My Body, My Business: New Zealand Sex Workers in an Era of Change by Caren Wilton (review)

The last time I was in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, I was intrigued by the "walk" symbol on pedestrian traffic lights. It was the silhouette of a drag queen, strutting proudly in miniskirt and high heels. I thought this was cool but did not understand the significance until I read this book. At the turn of the twentieth century, New Zealand was known for its pioneering social legislation. A century on, New Zealand continues to engage in bold social experimentation, including legislative reforms that have had an important impact on attitudes toward the sex industry and other controversial aspects of sexuality. This collection of interviews with sex workers looks at the impact of these reforms on the individuals themselves, on their personal lives and relationships, and on their working lives.

Prior to 2003, while selling sex was not actually illegal, it was almost impossible to operate as a sex worker without breaking the law. The Crimes Act of 1961 made it an offense to keep a brothel, live off the earnings of prostitution, or procure sexual services for another person. The Massage Parlors Act regulated massage parlors, and under the Summary Offices Act of 1981, it was illegal to offer sex for money in a public place. Notably, clients were not affected by any of these laws. The laws were enforced by special vice squads, which often used undercover police to entrap workers. By 1987 the New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective (NZPC) had emerged to provide support for and advocate on behalf of sex workers. Working with other organizations inside and outside the government throughout the 1990s, the NZPC built a broad base of support for decriminalization, which culminated in the Prostitution Reform Act of 2003. New Zealand thus became the first country in the world to decriminalize sex work.

The 2003 act repealed the laws that criminalized soliciting, brothel keeping, and living off the earnings of prostitution. Its stated aims included safeguarding the human rights of sex workers, protecting them from exploitation, promoting their welfare and occupational health and safety, and supporting public health. The act made it an offense to pay for sex from someone below the age of eighteen or to force someone to provide sexual services. Sex workers and clients were required to practice safe sex, and business owners were to "take all reasonable steps" to ensure safe sexual practices. Groups of up to four sex workers were able to work together as "small owner-operated brothels" without being registered. Nonresidents of New Zealand were not permitted to work in the industry. The New Zealand sex industry operated under the same health and safety regulations as any other industry, though health and safety guidelines specific to the industry were also developed in consultation with the NZPC and with the Australian sex worker organization Scarlet Alliance.

My Body, My Business explores the impact of these changes through the stories of eleven sex workers and former sex workers. The interviewees represent a range of ages, genders (including four transgender workers), ethnicities, and working experiences. We meet some famous people, like Catherine Healy, national coordinator of the New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective, recognized as Dame in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 2018 for services to the rights of sex workers, along with lesser-known individuals who worked in a variety of contexts, from visiting cargo ships to street work, cafés, bars, and parlors. The services they provided cover the full range, from "straight" vaginal penetration to domination. Together, these stories provide a powerful narrative in support of the decriminalization of prostitution. What stands out most is the impact that decriminalization had on removing the fear of arrest that workers felt. This in itself was empowering, as it gave workers more control in their negotiations with clients over matters such as condom use and sexual...