Julie Bates AO is likely the first openly acknowledged sex worker to be awarded the Order of Australia. In 2018, she received this honour, recognising over 40 years of groundbreaking work in policy, advocacy, and community development for sex workers, as well as her instrumental role in mobilising the sex industry in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
In the early to mid-1980s, Australia faced a mounting HIV/AIDS crisis. The fear and uncertainty surrounding the epidemic were palpable, and many communities struggled to respond. At that time, Julie was a single mother and sex worker in her early 30s, living in East Sydney. Keenly aware of the threat that HIV/AIDS posed to sex workers and the broader community, she took action. “We needed representation, and later, our lives depended on it,” she told Fairfax.
Julie confronted some of Sydney’s most influential brothel owners, urging them to adopt safe sex practices as essential for both public health and business sustainability. Her efforts marked the beginning of a tireless advocacy career in a legal landscape that criminalised most aspects of the sex industry.
As the Principal of Urban Realists Planning & Health Consultants, Julie has become a leading voice for harm reduction and sex worker rights. She was a founding member of the Australian Prostitutes Collective (the precursor to SWOP, the Sex Workers Outreach Project) and the NSW Users & AIDS Association (NUAA). Her influence extended nationally: she served on the Australian National Council on AIDS and helped shape Australia’s first National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Internationally, she provided expertise to the World Health Organization (WHO), advising on strategies to reduce HIV risk within the sex industry.
Today, she is a respected public speaker and lobbyist, advocating for the decriminalisation of sex work across Australia. In addition to lobbying, she collaborates on research projects related to sex work, including the multi-state LASH (Law and Sexual Health) projects led by the UNSW Kirby Institute and Curtin University.
A long-time activist for the human and legal rights of sex workers and people who use drugs, Ms Bates has firsthand experience of the social isolation and legislative harms that these marginalised communities often face.
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