NATIONAL FORUM 2026
This year's National Forum will be held on Kaurna Country (Adelaide) from 17–19 November, with selected sessions livestreamed. Join current and former sex workers from across Australia for three days of workshops, discussions, skill-sharing and community building.
National Forum is a chance to connect with peers, learn about the issues shaping sex work in Australia, build practical skills, and celebrate the strength and diversity of our community. Whether you’re attending your first Forum or returning to reconnect with old friends, you’ll find opportunities to learn, contribute and be part of a space created by sex workers, for sex workers.
“My biggest takeaway is how connected and supported I feel within the sex worker community every year. It’s amazing to learn about the experiences of other sex workers across the country, especially from different marginalised groups… The space feels safe, inclusive, and supportive, giving room for growth and learning. I leave feeling inspired, energised, and proud…”
National Forum participant, 2025
This year's National Forum will be held on Kaurna Country (Adelaide) from 17–19 November, with selected sessions livestreamed.
National Forum is free for all current and former sex workers, and registrations open Monday 27 July 2026 and close Friday 6 November 2026. After completing the registration form, your application will be reviewed and verified before your place at National Forum is confirmed.
To maintain National Forum as a genuinely peer-led space, sex industry owners, operators and managers cannot attend, even if they are current or former sex workers themselves. This also includes sex workers who have control over another sex worker’s work.
National Forum 2026: at a glance.
Dates
Tuesday 17 November, Wednesday 18 November, and Thursday 19 November.
Location
Kaurna Country (Adelaide), South Australia.
Venue shared after registration.
Cost
Free.
Who can attend
Current and former sex workers only.
Registration opens
Monday 27 July 2026
Registration closes
Friday 6 November 2026
Accessibility
Wheelchair access, quiet room, dietary requirements.
SANF26 Sessions.
Tuesday 17 November
Launch of the Online Tool for Non-payment Legal Information and Options Sex Worker Legal Services
Vixen and Erika McKenna
Tuesday 17 November from 3:15pm to 4:15pm
Workers from Vixen and lawyer Erika will facilitate a short presentation and demonstration of a new online tool for sex workers in NSW, Victoria, and Queensland to help navigate legal options in the event of non-payment by a client. The tool is a product of a collaboration between sex worker legal services, Vixen, SWOP NSW, Respect Inc. and AssemblyFour.
Learn how to access and use the online tool, as well as gain information about your legal options if you experience non-payment. You can also offer feedback on how to improve and expand the tool to cover more states and territories. There will be a Q&A at the end of the session.
Bridging Culture and Care: Outreach and Health Support with Chinese and CALD Sex Worker Communities
Kellie and Amelie
Thursday 19 November from 3:15pm to 4:15pm
Outreach with culturally diverse sex worker communities requires more than translation. It requires trust, cultural understanding, and community connection. Through an interactive presentation and discussion, SWOP NSW outreach workers Amelie and Kelly will share their experiences with workers interested in CALD outreach. They will discuss practical, peer-led approaches to building trust, delivering culturally appropriate health education, and supporting safer workplaces.
By looking at how SWOP NSW uses WeChat to do outreach with Chinese sex workers, you’ll gain a deeper insight into peer ethics, digital safety, and culturally responsive outreach practices. Drawing on frontline experience from SWOP NSW, it highlights key barriers including language access, cultural stigma, migration-related challenges, and difficulties accessing health and support services.
Wednesday 18 November
From the Whores Mouth: Oral History and Co-Research Practices
Claudia and Queenie
Wednesday 18 November from 2:30pm to 4:00pm
How we record our personal and community whore lore is important for the future of the sex worker rights movement. If you’re a sex work researcher or someone who wants to build a personal sex work archive, Queenie and Claudia will encourage you to think about our stories as practices of resistance, and as portraits that preserve our everyday experiences of sex work.
This shared discussion workshop will look at ethics that may shape the recording process, and develop research question maps. The goal is that participants will contribute to a set of guidelines for sex work oral history. There will be a space to record sex worker stories during Forum.
‘No’ Is A Full Sentence: Role-Playing Boundary Setting
Rosie and Sydney
Wednesday 18 November from 2:30pm to 4:00pm
Join experienced sex workers Rosie and Sydney for an interactive roleplay workshop which will focus on how to identify and set boundaries when working. Our boundaries often change, and this session will focus on services and practices that may fall into a “sometimes” or “depends” category. If you are a worker who wants to improve your confidence in adjusting boundaries when you want or need to, this is for you.
Working in pairs, you will practice verbally setting boundaries through a range of approaches that Rosie and Sydney will walk you through during the workshop. Learn what saying ‘no’ feels like in your body and get more confident doing it.
We Built It Together: Lessons from Three Years of Building a Sex Worker Co-operative
Audrey, Mxstress Mercy, Paprika Plumwood, Sasha Harper, and Tilly Today
Wednesday 18 November from 4:30pm to 6:00pm
The Garden Cooperative is Australia’s first sex worker cooperative and one of few internationally. Join Audrey, Mxstress Mercy, Paprika, Sasha, and Tilly as they share their processes and practical skills to empower sex workers to build their own co-operatives interstate and nationally. They will also answer questions in an honest reflection of their journey.
Through a presentation, guided questions, activities and resources, participants will leave with an understanding of how to create different ways of working for sex workers that keep profits in the hands of the workers, not the bosses.
What Would A Sex Worker-Led Reproductive Justice Agenda Look Like?
Mia Vampa, Greta Desgraves, and Salem Serene
Wednesday 18 November from 4:30pm to 6:00pm
Sex workers have nuanced expertise to offer when it comes to sexual and reproductive rights in unceded Australia. So why are we often excluded from these policy conversations? Mia, Salem, and Greta encourage sex workers from all states and territories to join this strategic, interactive guided discussion which will explore the unique knowledge, strategies, and perspectives sex workers bring to reproductive justice.
Reproductive justice is a political and social framework created by African American feminists who wanted to broaden discussions around abortion and sexual and reproductive healthcare from “choice” to “access”. Come away from this session with a greater understanding of reproductive justice, how it connects with the sex worker rights movement, and how we can lead in this space.
Combatting Anti-Trans Disinformation/Discrimination in the Sex Industry
Juno and Sydney
Wednesday 18 November from 4:30pm to 6:00pm
Solidarity between cisgender and transgender sex workers is an important part of creating safer working environments. Trans sex workers Juno and Sydney will run this interactive workshop for cis allies of trans sex workers to break down the discrimination trans sex workers face, why, and how we can combat it.
They will analyse the effects of disinformation about trans people and discuss skills cis allies can learn to engage in conversations around transphobia and transmisogyny. Participants will deepen their understanding of how trans people work in the sex industry, and how to respectfully interact with trans workers in doubles and back rooms.
Thursday 19 November
Digital Self-Defence for Sex Workers
Lara Belle
Thursday 19 November from 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Sex worker safety in 2026 isn’t just about physical safety in the workplace. Through a presentation, discussion and Q&A, experienced sex worker and peer educator Lara will inform participants on the current best practices in digital privacy and online safety for sex workers. This session will expand your understanding of digital and tech developments that threaten your online safety, and offer tips for you to use to take control of your digital footprint.
Lara’s session draws on lived experience, community engagement, and a strong understanding of current safety issues, emerging trends, and best practices. You will leave the session with tools, resources, and more agency in the face of what is increasingly becoming an overwhelming technical landscape.
The Kinky Upsell and Embodying Dominance
Mia Vampa, Tee Cee, and Emira Cross
Thursday 19 November from 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Understand how to incorporate basic BDSM skills into your work as a full service independent or brothel worker, and how to embody the authority of a dominatrix while doing so. Mia, Tee, and Emira have experience as full service sex workers and dominatrices and will go through consent and negotiation, warming up, moderating intensity and client cues, as well as aftercare. Learn what basic BDSM tools you can fit in your bag, and how to adapt to different working environments.
You will also learn how to respond to requests for dominance in ways that feel authentic, safe, and professionally sustainable. There is no one way to “be dominant”! Participants will also look at how size, race, age, and other factors can influence client expectation and how authority is perceived.
Sex Work and Peri/Menopause
Rosie Charter
Thursday 19 November from 3:30pm to 4:15pm
What happens when your workplace is your body and your body is changing? Sex worker Rosie is passionate about health and wellbeing for all sex workers and will give a presentation on the intersection of sex work and perimenopause. Whether you are a sex worker in perimenopause or a younger worker who is curious, this session will help you explore the physical, emotional, financial and professional impacts of these hormonal changes.
Preparation for “the change” can feel overwhelming but you’ll be armed with practical information, increased confidence in recognising symptoms, ideas for adapting your work and self-care strategies to support your wellbeing.
Emotional Recovery After a Difficult Booking
Max Fae
Thursday 19 November from 3:30pm to 4:15pm
Not all bookings go well, and brothel based worker Mae has many techniques that you can learn to support your peers and yourself if or when you experience a tricky booking. It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced worker or a newbie, everyone needs to know ways to regulate when things don’t go according to plan.
In this presentation and interactive workshop you’ll learn how to support your community by learning processing and regulation techniques, and how to develop a safety network of peers and resources that you and those you work with can call on if needed. Take home a written plan of what to do when the shit hits the fan.
Frequently asked questions.
Why do registrations need to be verified?
National Forum is a sex worker-only, peer-led space. We verify all registrations to help protect the privacy, safety and integrity of the event and ensure that everyone attending is part of the sex worker community.
The registration form is an expression of interest while this verification process takes place. If you are already known to us, such as through Scarlet Alliance membership or previous involvement with our work, verification may be straightforward. If we don’t already have a connection with you, we may ask for additional information to confirm that you are a current or former sex worker.
What happens after registration?
Once your registration has been verified, we’ll send you the full event details, including the venue name and address. Because National Forum is a sex worker-only event, we ask attendees to keep this information private and not share it with others.
An attendee information kit will be released closer to the event with everything you need to know, including the program, session times, accessibility information and other practical details.
What is the name and address of the venue?
To protect the privacy of this sex worker-only event, the full venue name, address and floor plan will only be provided to confirmed registrants. Attendees will receive detailed venue information before the event, including information about the layout and facilities.
The venue for National Forum 2026 is a conference centre with a main plenary room, two breakout rooms, an outdoor area, kitchen facilities and a dedicated quiet room. The venue is wheelchair accessible. If you need additional venue information to understand accessibility, travel or other requirements before registering, please contact us at [email protected].
Do I have to attend the whole forum?
No. While we encourage people to attend as much of the program as they can, you don’t need to be present for every session to take part in National Forum.
Many attendees take breaks throughout the day in addition to the scheduled morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea breaks. You are welcome to spend time in the quiet room, visit the Umbrella Room, catch up with other attendees, take a break at a nearby café or green space, or simply step away whenever you need to.
National Forum is a community event, and we want people to participate in a way that works for them. Whether you attend every session, join us for selected workshops, or take time to rest and reconnect, you are welcome.
Can I attend online if I can’t make it in person?
Yes. This year, selected National Forum sessions will be livestreamed for sex workers who are unable to attend in person.
Livestream access will include the main sessions, such as panels, member organisation reports and presentations held in the plenary room. Workshop sessions may not be available via livestream, as many are interactive and designed around in-person participation. Further information about livestream access, including how to join online, will be provided closer to the event.
Where can I find more information about National Forum 2026?
A couple of weeks before National Forum, all confirmed attendees will receive an ‘info kit’. This digital guide contains everything you need to know before and during the event, helping you feel prepared and comfortable. Printed copies of the information kit will also be available at the registration desk when you arrive at the event.
The info kit includes practical details such as the program and event schedule, rally and Whore of the Year Party information, catering, accessibility information, getting to and navigating the venue, and what to expect throughout the three days. It also includes important wellbeing and community information, including mental health and local support services, sexual health testing information, harm reduction resources, Safer Spaces information, what to do if something goes wrong, information about the memorial space, our language guide, and a glossary of terms used throughout National Forum.
Can I remain anonymous?
Yes. You do not need to provide your full legal name when registering for National Forum. You can register using your sex worker name or the name you are known by in the community. In fact, this can be helpful during the verification process, as it helps us confirm your connection to the sex worker community.
Photography may take place during National Forum, but we take privacy seriously. When you register on the first day, you will be asked whether you consent to being photographed. You will receive a clear identifier, such as a wristband or other marker, to indicate whether or not you are comfortable appearing in photos.
National Forum is a sex worker-only event, and the majority of people attending, presenting, volunteering and supporting the event will be sex workers. However, there may be some non-sex workers present in limited roles, such as venue staff, technical support staff, caterers, disability support workers or Auslan interpreters assisting participants. These people are there to support the event and participant access, and will not have a role in the content or community spaces of National Forum.
If you have specific privacy concerns or questions before attending, please contact us at [email protected].
What precautions will there be for airborne respiratory illnesses?
COVID-19 and other airborne respiratory illnesses can have significant impacts, particularly for people with pre-existing and/or chronic health conditions. As a community, we have a responsibility to consider the health and safety of attendees and create an environment where as many sex workers as possible can participate safely.
- We encourage attendees to wear N95 masks or equivalent high-quality masks while attending National Forum. Masks will also be available on-site for anyone who needs one.
- All attendees are required to complete a COVID-19 test each day before entering the venue. We ask attendees to bring their own RAT for use on day one, and COVID-19 tests will be available on-site for attendees to use on days two and three.
- If you are feeling unwell or experiencing symptoms before or during National Forum, please follow the guidance provided in the attendee information kit or contact the organising team for support.
Will the Scarlet Alliance Annual General Meeting (AGM) take place at National Forum?
No. This year, the Scarlet Alliance AGM will be held separately online later in the year and will not take place during National Forum. Scarlet Alliance members will receive information about the AGM, including how to attend, closer to the event. If you would like to receive updates and participate in Scarlet Alliance member activities, you can become a member.
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
The venue is wheelchair accessible and has a lift. You may need to speak to staff onsite for mobility aid storage during sessions. The venue offers accessible bathrooms throughout the building. Bathrooms are gender-neutral for this event.
What sensory and accessibility supports will be available?
We want everyone to feel as comfortable as possible, and welcome. The venue is temperature-controlled, and a dedicated quiet space will be available across the days for anyone who needs a break. You’re also welcome to wear earplugs, headphones, sunglasses, or anything else that helps you manage noise and sensory input.