Sex Work: A legal and social history
El Alamein Fountain
64-68 Macleay St, Elizabeth Bay NSW 2011, Australia
New South Wales
-33.8728689
151.2250535
Red lights, late nights and neon silhouettes are the stereotypes that have long been synonymous with the sex industry, Kings Cross and Darlinghurst, and this fascinating walking tour is an invitation to see the area and profession in a new light.
Led by writer, performer and Kings Cross local Vashti Hughes and the Inner City Legal Centre’s Managing Solicitor Katie Green, you will be immersed in the sights, history and contemporary challenges of sex work in Australia’s most famous redlight district. From the AIDS crisis, criminalisation, decriminalisation and the lockout laws, to the COVID-19 pandemic, see these events afresh from the perspective of the area’s resilient and innovative sex workers.
Part historic walking tour, part open dialogue, taking a ramble across this famous slice of Sydney will add nuance and a human face to your understanding of sex work in Australia. With stops at iconic and lesser-known spots, Vashti and Katie will guide you through the streets and the complex and evolving legal and social history of the area.
You will also meet sex industry workers, lawyers and local community services members, with a few surprise appearances from local characters and performances along the way. It’s time to discover the rich and human history of this often maligned and misunderstood part of our city.