Legal but Banned: Financial Discrimination Against Sex Workers

HV Public Presentation (hybrid meeting)

at Balwyn Library, OR to join in via Zoom, please register at

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkcuitqj4rGdHC-_ARYYr8hdBs3ZBfvOxx

Matthew Roberts, policy advisor, Sex Work Law Reform Victoria,
and Christine McQueen, sex worker.

Matthew will talk about the reasons why financial service providers continue to ban sex workers, including those who operate lawfully. He will examine the state and federal laws that permit financial discrimination, the state of law-reform efforts, and the impact this discrimination has on sex workers. Matthew will also cover Victoria’s recent momentous move to decriminalise sex work and the role the City of Boroondara played in hotly contested policy debates about the sex industry. He will be joined by sex worker Christine McQueen, who will speak about her experiences engaging with banks. Following their presentation there will be time for discussion and questions from participants.

Matthew Roberts has been actively involved in sex work policy reform since 2015. He was one of the founding members of Sex Work Law Reform Victoria, a sex workers’ rights organisation established in 2018, led by sex workers. He helped bring about the decriminalisation of sex work in Victoria, and advocates for sex workers experiencing financial discrimination. Since 2020, he has been investigating Australia’s banks and their widespread exclusion of the sex industry. Businesswoman Christine McQueen has over 20 years’ experience in sex work and pornography.