SCARLET ROAD on SBS TV 10pm Friday 2nd December 2011

Nov 232011

SCARLET ROAD is screening on SBS TV 10pm Friday 2nd December 2011

Scarlet Road follows the extraordinary work of Australian sex worker, Rachel Wotton. Impassioned about freedom of sexual expression and the rights of sex workers, she specializes in a long over-looked clientele – people with disability.

NOMINATED FOR EXCELLENCE IN DOCUMENTARY

Scarlet Road is a finalist in the 2011 Walkley Documentary Award
(awards will be announced 27th November)

Director/Co-producer – Catherine Scott Producer – Pat Fiske Editor – Andrea Lang ASE

“An astonishing and illuminating insight into a part of society that is often hidden. Through the character of Rachel we are taken on a journey about sexuality and disability that is surprising, funny, moving, informative and confronting. The filmmaker takes us into areas of human intimacy with fearlessness, compassion and sensitivity.” – from the Walkley Award judge’s comments – http://www.walkleys.com/news/3574/

To see trailer go to: http://www.scarletroad.com.au/trailer/

Please send this on to all your friends, family and work colleagues!

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

Trafficking in Australia;
“Vigilante approach is wrong,
Prevention is key.”
say Sex Workers
*taken from Scarlet Alliance Media Release 11th October 2011

Sensationalist media
Over the last week Australian media has been flooded by sensationalised reports regarding the issues of trafficking and regulation in the Australian sex industry, but more specifically in Melbourne and NSW. In the 5 day period from the 8th October up until today the 13th October 2011 these media articles have included:

http://nothing-about-us-without-us.com/why-did-abraham-papo-die-the-sydney-morning-herald-08-10-11/

http://nothing-about-us-without-us.com/terrible-price-of-a-trade-in-misery-the-sydney-morning-herald-08-10-11/

http://nothing-about-us-without-us.com/human-trafficking-prompts-raids-on-brothels-the-sydney-morning-herald-08-10-11/

http://nothing-about-us-without-us.com/legal-brothels-linked-to-international-sex-trafficking-rings-the-sydney-morning-herald-10-10-11/

http://nothing-about-us-without-us.com/licensing-law-to-tighten-screws-on-brothel-chiefs-the-sydey-morning-herald-11-10-11/

http://nothing-about-us-without-us.com/never-a-game-the-sydney-morning-herald-11-10-11/

http://nothing-about-us-without-us.com/brothel-firebombing-linked-to-turf-war-the-sydney-morning-herald-11-10-11/

and of course the Four Corners program which can be found at this link:

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2011/10/06/3333668.htm

The above articles were cross published in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Brisbane Times, WAToday and on the ABC website.

The articles and Four Corners program included the sensationalist terms:
“hundreds of legal brothels…..thousands of women ….. brutal industry….lives in danger… sex slavery….. sexual servitude”

_
FLESH TRADE: Four Corners teaser and cross promotion of media
Along with the articles listed above, each appeared with what the newspapers named “FLESH TRADE: Four Corners teaser”. This “FLESH TRADE teaser” was a video that included hidden camera footage of workers in brothels being filmed without their knowledge or consent; a “journalist” driving around in his car stopping out the front of licensed brothels in VIC and brothels in NSW who have DA consent to operate, pointing out that they were brothels and would more than likely have illegal workers in them working in sexual servitude; commentary on how the next Four Corners program would blow the lid off the Flesh Trade in Australia and expose sexual servitude, sex slavery, trafficking, contract workers and that they were run by gangs, murderers and other criminals in huge numbers and how this behaviour is the norm in the Australian sex industry.

Examples of these Flesh Trade Teasers can be found here:

http://media.theage.com.au/news/national-news/flesh-trade–four-corners-teaser-2676045.html

http://www.smh.com.au/national/the-flesh-trade

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/legal-brothels-linked-to-international-sex-trafficking-rings-20111009-1lfxs.html

The Age newspaper and The Sydney Morning Herald were in partnership with Four Corners and running a cross promotion where all three media were able to promote each other and benefit by sensationalising the same issue. By doing this not only is this promotion and awareness achieved, but the issue can be seen by the public to gain more credibility and the ability to sensationalise an issue and make it larger than life is multiplied three fold.

NOTE: In the 2 months leading up to this media coverage, Scarlet Alliance did over the phone interviews with the journalists involved with producing theses articles for Fairfax media (SMH, The Australian) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (for the Four Corners program). However, Four Corners chose not to interview Scarlet Alliance, it’s members, NAUWU, or anyone from the asian sex worker organisations for this particular edition of the show. The Farifax media journalists chose not to use any of Scarlet Alliance’s material in their written coverage.

The response
The sex working community was appalled. People responded by writing blogs, commenting on the articles as they were published by each media group, discussing the issues on forums, Twitter campaigns, directly contacting the media groups who published and aired the material, press releases were put out by sex worker organisations, website campaigns were launched and complaints made to the Press Council. Please see below for examples.

Media releases:
Scarlet Alliance media release in response_ Trafficking in Australia; “Vigilante approach is wrong, prevention is key” say sex workers_11th October 2011

SWOP media release_Brothel Licencing and Illegal Safe Sex_October 2011

The Australian Sex Party Media Release_Sex Slavery Caused by Failure of Moral Policy

Sex worker comments:
“4 corners… use to be a childhood memory of ‘good journalism’.. now a stain in my consciousness… sad but true…”
R********

“…Now is the time to come together as a community. 4 Corners should have outraged us with the appalling one sided representation not given people permission to judge. 4 Corners should bring us together as a powerful lobbying community. You should be outraged!”
Dora Explorha

“…the show could have been on Today Tonight instead of Four Corner’s”
QueerRTchoke

“…did anyone pick up on the fact they actually took hidden cameras into the line ups, rooms etc and video’d woman without their knowledge or permission?! And they preach how evil it is these very woman they were videoing are being taken advantage of, used and abused for other people’s gain and given no choice. Disgusting hypocrits.”
IGP

“One of the main points about all these articles an even the program itself is that they are high on speculation and very low on fact. The unsafe sex in Sydney brothels article is a prime example where their only evidence is that say so of one brothel owner that other brothels in her area (not her own) may practise un safe sex.

I would add the results of the LASH project – we have the evidence that voluntary STI checks undertaken in consultation with individual’s medical practitioner as to how often, if at all, an individual sex worker ought to submit to a sexual health screen is best practice and works. According to the LASH project, NSW has best outcomes in terms of sexual health and access by representative bodies such as SWOP. Until the LASH Report to NSW Government is in the public domain, one of the papers produced from the study ‘Improving the health of sex workers in NSW: maintaining success’ says it all. Abstract from published paper Vol. 21(3-4)2010 NSW Public Health Bulletin Donovan et al

“NSW has a diverse sex industry that is limited in its size by modest demand. There is no evidence that decriminalisation in 1995 increased the frequency of commercial sex in NSW. Though the largest sector, female brothels, is now mainly staffed by Asian women, condom use for vaginal and anal sex exceeds 99% and sexually transmissible infection rates are at a historic low. These gains are attributable to the long-term support of the NSW Department of Health in collaboration with the community-based Sex Workers Outreach Project and sexual health services, facilitated by the removal of criminal sanctions without the expense and access barriers of licensing systems”
Julie

Websites:
http://www.sexparty.org.au/index.php/news/media-releases/1229-sex-workers-say-anti-trafficking-crusaders-are-not-our-friends

http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/slavery-in-australia-goes-beyond-the-sex-trade/

http://www.sexparty.org.au/index.php/news/media-releases/1218-no-one-is-listening-to-us-sex-workers

NGO Delegation to the UNAIDS PCB_Trafficking truth and lies_it’s time to decriminalise

Sex worker blogs:
http://becauseimawhore.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/stop-the-traffic-the-car-crash-you-cant-look-away-from/

http://ryrysparkleby.tumblr.com/post/11267692856/sex-trafficking-rant

http://ashaaaa.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/migrant-exploitation-and-labour-trafficking-is-not-exclusive-to-the-sex-industry/

Meetings attended and representation given:
Sex Party NSW_Migrant Sex Workers Myth and Misconception

http://www.sexparty.org.au/index.php/videos/1245-sex-workers-andrew-patterson-

http://www.sexparty.org.au/index.php/videos/1244-sex-slavery-elena-jeffreys-fiona-patten

Radio:
ABC Radio Australia_Australian sex worker group opposes moves to police industry

Government Organisations:
PLA In Touch Newsletter_Issue 64_December 2011

Where to now and what can you do?
NAUWU is taking further action to hold Fairfax Media and The Australian Broadcasting Corporation accountable for their inaccurate and biased media coverage. Since this page was first published, there has also been media from different sources including Channel 10 and print media that NAUWU is concerned about. We will continue to lobby, advocate, and educate on the issues of trafficking and sex work and the need for Australian media to represent the issues in a fair and accurate manner. We will continue to work with sex workers including sex worker peer based organisations to address these issues.

If you’d like to help, we’d love it if you could…
- Get onto internet forums and give your feedback to the media articles
- Share the above media release
- Contact the media outlets whose reporting is most biased and sensationalist
- Tell us your opinion!- place a comment after this article
- talk about the issues on Twitter and Tweet this page
- send us an email to nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com
- join NAUWU by sending us an email
- write a blog discussing the issues
- talk with other sex workers

We will keep you informed of any updates and with further information!

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 .

Scarlet Road nominated for Walkley Award 2011

Australian Media, Media, NAUWU, NAUWU and our Peers No Responses » Tagged with: Australian Media, disability, Media, NAUWU Peers, Rachel Wotton, Saul Isbister, Scarlet Road, Touching Base

Oct 102011

Scarlet Road Documentary Trailer

The sex workers of Australia including members of NAUWU would like to congratulate everyone who participated in the creation of the documentarty Scarlet Road, which has now been nominated in the 2011 Walkley Awards!

This is what the Walkley Foundation has published on its site and comments made by the judges:

Scarlet Road by Catherine Scott and Pat Fiske

This documentary follows the life of a sex worker, Rachel, who works with clients who have a disability. The producers say they wanted to create a documentary that tackled stereotypes head on.

Comments: The judges have described Scarlet Road as an astonishing and illuminating insight into a part of society that is often hidden. Through the character of Rachel we are taken on a journey about sexuality and disability that is surprising, funny, moving, informative and confronting. The filmmaker takes us into areas of human intimacy with fearlessness, compassion and sensitivity.

http://www.walkleys.com/news/3574

We’ll let you know when they win in November!

Sex worker speaks on taboo subject Inner West Courier 29.10.11

Australian Media, Media, NAUWU, NAUWU and our Peers, NSW Media No Responses » Tagged with: Australian Media, disability, Media, NAUWU Peers, Rachel Wotton, Saul Isbister, Scarlet Road, Touching Base

Oct 102011

Sex worker speaks on taboo subject

29 Sep 2011
PENELOPE BRADLEY
Inner West Courier

Rachel Wotton with a client featured in an upcoming SBS documentary.

Sex worker Rachel Wotton

SEX worker, activist, loving girlfriend and school dux; a unique documentary about the life of Newtown sex worker Rachel Wotton is sure to debunk a few stigmas.

Due to be screened on SBS later this year, the film documents the work of Touching Base, an organisation based in Sydney’s inner west which connects sex workers with people with a disability.

Ms Wotton, a sex worker of 17 years, speaks with candour about her work during the film, which is a finalist at this year’s Sydney Film Festival for the Foxtel Australian Documentary Prize.

Independent director Catherine Scott, who met Ms Wotton a decade ago through mutual friends, shot the documentary over three years.

The film captures poignant footage of Ms Wotton and client Mark Manitta, who lives with cerebral palsy and whose 46th birthday wish was to have a woman stay overnight.

“People with disabilities deal with touch all the time, being washed and dressed and bathed,” she said.

“But they crave a different type of touch; they crave tenderness and I believe that people with disabilities have a right to express themselves sexually just the same as anyone else in society,” Ms Wotton said.

The Newtown resident, who has a background in psychology and is completing a masters degree in sexual health, is a co-founder of Touching Base and said its set-up in 2000 was only made possible by decriminalisation in NSW.

Ms Wotton said she wouldn’t have consented to filming the documentary if she lived within the Marrickville local government area of Newtown, which restricts sex workers from operating from home without a development application.

“The City of Sydney council has an inclusive sex industry policy which allows me to work safely and discreetly from home.”

Ms Wotton said she was not affected by mainstream disapproval of her cause. “People have sex all the time … it happens every day behind closed doors.”

“(My work) is no different; all we are doing is negotiating how long that interaction goes for.

“We can negotiate what we will and will not do, and it’s an interaction between two mutually consenting adults,” she said.

http://inner-west-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/sex-worker-speaks-on-taboo-subject/

Media Campaign: Underbelly: Razor’s myth hides the ugly truth The Sunday Telegraph 28.08.11

Australian Media, Campaigns, NAUWU, NSW Media, NSW Media Campaigns 2 Responses » Tagged with: Australian Media, campaigns, Legal, Media, media campaigns, NSW

Aug 292011

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

_
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

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” .
_

“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?”

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/

Special screening of Scarlet Road 17th September in Sydney

Australian Media, Media, NAUWU, NAUWU and our Peers, NSW Media 1 Response » Tagged with: Australian Media, disability, Media, NAUWU Peers, Rachel Wotton, Saul Isbister, Scarlet Road, Touching Base

Aug 172011

Hi everyone,

We’ve just received a very cool invite from Scarlet Road letting us know there will be a screening of the film in NSW, so if you’re curious or would like to go please read on. There is a pdf printable invite you can find under the following text if you’d like to send it to friends. We’ll also place the links that appear on the invitation as well as links to other pages we’ve included on the site of Scarlet Road to refresh your memory or refer friends to.

NAUWU is VERY proud to be friends with the cast and crew of Scarlet Road and look forward to attending this awesome event.

_
Dear Friends,
We are inviting you to join members of the cast and crew for a special screening of Scarlet Road in Sydney, NSW.

Tickets are being made available on a first-in first-served basis. The premier screening of Scarlet Road sold out within 24 hours at the 2011 Sydney Film Festival, so we recommend you book your tickets quickly to avoid disappointment. Full details are available in the flyer attached to this message.

If you discover this special screening has already been sold out – we invite you to send an email to info@touchingbase.org and ask to be put on a waiting list for the next available screening.

Hope to see you soon,

From the Cast & Crew of Scarlet Road

_
Official invite to Scarlet Road screening Sydney September 17th 2011 including printable pdf:
Invite to Scarlet Road screening 17th September 2011_printable pdf

Links that appear in invitation above include:

http://www.scarletroad.com.au/ to view the trailer of Scarlet Road

http://www.scarletroad.com.au/news-reviews/ for media and reviews

http://www.touchingbase.org/news.php to find out more about Scarlet Road and the screening

http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=13491 if you’d like to buy a ticket immediately, you can buy tickets directly through this link.

Links to information on NAUWU about Scarlet Road
Sex and the disability – touching tale hits festival’s silver screen Sydney Morning Herald 11.05.11

Scarlet Road at the Sydney Film Festival

Sex Worker Disability Activists Media Interviews

Open Letter Sent to NSW Politicians and Director Generals of Government Departments 2nd August 2011

Campaigns, NAUWU, NSW Government Campaigns No Responses » Tagged with: Australian Laws, campaigns, Julie Bates, Law Reform, Legal, Licensing, Regulation, Saul Isbister

Aug 082011

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

Sex Worker Disability Activists Media Interviews

Australian Media, NAUWU, NAUWU and our Peers, NSW Media No Responses » Tagged with: Australian Media, disability, Media, NAUWU Peers, Rachel Wotton, Saul Isbister, Scarlet Road, Touching Base

Aug 082011

Two sex worker activists were approached and interviewed by The Wire after the media article Disabled Patients Visit Prostitutes for Therapy appeared on ninemsn.

The interview was done by Saul from Touching Base and Rachel Wotton who appeared in the documentary Scarlet Road which was recently seen at the Sydney Film Festival.

Please hit on the link below to hear the full interview

The Wire – interview with sex worker activists talking about the rights of people with a disability to have an active and fulfilling sex life and the role sex workers play in facilitating this.

NAUWU would like to acknowledge the fantastic work Rachel, Saul, Touching Base, people with a disability, their families, carers and supporters do in relation to advocating for the rights of people with a disability. We’d also like to thank them for being such articulate and passionate sex workers who all members of NAUWU are proud to be associated with.

Sex Worker ONLY Advocacy Clinics June – August 2011

NAUWU, NAUWU and our Peers No Responses » Tagged with: Council, Law Reform, NAUWU, NAUWU Peers, Nothing About Us Without Us, NSW, Regulation

Jun 222011

The next round of sex worker advocacy clinics are about to begin!

DON’T MISS OUT

The advocacy clinics are sex worker only workshops to support sex workers putting pen to paper to local politicians. The clinics will run in Sydney on:

Tuesday 28th June 4pm – 7pm
Tuesday 5th July 4pm – 7pm
Tuesday 26th July 4pm – 7pm
Tuesday 2nd August 4pm – 7pm

If you’re a sex worker and would like to attend, please email us at nothingaboutuswithoutus@gmail.com and we’ll be excited to give you more information about the clinics including where they’ll be held.

SlutWalk Sydney 2011_NAUWU and other Proud Whores Represent!

NAUWU, NAUWU and our Peers, Protests, Scarlet Alliance, Sex Work Across Australia No Responses » Tagged with: Audry Autonomy, Elena Jeffreys, NAUWU, NAUWU Peers, Nothing About Us Without Us, NSW, Protest, Scarlet Alliance, SlutWalk Sydney

Jun 222011

SlutWalk Sydney was held on June 13th 2011

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.

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.

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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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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DON’T MISS OUT

Tuesday 28th June 4pm – 7pm
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SlutWalk Sydney 2011_NAUWU and other Proud Whores Represent!

SlutWalk Sydney was held on June 13th 2011

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SCARLET ROAD is screening on SBS TV 10pm Friday 2nd December 2011

We’ll let you know when they win in November!

Sex worker speaks on taboo subject

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

Underbelly: Razor’s myth hides the ugly truth

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” . _

The next round of sex worker advocacy clinics are about to begin!

DON’T MISS OUT

Tuesday 28th June 4pm – 7pm Tuesday 5th July 4pm – 7pm Tuesday 26th July 4pm – 7pm Tuesday 2nd August 4pm – 7pm

SlutWalk Sydney was held on June 13th 2011

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Our Tweets

Admin

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” .
_

Tuesday 28th June 4pm – 7pm
Tuesday 5th July 4pm – 7pm
Tuesday 26th July 4pm – 7pm
Tuesday 2nd August 4pm – 7pm