourself and do not wish for it to appear on http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com please let the webperson of this site know by contacting nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com  .

Contributions on  http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com  have been made by NSW Sex Workers and other concerned parties of NSW Sex Industry; site design and maintenance by nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com ; Copyright Nothing About Us Without Us  2009 – 2020

 

 

SlutWalk Sydney was held on June 13th 2011

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The organising and execution of SlutWalk Sydney was mostly driven by sex workers from the very start. Sex workers have an acute understanding of how victim blaming and slut shaming are both elements of the stigma and discrimination that we and the wider community face every day.

Aussie whores as always didn’t let anyone down and certainly weren’t afraid to jump on the opportunity to take to the streets and represent!

There was also a strong sex worker presence at SlutWalks in Adelaide; and in Melbourne sex workers marched through the streets with the Scarlet Alliance Banner and under red umbrellas.

Below is the speech that was written and delivered by Audry Autonomy and Elena Jeffreys at both the Melbourne & Sydney SlutWalks. Elena spoke in Melbourne and Audry in Sydney.

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Slutwalk Sydney Speech_Audry Autonomy and Elena Jeffreys_printable pdf

 

The reflection below was given to us by a sex worker describing her experience at SlutWalks Sydney.

I attended Sydney Slutwalk with my daughters 16 and 22. I felt so proud as I watched them join in the chants and really listen to the speakers, even though it was cold and drizzly. On the way home they told me they were pleased they had gone and how touched they were by the speeches.

Growing up, I was forced into uncomfortable situations, made some bad decisions and couldn’t talk about them because sex and sexuality were taboo subjects. By being open and sharing with my kids, they know they have choices and the right to make a noise if they don’t feel safe or don’t agree with societal norms.

I believe it was a great experience for them to be involved, to make a stand, to have a voice, to be part of something so important.

GF

 

Below is YouTube from SlutWalk Sydney

SlutWalk Sydney 2011

 

Here are some links to media coverage on the day

http://nothing-about-us-without-us.com/sydney-slutwalk-small-but-powerful-the-sydney-morning-herald-13-06-11/

http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/47921

http://www.tntmagazine.com/tnt-today/archive/2011/06/13/Slutwalk-London_2C00_-Sydney_2C00_-Mexico-City-_2D00_-pictures.aspx

 

and a link to our pages on NAUWU which cover SlutWalk Sydney 2011

http://nothing-about-us-without-us.com/tag/slutwalk-sydney/

 

NAUWU would like to say a special thanks to Audry Autonomy, Elena Jeffreys, Scarlet Alliance, GF and all the other amazing sex worker activists who helped with organising the event, making posters, doing marshalling on the day, speech writers and deliverers. We’d also love to say a special thank you to everyone who attended whether they attended as out and loud whores or as parents supporting their children to find their voice and become politicaly active and aware.

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Please note: We have no way of knowing if the people in the pictures above are sex workers or not. These pictures were taken at the event to represent SlutWalks. We in know way wish to infer that anyone pictured is or is not a sex worker.

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Note: NAUWU makes every effort to ensure the quality of the information available on this website. Before relying on the information on this site, however, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. NAUWU cannot guarantee and assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information.

Disclaimer: Images used on this site have been used with the permission of all parties pictured. If you happen to find an image of yourself and do not wish for it to appear on http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com please let the webperson of this site know by contacting nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com .

Contributions on  http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com have been made by NSW Sex Workers and other concerned parties of NSW Sex Industry; site design and maintenance by nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com ; Copyright Nothing About Us Without Us  2009 – 2020_

 

Sydney SlutWalk small but powerful

Vincent Morello
June 13, 2011
The Sydney Morning Herald
AAP

Sydney’s SlutWalk protest had a low turnout but the message was loud and clear: women’s dress is not an invitation for sexual assault.

A rainy Queen’s birthday long weekend seemed to deter the thousands who had thrown their support behind the Monday event on the SlutWalk Sydney Facebook page.

Most of the 200-odd people who gathered at Town Hall were rugged up for winter conditions.

Some women were scantily clad and many men in attendance were dressed in women’s clothes.

They carried signs with the slogans: “Proud and happy slut”, “Blame rapists not boobs” and one woman had written on her breasts: “Can’t touch these without consent”.

SlutWalk organiser Samadhi Arktoi gave a brief speech to the crowd before leading the protest through the CBD.

“We’re here today to declare that slut-shaming and victim-blaming have to stop,” Ms Arktoi said.

“We’re here because we know that whatever the circumstances, sexual assault is never the fault of the victim.”

The protesters marched to police headquarters, at Surry Hills, which caused traffic delays but received broad support from onlookers.

Three men drinking outside a pub told AAP: “We think it’s great”.

The protesters chanted a number of slogans including: “One, two, three, four, we won’t take the blame no more. Five, six, seven, eight, consensual sex is f***king great.”

One woman who had her young son with her said the protest was crucial to airing the issue.

“We need to make this public,” she told AAP.

The march ended at Harmony Park, next to police HQ, where a number of people gave speeches impassioned from their personal experiences of sexual assault.

Nina Funnell, a member of the NSW Premier’s Council in Preventing Violence Against Woman, said she was grabbed and sexually assaulted four years ago while walking down a street in her neighbourhood.

Days later she viewed a line-up of suspects.

“Two middle-aged male police officers standing behindme had a conversation about how young women these days don’t understand the trouble that they get themselves into,” Ms Funnell told the crowd.

Wife and mother Anni Piper told the crowd that legal proceedings recently concluded into allegations she was repeatedly sexually assaulted as an adolescent.

“During the course of the trial, I was questioned for an entire eight days,” Ms Piper told the crowd.

“The effect on me was profound and the alleged offender was found not guilty.”

SlutWalk events have been held in cities around the world and began in Canada in April after a male Toronto police officer said publicly that women should avoid dressing “like sluts” in order not to be victimised.

In May, thousands took to the streets during Melbourne’s SlutWalk.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/sydney-slutwalk-small-but-powerful-20110613-1g05w.html

 

 

NAUWU is proud and excited to be a part of SLUTWALK Sydney.

 

“SLUTWALK is a pro-queer, pro-kink, pro-sexwork, anti-victim blaming rally to raise the profile of the rights of sexual assault survivors not to be judged for what we wear, and the rights of all people to dress in any way without being a target for sexual assault.

Queer RT Choke, SlutWalk Collective Member”

Below is the flier and A4 Poster to promote the event. We’d love it if you could print them out and pass them around to people you know - email and word of mouth is just as good ;) 

This is not a sex worker only issue, this is everyone’s issue and it’s such an important issue!

People from Scarlet Alliance, NAUWU and loads of other sex worker supporters will be there so you’ll have people to march with. There’ll be lots of red umbrella’s and it would be cool if you could bring yours too ;)

SlutWalk Sydney 2011_Flier

SlutWalk Sydney 2011_poster A4

 

SlutWalks have happened and are happening all over the world. If you’d like more information on how and why SlutWalk’s started and where they’ve been held, check out the links below.

SlutWalk Toronto, where it all began. An explanation of why the first SlutWalk had to happen and the group who made it happen.

SlutWalk Toronto_YouTube

Slut Walk Hits Dallas Streets_article and video

Slut Walk comes to Texas_article and video

Slut Walk Chicago_interview with a SlutWalk organising activist

Slut Walk Boston_interview with a Slut Walk organiser and speaker at the event

Slut Walk Boston_article

SlutWalk in Australia_article and video

If you’d like any further information or need anything, please pop an email to nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com . WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT SLUTWALK SYDNEY!!

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Note: NAUWU makes every effort to ensure the quality of the information available on this website. Before relying on the information on this site, however, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. NAUWU cannot guarantee and assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information.

Disclaimer: Images used on this site have been used with the permission of all parties pictured. If you happen to find an image of yourself and do not wish for it to appear on http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com please let the webperson of this site know by contacting nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com  .

Contributions on  http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com  have been made by NSW Sex Workers and other concerned parties of NSW Sex Industry; site design and maintenance by nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com ; Copyright Nothing About Us Without Us  2009 – 2020

 

Help us be seen and heard

Your porn needs you!

Anti-porn speaker Gail Dines will be presenting at NSW Parliament House on the 24th May 2011 from 12noon – 1pm. Sex workers will be attending as well to give a clear message that sex workers are listening, do need to be consulted, do support each other and that sex work, porn and every other job in the adult sex industry is real work and needs to be treated as such.

It will be a golden opportunity to listen to the best sex worker peer activists doing there thing, as well as having the opportunity to give it a go yourself with people supporting you.

This event will also be the perfect lobbying opportunity and there will be strength in numbers, so you will be warmly welcomed ;)

This link is to Gail Dines website

This link is to the pro-Gail Dines Parliament House event

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If you can go or you’d like more information, send an email to nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com and we’ll fill you in on the details or you could give Scarlet Alliance a call on 02 9690 0551.

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We’re pro-adult industry are you?

Parliament House

24th May

12pm – 1pm

 

Wear your shiniest shoes or boots – Ms Dines favorite ;)  

 

 You can also check out what Ms Dines thinks of the Slutwalks on the media page here:

Slutwalk may damage women’s rights cause, professor says

NAUWU members are strong supporters of the slutwalks and will be attending the event. Stay tuned to our protest page for more information on SLUTWALKS!

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Note: NAUWU makes every effort to ensure the quality of the information available on this website. Before relying on the information on this site, however, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. NAUWU cannot guarantee and assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information.

Disclaimer: Images used on this site have been used with the permission of all parties pictured. If you happen to find an image of yourself and do not wish for it to appear on http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com please let the webperson of this site know by contacting nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com  .

Contributions on  http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com  have been made by NSW Sex Workers and other concerned parties of NSW Sex Industry; site design and maintenance by nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com ; Copyright Nothing About Us Without Us  2009 – 2011

 

Hi everyone,

SIN (which is the uber busy, motivated and very cool sex worker org in South Australia) is organising a rally calling  for the decriminalisation of sex work in South Australia. They would LOVE to have your support and see you there. The details of this VERY important event are below:

SA Protest June 2nd 2010 for Decriminalisation of Sex Industry in SA. Picture Courtesy of AdelaideNow http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/mp-moves-to-decriminalise-prostitution-in-south-australia/story-e6frea6u-1225874566324

When: Thursday June 2nd, 12pm – 2pm

Where: steps of Parliament House, Nth Terrace, Adelaide

South Australian sex work laws criminalising sex workers date back to the 1930′s. The laws are harmful to sex workers, discriminatory and out of date. Police regularly raid suspected brothels, arrest sex workers, use condoms and other safe sex info as evidence, harass and intimidate sex workers.

We are the last state in Australia to not revisit our sex industry laws and as a result sex workers are being forced to put police evasion techniques before safety strategies.

Join us as we call on the South Australian government to protect the health, rights and wellbeing of sex workers and demand dignity choice and law reform!!

For more information:

Face Book: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=182968671755783&sfrm#!/pages/SIN/108320842589921

Phone: (08) 8334 1666

Website: http://www.sin.org.au

 

The City of Sydney Council have put forward their draft Sydney Local Environmental Plan (SLEP) 2011 for public exhibition and public comment. 

It may be useful at this time to remind you what a Local Environmental Plan or LEP and Development Control Plan or DCP is so you understand the significance of the Sydney Local Environmental Plan and the need for submissions.

LEPs and DCPs are the principal planning documents which Councils use to administer and control development within their local government area (LGA). The Strategic Planning Department of a council (if they are a big enough to have one) is the Department that makes new planning controls such as LEPs and DCPs. In the case of the LEP which is law, must be signed off by the Minister for Planning before it becomes law. The DCP holds less weight in a legal sense and provides guidelines for specific locations, building design and different types of development, brothels or sex services premises (SSP) being one such development.

Basically LEPs and DCPs dictate issues like areas we can work in (industrial, commercial, residential zones etc), how many of us can work together, if we need to have Development Approval (DA) to be working from home or residential unit, educational requirements that may be a good thing for Council to introduce/support – things like that.

The following submission was made to City of Sydney Council  by Touching Base Inc and Urban Realists, Planning and Health Consultants in relation to the draft Sydney Local Environmental Plan in relation to the sex industry operating in the City of Sydney Council area.

Touching Base_UrbanRealists_Draft Sydney Local Environmental Plan (SLEP) Submission 04 04 11

We would like to encourage others to write submissions. If you’re interested in learning how to write a submission or would like to know how to comment on the SLEP, please send an email to nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to talk you through it and help put where needed.

 

NAUWU would like to thank Saul Isbister from Touching Base and Julie Bates from Urban Realists again for all their hard work on writing submissions. We feel very fortunate they allow us to place their work on the NAUWU website.

 

 

 

 

Note: NAUWU makes every effort to ensure the quality of the information available on this website. Before relying on the information on this site, however, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. NAUWU cannot guarantee and assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information.

Disclaimer: Images used on this site have been used with the permission of all parties pictured. If you happen to find an image of yourself and do not wish for it to appear on http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com please let the webperson of this site know by contacting nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com  .

Contributions on  http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com  have been made by NSW Sex Workers and other concerned parties of NSW Sex Industry; site design and maintenance by nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com ; Copyright Nothing About Us Without Us  2009 – 2011

 

Trans rally to storm Canberra!

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NAUWU is excited to let you know about what may be the biggest gathering of intersex, genderqueer and transgender people ever in Australia. It will also be our first ever Gender Diverse Rally!

They’d love you to join them on the lawn of Parliament House, Wednesday 11th May

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For more info: http://www.samesame.com.au/news/local/6579/Trans-rally-to-storm-Canberra.htm

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Note: NAUWU makes every effort to ensure the quality of the information available on this website. Before relying on the information on this site, however, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. NAUWU cannot guarantee and assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information.

Disclaimer: Images used on this site have been used with the permission of all parties pictured. If you happen to find an image of yourself and do not wish for it to appear on http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com please let the webperson of this site know by contacting nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com  .

Contributions on  http://www.nothing-about-us-without-us.com  have been made by NSW Sex Workers and other concerned parties of NSW Sex Industry; site design and maintenance by nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com ; Copyright Nothing About Us Without Us  2009 – 2011

© 2011 nothing-about-us-without-us.com Campaigning to address the emerging issues related to the NSW sex industry Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha