Julie Bates

Julie Bates discusses a working life committed to social change and justice, in particular the rights of sex workers and injecting drug users.
She speaks about becoming involved in the lives of sex workers and drug addicts while working in a Melbourne criminal law practice in 1972 and the first hand impacts of the discrimination and other injustices as a young mother working as a sex worker in Sydney in the 1980s.
Reflecting on co-founding The Australian Prostitutes Collective (APC) in 1983, Julie discusses the impact of receiving government funding and the significant reverberations; starting a drop in service for sex workers, forming the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) and growing the service to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Julie received an AO in 2018 for her work in fighting for the rights of sex workers and in mobilising the sex industry against the spread of HIV/AIDS.
In the following excerpt Julie speaks of her work with the APC and the impact of government funding and the services the organisation could offer.

Interviewer
Bruce Carter
Photographer
Sydney Star Observer - by-Walter-Maurice
Date
22/01/2024