Last Saturday, the world’s first statue ever to be dedicated to sex-workers was unveiled on Stanley Street in Darlinghurst, on Gadigal Land.
The close replica bronzed statue, entitled ‘Joy’, was finally reinstalled after years of lobbying by community groups, led by Julie Bates and others. The original was first erected in 1995 but was moved to Macquarie University in 1997 after controversy and vandalism. Both the original and replica were created by sculptor, Loui Fraser, who was present at Saturday’s unveiliing.
The statue pays tribute to the cultural and economic contribution that sex-workers have made to the area and to New South Wales, which was the first jurisdction in the world to decriminalise sex work.
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