On 16 September, RNZ published an article outlining the heavy discrimination sex work still faces in New Zealand, despite sex work being made legal in the Prostitution Reform Act 2003. The article contained stories from sex workers who have found it difficult to open bank accounts since sex work is labelled as a ‘high risk’ career, making financial applications hard. The article also recounts how the general stigma around being a sex worker affects day to day life. In the piece, Aotearoa New Zealand Sex Workers’ Collective notes that with everyone who visits them at the organisation has a story of discrimination.
On the Community Law website under the question: ‘Can banks and other businesses refuse to serve me because I’m a sex worker?’ it states “They probably can. It’s not illegal to discriminate against someone because of what they do for a job, so a bank could decide not to serve you because you do sex work, and that would not be illegal under the anti-discrimination laws. The courts have said though that a person’s sex work history is not relevant for some other things, like whether someone is a good parent, or whether an attacker could assume a sex worker was consenting to sex.”
Craccum spoke to several sex workers who are also university students on their experiences of discrimination. Rosie*, who studies at the University of Auckland, said “I think when you’re a sex worker as a student the discrimination takes its toll, because everyone [discriminates]. People in your uni cohort leave you out like you’re dirty. God forbid you tell half your family what you do, and then applying for any other form of job after doing sex work is a nightmare. Everyone looks at you like you’re the lowest person on the planet. I’m so over it.”
Naya*, who studies at AUT, said, “I find it unbelievably funny that the article mentions how bank workers discriminate against sex workers, because half the time it’s white-collar people who I’m working with. Sex work isn’t just for some grimy little men who ask you to do the most horrid things you’ve ever heard of. I’ve had clients I’ve really liked working with, sometimes we’ve built up their confidence together if they’ve come back and they were unsure the first time. It’s fun, you’re in a job that’s contributing to someone else’s happiness for once. I don’t see what’s so disgusting about that.”
Leanne*, former sex worker who attended Victoria University of Wellington, said, “Everyone has a different experience being a sex worker, and I met a lot of people who loved it. Personally, I had such a bad time, but that doesn’t mean everyone else has to give me a hard time too! I couldn’t even open a new bank account to put my tips in because my job wasn’t ‘stable enough’. At least let me pay my rent with the money I earned.”
For sex workers who may be struggling with discrimination or may feel they are unable to speak to anyone, the Aotearoa New Zealand Sex Workers’ Collective provides information on sex worker, sexual health, relevant laws, and rights. They also run community drop in centers that can be used for support in worker issues.
