The information on this page is about the protections that apply to conduct occurring on or after 2 August If you are making a complaint about conduct that occurred before 2 August , different protections may apply. You can read more about this elsewhere on our website or call our enquiry line on Sex work was decriminalised in Queensland on 2 August As part of this law reform, the protections for sex workers under the Anti-Discrimination Act have been expanded to cover a broader range of sex workers when compared with protections that existed prior to 2 August Sex work activity means providing sexual services, or being a person who provides or used to provide sexual services.
Sex work activity is not limited to, but may include:. Discrimination on the basis of sex work activity involves treating a person less favourably because:. A situation will be unlawful if the treatment is less favourable when compared with others in the same or similar circumstances whose occupation is not a sex worker or involves activities other than sex work activity.
For example, a bank manager refusing a loan to a sex worker to buy a property, even though they met the financial and other criteria for the loan. It is also unlawful to discriminate against a person because of their association with or relation to a person identified on the basis of their sex work activity - such as a friend, family member or co-worker.
For example, a school refusing to enrol a child because the child's mother works as an actor in pornographic films. For example, a person works as a nurse unit manager, and rumours start at work that they used to work in a massage shop providing sexual services.
As a result, they are demoted from their job as manager. If you have experienced any of these types of discrimination, you may be able to lodge a complaint with us at the Commission. However, not all treatment that might seem unfair is unlawful discrimination under the Act see the exemptions below. Not all treatment that might seem unfair is against the law. The Act lists some exemptions that allow conduct that would otherwise be discriminatory.
