Vixen is Victoria’s peer-only sex worker organisation, proudly run 100% by and for sex workers. Vixen promotes the cultural, legal, human, occupational, and civil rights of all sex workers, and has been leading the Victorian campaign for the full decriminalisation of sex work for many years.
Vixen is run entirely by and for sex workers. We are a 100% peer organisation and we consistently consult with the broader sex worker community.
Challenges for street-based sex workers:
Sex work was decriminilised in Victoria in 2022. However, Vixen does not consider Victoria to be fully decriminilised, as street-based sex workers continue to be subject to unjust and discriminatory laws. It’s no longer an offence to solicit or loiter with the intent to solicit in most public places in Victoria, but street-based sex workers still can’t legally work at or near places of worship, schools, children’s services and education and care services at specified times or at any time on certain prescribed days of the year. Police can fine or imprision a street-based sex worker if they are found to be working at or near a restricted place or during a restricted time.
Challenges for Asian migrant sex workers:
While stigma and discrimination affect all sex workers, Asian migrant sex workers in Victoria experience intersecting marginalisation from racism and stigma due to assumptions that conflate sex work (and particularly Asian migrant sex workers) with trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices.
These stereotypes are currently being perpetuated in the legislative/policy sphere in reviews of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) and Crimes Act 1990 (Cth), as well as by sensationalist and harmful media coverage. As well as excluding the voices of Asian migrant sex workers from issues that directly affect them, the prevalence of these myths in the public discourse generates harm for Asian migrant sex workers during interactions with health services, accommodation providers, financial services, police and other members of the community.
Vixen provides outreach, peer support, peer education and advocacy to sex workers in Victoria. We also undertake external stakeholder training, lobbying & advocacy, media, police liaison, HIV/STI advisory, as well as ongoing and active consultation with the sex worker community.