Victoria, Australia Parliament Passed the Sex Work Decriminalisation Bill 2021

Some good news from Australia! Victoria has become the fourth jurisdiction in the world to decriminalize sex work. On February 10, 2022, Victoria’s Parliament passed the Sex Work Decriminalisation Bill 2021. Once this bill becomes law, the previous licensing system for consensual sex work, and crimes associated with those systems, will be repealed.

It’s important to note that local counsels will now play a bigger role in regulating sex work, including decisions around applying for licenses. We’ll be keeping an eye on how Victoria applies these laws as an example of how decriminalization could work in the United States.

Congratulations to peer-led sex worker groups Vixen Collective and Scarlet Alliance for the activism that led to the passing of this bill!