June the 2^nd marked international whores day, the birth of the sex worker rights movement. This year the ‘South Australian Sex Industry Network’ (SIN) and a newly formed lobby group ‘Sex Workers Gaining Empowerment, Rights and Recognition’ (SWAGGERR) joined with the Working Womens Centre of SA, Scarlet Alliance, and the AIDs Council of South Australia to call for the decriminalisation of sex work in South Australia.

A rally was held on the steps of parliament house with more than 50 sex workers and their supporters in attendance.

The Hon Gail Gago, the Minister of the status of women spoke at the rally in support of the cause and Hon Steph Key member for Ashford announced she was planning on drafting a bill for the decriminalisation of sex work.

“Sex workers and our workplaces are still criminalised in South Australia, and we are the only state in Australia to have had no law reform on this for more than 55 years. We commend Steph Key and other supportive politicians and look forward to working closely with them to ensure any new legislation is going to promote the health safety and wellbeing of South Australian sex workers. Its time for this discussion to be removed form moral hysteria and placed clearly within a workers safety and rights framework “ said Ari Reid, Manager of SIN.

There is currently a petition calling for the decriminalisation of sex workers in South Australia and interested people are encouraged to contact SIN to see how they can support this important human rights issue.