Disability and Sexuality Forum 2010 - Christian Vega

Sex Workers and People with a Disability: A symbiosis towards humanity By Christian Vega

Presentation Overview
Who Is RhED?
Overview of the Victorian Sex Industry
Capacities and Limitations
Types of sex work: pros and cons
Strategies and approaches towards better access
Human Rights
Working with Special Needs Clients: Christian’s perspective
Question Time and concluding comments

RhED in the sex industry is:
a statewide program
for sex workers and their clients, family & community
brothel, private, escort - legal
street sex workers
male, female & transgender workers
outreach based with a drop in component
focused on health, wellbeing and advocacy for sex workers

Services available through RhED:
Education – STIs and BBVs
Distribution of safe sex supplies
Information and Referral Service for the Sex Industry
Community Safety Initiatives- Ugly Mug reports
RED magazine
Development & distribution of educational resources to raise awareness around relevant legal issues
Translated educational materials (CALD)

Overview of the Victorian Sex Industry
Victoria’s Sex Industry is regulated by the Prostitution Control Act. There are 3 legal modes of sex work:
Brothels
Escort Agencies
Private Workers
Each mode presents it on set of advantages and disadvantages for disabled clients

Capacities and Limitations: A Sex Worker Can’t Do Everything
Sex workers provide sexual services
Some sex workers may not be prepared to see clients with a disability
Sex workers aren’t girlfriends/boyfriends
A Sex worker’s work is finished at the end of the booking

Capacities and Limitations: Sex Work Is About Love Too It’s OK to Pay By Chanelle Sometimes sex work is about being gentle with someone’s need for touch. Sometimes it’s about being kind towards a man who’s ashamed of their body. Sometimes it’s about being friendly and fun with someone who’s lonely. Sometimes it’s about holding someone’s vulnerability very lightly in your hands. Sometimes it’s about making someone feel desired and appreciated. Sometimes it’s about sharing intimacy cirgarettes and a laugh. Sex work is a lot of things… … and sometimes it’s about love.

Access Options
The Pros
And
The Cons

Going to a Brothel
Pros:
Provides a venue for the service to take place
Can be the less expensive option
Offers a selection of service providers, some more comfortable with working with disabled clients
An opportunity for a special outing
Cons:
More challenging for low mobility clients
More demanding on the carer
Limited ability to negotiate services that will be provided
Time must be taken in bed transfers, undressing, showering, etc.

Calling an Escort Agency
Pros:
Allows client to remain in an environment they are comfortable in and familiar with
More opportunity to explain the needs of the client and prepare the worker
Time can be saved through preparation
Cons:
Can be more expensive
Must make the venue sex worker accessible
Less scope to negotiate services

Seeing Private Workers
Pros:
Competitively priced
More ability to build an ongoing, progressive service relationship
Greater range of skills and services and a wider scope to negotiate these
Greater Privacy
Cons:
More leg work to find one that would be appropriate
Can be less reliable
What happens when the sex worker retires?

Street-based and Other Unregulated Sex Work
Pros:
Most likely to be cheaper
Can be a quick, low fuss transaction to organise
Is more anonymous
Cons:
It is illegal
There are barriers to protection/contingencies should something go wrong
Too many opportunities for exploitation

Strategies Towards Better Access
Plan, plan, plan: -to the minute of how the booking will go -what to do should something go wrong -the role of the carer
Ask heaps of questions and establish clear expectations
Give the worker/agent as much information as possible
Include sex as part of the person’s lifestyle management plan
Call RhED for a Referral

Human Rights
Australia has an established Sex Worker Rights movement
Sex Workers see the Disability Rights Movement as an equal, allied movement
The right to sex work and the right to access sex workers are human rights
Both Sex Workers and People with Disabilities are self-determining, strong individuals who do not necessarily need anyone speaking on their behalf

Sex Workers Working With People With A Disability “ My shock was that… [sex workers] could be people with such compassion. Yes, the [sex workers] were in it for the money. But they also chose this work and made the choice of working with clients with a disability because that all people crave affection and intimate contact. They also understand the limitations, the dangers and the risks involved in a client/sex worker relationship.”

Working with Special Needs Clients: Christian’s Experience

Key Websites
Touching Base: www.touchingbase.org.au
RhED: www.sexworker.org.au
Scarlet Alliance: www.scarletalliance.org.au

Question Time Christian Vega Health Educator and Support Worker for Male and Transgender Sex Workers RhED Program 10 Inkerman St. St. Kilda, 3182 T: 1800 458 752 E: [email_address] F: 9534 4492 W: www.sexworker.org.au

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Disability and Sexuality Forum 2010 - Christian Vega

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Disability and Sexuality Forum 2010 - Christian Vega — Presentation Transcript