Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell says “it’s nobody’s business” if you do sex work alongside your main job.
But stigmas and difficulties still exist for those who work in the industry, especially if it is their side hustle.
Today on The Briefing, Georgie Purcell joins Bension Siebert to discuss these difficulties and how far we still have to go:
Victoria decriminalised sex work in 2022, so it is technically illegal in many circumstances for a boss to fire you for doing OnlyFans or any other kind of lawful work.
But the law is different in every state, and even when the law is on your side, the tribunal process to defend these rights is daunting.
“Sex work is a form of labour where we use our bodies, and nobody gets criticised when they use their body for labour in another way,” Purcell says.
Purcell, who secretly worked as a stripper during her law degree, says she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to become a lawyer when her job was exposed.
“It held me back for a really long time,” Purcell says.
“There’s been a big change recently, I think particularly with decriminalisation laws coming in across the country.”
Online sex work platforms like OnlyFans grew in popularity during the pandemic, further normalising the industry.
“There’s still this huge amount of shame surrounding it,” Purcell says. “Criticism and shaming most often comes from the people who consume it.”
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