Brad’s story
Senator Kelly Vincent, from the political party Dignity for Disability, has publicly supported moves to fully decriminalise sex work in South Australia. As a local, Brad talks about attitudes towards the sexuality of people with disability and wants to see the laws around sex work changed.
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Brad from South Australia blows away a few myths
I’m a disabled man. The more disabled a person is, the harder it is for that person to access erotic touch. I admire and support your work.
I first visited a professional sex worker in Adelaide on holiday after about 10 years of sexual abstinence; I had grown fairly weary of soft porn and masturbation. I basically ached for the touch of a woman.
The brothel had a flashy, gaudy interior, lots of dark reds and velvets, lights and mirrors. The woman who served me was professional, business like and comforting, interesting, chatty, all at the same time. The private room was spotlessly clean, perhaps a bit overdone on the bordello style, but that appeals to some people.
I was asked to take a shower, which I did, I was asked to wear a condom, which I did. Sexual union took place and I really enjoyed it. There was of course no kissing, which I acknowledged as having a special place in intimate relationships.
I would not argue for a minute, that the services of a sex worker can replace a loving intimate partnership. It cannot. I married a few years later, in my early 40’s, for the first time.
However, anyone with a few grams of practicality and common sense can see that disabled people are not as freely able to access forms of erotic touch, as every other person. It is disturbing, heart rending, when it is stated that disabled people are not as readily chosen as sexual partners as those without disabilities and many people rush to deny this fact.
One of the basic problems is a lack of respect of the role of the sex worker. Many people base their prohibitions upon sex workers based on ancient texts, faith and not facts.
A sex worker deserves as much respect as an accountant for their role in society. A sex worker should be able to go to the police if they feel unsafe, threatened and not face any fear of recrimination. Remove the aspect of illegality from sex work and you remove a lot of the criminal types from the picture as well as a lot of the bullies.
Thank you for the work you do.
Yours faithfully.
Brad from Adelaide, South Australia