Vixen Collective is Victoria’s peer-only sex worker organisation. We are a volunteer organisation made up entirely of current and former Victorian sex workers. Third parties, families, partners and friends of sex workers are not involved in the organisation.
Vixen Collective is run entirely by and for sex workers. We are a 100% peer organisation and we regularly consult with the broader sex worker community.
In Victoria we have a licensing system, meaning all workers must either work in a licensed establishment or have their own individual licenses to work privately. The costs and conditions of these license are onerous and prohibitive, creating a two-tiered sex industry where many sex workers are unable to comply with licensing requirements. The licensing system is inherently discriminatory and presents a major risk to sex worker rights, health and well being. As well as the onerous licensing requirements, sex workers are required to undergo mandatory STI & BBV screening every 3 months and present medical certificates to employers. This is a breach of human rights, is unnecessary, stigmatising and means that sex workers are often required to ‘out’ themselves to healthcare workers in order to get certificates. Working with HIV or an STI is a criminal offence. These laws are counter productive, highly stigmatising and discriminatory.
Vixen Collective provides peer support, peer education, external stakeholder training, lobbying & advocacy, media, police liaison, HIV/STI advisory, as well as ongoing and active consultation with the sex worker community.