Councillor Michael McDermott’s comments that 9 brothels, a sex shop, and a gay swingers club in Rydalmere should be re-zoned and ‘force[d] out’ illustrate the ongoing prejudice, discrimination and stigma towards sex workers, erotic performers and people working in varied capacities in the sex industry. ‘Sex workers and erotic performers experience discrimination in areas of advertising, restrictions on movement, relations with police, health restrictions, working regulations, seeking other employment, education, entry into clubs and hotels, goods and services, and housing and accommodation,’ says Ms Stardust.

The councillors’ assertions that Rydalmere should be ‘transformed from a red light district to a technology park’ fail to recognise that sex plays a significant part in people’s lives, in areas of health, censorship, equality and workplace relations as well as pleasure and procreation. ‘As a party to the Convention concerning Discrimination in respect of Employment and Occupation, Australia is in desperate need of more comprehensive federal anti-discrimination laws consistent with recommendations from the Australian Human Rights Commission’ Ms Stardust said. The Australian Human Rights Commission submissions to the National Human Rights Consultation in 2009 state that the failure of federal anti-discrimination laws to protect against discrimination on the basis of occupation 'sends a poor message to the Australian community'. This year the UN Human Rights Committee stated that it was ‘concerned that the rights to equality and non-discrimination are not comprehensively protected in Australia in federal law’.

Ms Stardust, Sex Party candidate for the recent Bradfield by election who performs regularly at the alcohol-free swingers club, says, ‘Aarows is one of my favourite venues to perform at because of the incredibly diverse, respectful and celebratory audience.’ The only swingers club in Sydney to cater specifically to gay, lesbian, transgender, intersex and queer patrons, she claims the re-zoning proposal would contribute to homophobic attitudes that exclude non-heteronormative sexual identities and preferences.

Ms Stardust emphasised that the ‘undesirables’ Cr McDermott condemned were the same ‘residents, decent family people’ he praised. His comments that Rydalmere be a ‘smart, rather than smutty’ town fail to acknowledge that the patrons and employees at these venues are small business people and family members with a range of degrees and academic qualifications. The brothels, sex shop and swingers club in Rydalmere all cater to rate-paying, voting citizens in that district whom the council is supposed to represent. ‘People working in the sex industry are mothers, fathers, lovers, students, lawyers and doctors, who all deserve protection from discrimination,’ she said. ‘Sex work is a healing, caring, therapeutic profession, and these venues provide safe spaces in which people can connect on a number of inter-personal levels.’

The article was largely misinformed on a number of issues, said Ms Stardust. Aarows’ development application clearly instructs them to provide safe sex information as per ACON’s code of practice and the club has been inspected by Parramatta Council biannually since 2004. Aarows have proficient security and CCTV surveillance in addition to a friendly relationship with local police, who have complimented them on their ‘trouble free’ operations. Aarows provides a clean, discreet safe and award winning venue for shy and open-minded people to experiment and enjoy legal, pleasurable activities.

Claims that the council was ‘shocked’ to hear that people were having gay sex were ‘outrageously out of step with the relaxed attitude that majority of Australians have towards sex’, said Ms Stardust, ‘and reiterate the need for law reform on a variety of sex and gender issues.