Salient Issue 04 - Volume 87

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Salient is published by, but remains editorially independent from, the Victoria University of Wellington Student's Association (VUWSA). Salient is funded in part by VUWSA through Student Services Levy. Salient is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA).

The views expressed in Salient do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, VUWSA, or the University.

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EDITORIAL SEX WORK

For the ‘Sex’ issue, we wanted to take a different approach than previous years of Salient. We drew inspiration from Madonna's 1992 coffee table book ‘Sex.’ In an interview with MTV’s Steve Blame, Madonna explained her intention behind the book: “A lot of the things I deal with in my music and the book are, in particular, with the repression that’s going on in America right now.…There’s a lot of really narrow-minded people. If I can change the way 1/100th of them thinks, then I’ve accomplished something.” This is also our goal with the Sex Work issue of Salient. We want to amplify the voices of those whose professions are heavily stigmatised.

All the Features in this issue are written by sex workers who have given us explicit permission to use their words, names, and photographs.

It should be noted that this entire issue contains sexual content and full nudity. We have only added trigger warnings for particularly explicit articles, but please be aware that all features and photography contain sexual language and nudity. If you are uncomfortable with this, you can simply read the news section and come back next week for a new issue of Salient. We won't be offended.

If you are negatively affected by any of this content, we have provided a list of organisations below that you can reach out to for support.

Phoebe Robertson

Editor in Chief

Safe to Talk Kōrero mai, ka ora

National Sexual Harm Helpline 0800 044 334

Text: 4334

Mauri Ora—Student Health and Counselling For counselling and same-day student counselling +64 4 463 5308

Wellington Rape Crisis (04) 801 8973

support@wellingtonrapecrisis.org.nz

Women’s Refuge 0800 733 843 info@refuge.org.nz

NZPC 04-382 8791

Level 4, 204 Willis St, Te Aro, Wellington 6011

bird of the week

Tūturiwhatu

Also known as the Southern New Zealand dotterel, adds a graceful touch to the shores of the South Island. This petite shorebird is adorned in a subtle blend of white, brown, and black feathers, embodying resilience in its coastal habitat. It can be spotted along sandy beaches and estuaries, using its distinctively straight bill to hunt for insects and small crustaceans. However, this species faces challenges such as habitat disturbance and predation, making ongoing conservation efforts crucial to preserve their coastal homes. As a symbol of the delicate balance in New Zealand's ecosystems, the Tūturiwhatu serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting coastal environments for the diverse range of species that rely on them.

In this isse of Salient there are many photographs. Unless otherwise stated, they have kindly been supplied by: Aries, @bentley.stevenson, Phoebe Robertson, @rvphotonz, and The Taboo Corner Cover photographed by Phoebe Robertson

words by Maia Campbell (she/her, Kāi Tahu), for VUW

THURSDAYS IN BLACK

are fuelled by what NZEI Te Riu Roa president Mark Potter calls “conspiracy-based thinking”, with Winnie P claiming schools are being too ‘woke’ and Luxon arguing that parents should be teaching this stuff to their kids, not schools. In an era of misinformation and disinformation, Luxon and his colonesians seem to be following in the conservative footsteps of our Pacific neighbour, the United States of America, whose sex education is sustained by traditionalist Christian views of virginity and morality.

In a twist of irony, while New Zealand conservatives believe that our current sex education programs are ‘all about sex’, the traditionalism they idealise is exactly that. In a startling number of US states, instead of teaching kids about sex, they preach abstinenceonly, because if they don’t teach them about sex, they won’t have it, right? Oh, so very wrong. The ‘education through omission’ traditionalism favours is incredibly damaging to young people, physically and emotionally. The reality is that by the time kids get to high school, they know what sex is, and many are either doing it or thinking about doing it. Not talking about sex does not erase desire for it. Without knowledge or understandings of contraception and consent, young people may find themselves in entirely preventable harmful situations.

with me. Many other parents may feel embarrassed to talk about this stuff with their kids, or will just perpetuate the same kōrero from schools. Opening up a safe space in the whare to talk about sex is super important; if tamariki don’t feel comfortable going to their parents before engaging in anything, they definitely won’t feel comfortable going to them if something goes wrong.

Education is one of the premier keys to empowerment; knowledge truly is power. When we give rangatahi the words and the tools to express their feelings and desires, and to do so safely, we give them power and agency. The whakaaro of Luxon and his goons are formed from pure misunderstandings of what we mean when we say ‘sex’ in schools; it’s not a dirty word and should not be treated as such. Understandings of consent are crucial to the prevention of sexual harm, a glaring problem in Aotearoa today. Sex education has become a political tool, the wellbeing of our youth a diplomatic bargaining chip. To conflate relationship and sexuality education with ‘wokeness’ is simply demeaning to the competence of young Kiwis.

NZPC

words by Cherida Fraser (she/her)

Myth and misinformation about sex work is endless, and everybody’s lived experience is unique. So what you may have learnt from family, friends, or films will possibly be inaccurate, and what one sex worker says will differ from another. We are not all cut from the same cloth. I was a talker, my colleague isn’t keen on chatting to her clients at all. Some like taking their time getting to know clients, some prefer getting straight down to business. Some prefer longer bookings and fewer clients, others a series of 20 minute quickies. Generally though, what most sex workers can agree on is that you should always get the money first, no one realises how much time full service workers spend doing laundry, and stigma remains the biggest issue in our lives.

NZPC: Aotearoa New Zealand Sex Workers Collective is a peer organisation with broad lived experience–peers who have worked on the street, in brothels, and independently; peers who are trans, NB, and cis; peers of all ages and different cultures; peers who are sugarbabies, full service workers, strippers, content creators, sensual masseuses, dommes, and so on.

Our kaupapa at NZPC is to support the health, safety, rights, and wellbeing of all sex workers. We have a team of passionate, compassionate and informed sex workers (past and present) to sort your free condoms, book you in for clinic, and talk through questions like what to expect from your first booking, why lube is so important, and how to use a dental dam. We will happily sit down for a cup of tea and a natter about anything sex work related; whether you are brand new, still thinking it through, or a veteran.

We are here to share our collective, community, and lived experience that has informed us for over

35 years. We don’t need to know your name and are not here to judge. We are not the sex work police and won’t tell you how to do your job. We are simply here to make sure sex workers have all the information they need to work safely and have their rights upheld.

And our mahi goes beyond safer sex. We know that hauora can thrive when people are treated with respect and have their rights upheld. That’s why we take a holistic approach. Our mahi is macro and micro and everything in-between. On any given day you might find one of us educating medical students or training detectives, while another is standing with a sex worker to ensure they get their MSD entitlements or supporting someone through a mediation. Decriminalisation of sex work in 2003 means sex workers have rights like anybody else*

And at NZPC you never have to worry about stigma or discrimination when disclosing your sex work, because as a sex worker you already belong here. Welcome!

*There are still imperfections in our legislation, in particular Section 19 which prohibits people on temporary visas from doing sex work. We also could make improvements to our laws around conditional consent, discrimination of occupation, hate speech/hate crimes, contractor rights and collective bargaining etc.

Follow our Instagram page @_nzpc

Cherida Fraser Community Liaison

NZPC: Te Waka Kaimahi Kairau o Aotearoa

Aotearoa New Zealand Sex Workers’ Collective o.

gig guide

THUR | San Fran | 8pm

Caught Inside (and friends)

Welly locals and fast-growing indie staple Caught Inside are taking the stage at San Fran this Thursday. There’ll be tunes from from last year’s EP Five Star Shag, and brand new music! Alongside their brand of high-energy rock, Bad Tab will bring you some sweet neo-psychedelica, and Sol Fide drifty, cruisy indie tunes.

Tickets $10

FRI | Vogelmorn UPSTAIRS | 7pm

Jen Cloher

This one is special. An cozy, comfortable venue, and a fantastic musician to do it justice: Jen Cloher is bringing their remarkable talent back to Aotearoa for a solo tour, after their sold-out band tour last year. In 2017 Cloher made waves with a punk-influenced, grungy, unapologetic self-titled LP. Last year saw the release of 'I Am The River, The River Is Me', a joyous celebration of Cloher’s Māori whakapapa (Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Kahu), and of their their queer identity. This Friday they’ll be hosted in Wellingtons cutest venue, in an intimate solo show.

Tickets $30

Enjoy our small, lovingly curated selection of gigs.

THUR | MOON | 8.30pm

Oddjive, Debt Club

OddJive are bringing their infections high-energy tunes back to MOON, with friends Debt Club. From the headliners expect creative, original fusion funk grooves (and get on the dancefloor!). Local 4-piece Debt Club will open the night, delivering a raw indie/alt rock sound.

Tickets $10

SAT & SUN | Cuba Street | SAT 12pm12am | SUN 12pm - 6pm

CubaDupa

Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s beloved annual street festival returns! This weekend the Cuba Street precinct will be host to live music, street performance, art installations, food vendors, circus acts, community celebration and more. All your favourite local spots on and around Cuba will be joining in the fun. The festival runs from midday to late on Saturday, and until six on Sunday afternoon—get involved!

Free!

protest calendar

FRI | Secret Location | 7.30pm

Gaza Fundraiser Love Ditch #4: Jewel Tones

Make your way off the beaten path with Love Ditch #4, a sparkly, jewel-tone themed house party/gig in Aro Valley, boasting five Pōneke acts: Daymoon, kicking off at 7:30, along with Re:Ruby, Nahbo, Cruelly and Pearly. Tickets are on UTR, and you’ll be able to find the address on your ticket. Dressing to the theme is encouraged! All proceeds go to Gaza. Accessibly note: stairs, narrow pathway, no parking.

Tickets $15

SAT | MOON | 8pm

ALIVE!

Dance yourself clean at MOON this Saturday! Wellys up and coming funk/ jazz fusion group ALIVE! are taking the stage with an eclectic samba/bossa nova sound on their first ever headliner show. Expect smooth, soulful jams punctuated by catchy horn licks and grimy basslines for you to get down to. Support from Best-wix, Lipstick, and Brad Hunter

Tickets $10

Salient will be highlighting protest and direct action throughout 2024.

Fridays for Future Aotearoa

Fridays for Future Aotearoa are protesting at Parliament Lawn every Tuesday (and at Midland Park on the last Friday of each month), between 12:30pm and 1:30pm. From the organisers: “The move to renewable energy is happening too slowly and our dependence on gas is not being addressed. These things prevent us from getting to safety. A responsible government could address these things. It needs to be told.” Their kaupapa is based on inclusivity and encourages regular, persistent public action to raise awareness of the climate crisis—so they’ll be happy to see you there! Resources can be found on their website.

Healthcare Workers for Palestine

Aotearoa Healthcare Workers for Palestine “condemn the ongoing bombardment of Rafah and the total destruction of Gaza's healthcare system, and urge the New Zealand government to act immediately to uphold International Humanitarian Law … [they] call on all medical bodies, unions and other health related institutions to stand in solidarity with all healthcare workers and patients in Palestine.” Join them this Friday outside Ngā Puna Waiora Wellington Regional Hospital to honour their healthcare colleagues killed in Gaza by Israeli Occupation Forces, and to remember all of those in Palestine deprived of the human right to health.

Scan this code for a more comprehensive, frequently updated protest destination.

TUES | Parliament Lawn | 12.30pm

FRI | Wellington Regional Hospital | 6-7pm

IT’S THE FUCKING NEWS

kawepūrongo

18.03.2024

Tri Three Grads Try (And Fail) To Apply For Graduation Ceremony, Sparking Student Uproar

Ethan Rogacion (hE/him)

Are you a recent grad of Te Herenga Waka? Did you finish your course of study in February? Do you want to attend the graduation ceremony in May, like other students that finished in this half of the year? Well, “nuh uh!!” says the University!

In a bizarre procedural mishap, the University has made it nearly impossible for students that have finished their studies in Trimester 3 to graduate in May, instead telling students that they will need to wait until December.

According to a University spokesperson, “[t]here is a significant amount of work that needs to happen to ensure students are eligible to graduate from Te Herenga Waka.” This, they say, involves an internal audit of a student’s grades ensuring that they are eligible for graduation and, after this, students can apply for graduation.

“… [S]ome students who completed their degree when they passed a Trimester 3 course, which concluded in February, did not have enough time for their qualifications to be audited and for the students to apply for our May 2024 graduation ceremonies.” The deadline for applications for the May graduation was 1 March.

This follows on from the University’s advanced graduation policy change last year, which saw students that finished study in Trimester 2 unable to apply for graduation in December. At that time the University alleged that the decision to scrap advanced graduation arose from student feedback, which “indicated that they found [the process] confusing and complicated.”

Marcail Parkinson, VUWSA President, told Salient that “the University has used many many different excuses, ranging from advanced graduation to a policy that doesn’t seem to exist” in order to justify the situation. However, the current issues regarding graduation don’t have anything to do with advanced graduation—Parkinson has labeled the University’s attempts to justify its position as “stupid”.

“The University doesn’t seem to understand the policy themselves. I feel like I understand the policy better than they do—I think they’re making things up.”

A significant amount of students have been affected by the muck-up, with VUWSA advocate Erica Schouten telling Salient that she has been made aware of a number of students who have had flights booked, or made other arrangements around their anticipated May graduation date.

The University told Salient that it “is doing everything it can to accommodate requests from students who have exceptional circumstances and need to attend the next graduation celebration. As part of this process, which closed last week, an additional 87 students have been offered places for our May 2024 graduation.”

However, Schouten is concerned about students that “didn’t know, and didn’t know who to contact or who didn’t come into VUWSA, or didn’t raise their case through Vic International. And we don’t know how many that is.”

Parkinson said that, “[s]omething tells me that, basically, the University have fucked up, and they’re just struggling to admit that they’ve fucked up. What they really need to do is just say, ‘We’re really sorry we fucked up and we’re gonna do our very best to fix it.’ Instead they’ve said, ‘No, no, no, we talked to you guys about this!’ but they’ve never talked to us.”

VUWSA vehemently rejects the notion that they were consulted by the University on this issue, despite the University allegedly telling affected students that “students were consulted” and that VUWSA alongside other student bodies were involved in “every step of the process.”

The University has told Salient that “It’s clear that the procedure needs to be reviewed and brought in to line with the changing needs of our students.”

“We are working to improve our processes and communication to ensure both staff and students are aware of our deadlines and to make sure staff have the right information to pass on to students.”

“Secret Jobs” advertisements appear outside Easterfield Building

PhoEBE RoBERtSon (ShE/hER)

On March 8th Salient received reports of advertisements for “my secret job” appearing near campus. The ad claims to be a middle man for connecting individuals interested in escorting with agencies. But a brief review of their website reveals multiple concerning warning signs.

The most obvious indication of the concerning nature of these advertisements is that they have been spread throughout the university during O-Week. The website's tone also suggests that it targets individuals who are inexperienced in the sex work industry, as their main service is to connect people with agents. While this may not immediately condemn them, it raises concerns about the timing of these ads being targeted towards new 18-year-old students at Te Herenga Waka campus.

Additionally, the website mentions the use of photographs in sex work, which is a common practice for advertising workers to potential clients. However, what is alarming is that the site states the photos will become the property of the agency. It then goes on to mention that a "good agency" would not include identifying features such as faces, tattoos, birthmarks, or scars in any photos. But there is no guarantee from this website that they only work with reputable agencies.

The most concerning aspect of this website is the lack of transparency regarding its owners and affiliated agencies. This puts people in a vulnerable position as they have no knowledge of who they are giving their information to, or how that information is being passed on. The absence of a street address, and the use of a mobile number and gmail account for contact further raises red flags about the legitimacy of this site.

According to the website, the hourly rate for a booking that involves intercourse, mutual oral, handjobs, and kissing is "between $130 to $200 + extra". This offer falls short of industry standards, raising questions about where the remaining money may go. While the website connects applicants with brothels or agencies, it fails to mention any security measures or ongoing support for workers once they are signed up. This lack of protection is concerning, as reputable brothels prioritize the safety of their employees.

If you are considering entering the sex work industry, NZPC (Aotearoa New Zealand Sex Workers' Collective)

Salient contacted someone who had already reached out to secret jobs for more information. They reported frustration with the text exchange and feeling pressured to send in photos. When they questioned this request, they were told that the organization simply wanted a recent photo in everyday attire. However, when pressed for details about what would happen next, the employee stated that a representative from one of their partnered agencies would meet them at a public location like a park or cafe to discuss the job further. When asked specifically which agencies they worked with, "secret jobs" refused to provide an answer.

Joe Biden’s Uncomfortable Blind Spot on Palestine Grows

WiLL iRVinE (hE/him)

When Joseph R. Biden was first elected to the presidency, celebrations largely centred around the defeat of Trump and the vanquishing of the pseudo-mythical American alt-right. As the hype died down, Americans needed a more convincing promise than simply “not being the other guy”'. The line the Democratic establishment chose to run was simple: “Joe Biden is the most progressive president since FDR”.

In many ways this is true—Biden has passed significant infrastructure legislation in his presidency and has appointed a wide range of slightly left-wing people to inconsequential public roles, a rarity in the tightly conservative world of American federal politics. However persuasive this proposal initially was, it has completely collapsed over the last year. While Joe Biden may be progressive on some economic issues, he has consistently been one of Congress’s biggest Israel hawks. In a widely-shared speech from 1986, the now-President declared that Israel is America’s “single best investment” and that “If there were not an Israel, we’d have to invent one”.

This line of thought, until recently commonplace in the Democratic voter base, perfectly illuminates the American ethos on Israel—it's seen as the bastion of liberal values abroad, much in the same way that British colonies were seen as bastions of the British Empire. However, as Israel reveals its illiberality in increasingly grotesque ways, this facade becomes harder and harder to maintain; as a result, Biden’s approval rate continues to plummet.

Last month, following a three-week impromptu campaign by Arab and Muslim Americans, more than 100,000 Democratic voters cast their vote for “uncommitted” in the Michigan state primary, demonstrating their dissatisfaction with the President’s inaction. While these voters insist they will still vote against Trump in the November election, it seems increasingly apparent that Biden’s lack of action on Israel may be the final nail in the coffin of his presidency.

Mm, mm, mm! The Lab’s New Menu Looks Too Good To Be True

If you’ve recently been to The Lab at Kelburn campus, or its more recent off-shoot “Kimchi Noodle Bar”, chances are that you’ve noticed something… weird about their menus. It all looks really… glossy? And, is that a raw egg yolk sitting on top of a bed of vegetarian fried rice? No… it couldn’t be… DOES THAT HAND HAVE SIX FINGERS?

As you may have noticed, The Lab’s new offering appears to be using AI-based image generation in order to create images advertising their menu items. Some of the most egregious examples include an image of orange juice, surrounded by fake reviews.

Additionally, a person with six fingers—who also apparently does not know how to use chopsticks—is shown picking up the noodle salad. The noodle salad appears to be comprised of nine cubes of assorted vegetables.

One eagle-eyed Salient reader wrote in to us, saying that, “[Kimchi Noodle Bar] are making the food, they should be able to take photos of it to advertise properly. Otherwise, I can’t trust that the food that they have is anything like what they show in the ‘photos’.”

Yuan Ng from The Lab told Salient that, “Whilst rebranding the store [from The Lab to Kimchi Noodle Bar], our photographer was unavailable to help us take any photo as they are away on a holiday.” Ng says that they used the “technology available to us all” in order to solve that problem.

It is unclear whether Kate Middleton took inspiration from The Lab or not—Salient has reached out to Buckingham Palace to confirm.

Ethan Rogacion (hE/him)

PICTURED: delicacies.

Ngāi Tauira: Project Consents & the Democratic Process

hēmi DaLy (hE/him)

Kāi tahu (Kāti maKō, Kāti iRaKEhu)

The Government has just introduced a Bill which will make getting project consents easier. The sort of projects which might be consented range from housing, to aquaculture, to mines, and so on. You might be thinking this is a good thing—after all, these projects have the potential to boost our economy, get us houses, key resources, more yummy salmon, etc. You might be right, except for one thing: this new Bill completely destroys any democratic process or chance for meaningful expert input that we had.

How does the Bill work? Once projects become eligible for fast-track they go before an expert panel, who will apply relevant consent and permit conditions, with a maximum of 6 months to make the decision. Private lobbyists can make submissions to these panels, but members of the public cannot. Once the expert panel has accepted the project with conditions/declined it/whatever they want to do, the Minister can go with that decision, or he can just do whatever the fuck he wants and ignore what the expert panel says.

The lobbyists who are getting the profits can have a say, but if the government wants to put a new mine by your hometown, or a new housing development over the top of your favourite walking track, or a salmon farm up the river from your family whitebaiting spot, you don't get any say in it. If you want to appeal a decision to the courts, the Government can ignore what the courts say and go ahead with it anyway. This isn't just about Māori or greenies hating on the Government. This Bill has the potential to affect literally anyone who interacts with their environment. This is a massive erosion of democracy, and you won't notice it until suddenly you do, and there's nothing you can do about it.

If you don't like what this Government does over the next three years, sure, you can vote them out. But remember, a lot of these decisions have permanent consequences. Consenting systems and red tape might be annoying. But they also keep us and our mokopuna safe. Once they plop a mine down on top of your local dairy (obvious hyperbole but who doesn't love their local dairy), it isn't coming back. It might already be too late.

What can you do:

• Make a submission on the Parliament NZ site (search ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill submissions’ in Google) by Friday 19 April.

• Sign the Green Party petition (https://action. greens.org.nz/naturebeforeprofit)

• Talk to family and friends about this Bill, especially those who voted for this Government. Remind them that this is an issue that will negatively affect pretty much everyone who isn’t going to directly make millions of dollars off it.

• Write to your MP. Te Pāti Māori, National, Labour, Greens, ACT, it doesn’t matter, send them an email.

• Write to Chris Bishop and/or Shane Jones, both of whom did the bulk of the work on this Bill.

• If you hear about a protest, turn up. Show that we have numbers.

• When this inevitably gets shunted through Parliament, don’t forget about this. Keep an eye out for the bs and don’t let go.

Kia kaha tātau.

Hēmi Daly (he/him)

Kāi Tahu (Kāti Makō, Kāti Irakehu)

SPINELESS CREATURES BAYBEE

Flemming, and Maureen Pugh all said crayfish (kōura) purely because of how tasty they are. Green MP Scott Willis also said the freshwater crayfish, though he didn’t mention eating them.

Aoteroa loves birds. Ask any kiwi about our biodiversity and you get loads of aroha towards our native kiwi, takahē, kākā, weka, and more. Here at Salient, we have a bird of the week. But here’s the thing: we shouldn’t.

New Zealand loves birds too much. Our avian infatuation comes at the expense of other cool creatures.

New Zealand has 170 native bird species, not much more than our native lizard population of 126 species. But that pales in comparison to the invertebrate-tovertebrate ratio. New Zealand has 35,000 species of animals, of which 33,000 are invertebrates.

Yet our invertebrates here are neglected, as is the trend worldwide. In Europe for example, researchers studying mammals receive 500 times the funding than one looking at invertebrates.

Invertebrates for reference are species without vertebrae (spines). Think insects, jellyfish, squid, starfish—pretty much anything which isn’t a bird, mammal, fish, reptile, or amphibian.

Funniest justification: Labour MP Arena Williams’s favourite invertebrate is the giant wētā—because one bit her badly enough to draw blood a few months back.

Most popular invertebrate: Also the wētā. Its five votes beat out the aforementioned kōura (four votes), as well as bees and worms, which both had three responses each. And fair enough; wētā are awesome

Most unique invert: National’s Suze Redmayne chose the colossal squid (which you can see at Te Papa). Colossal squids live up to their name; they can be up to 10 metres long, weigh 800 kilos, and fight life-and-death battles with sperm whales in the deep ocean. They’re the world’s largest invertebrate.

My favourite answer: Alongside Salient, I also work as

Dan moSKoVitZ (hE/h

David Breen Seymour , James Shaw’s favourite invertebrate.

LEFT: Northern Crayfish, by Department of Conservation, found on Wikipedia

RIGHT: A New Zealand Peripatus, supplied by Perran Coppard.

the news kawepūrongo

Explosion on Boulcott Street Leaves Residents Shocked

WiLL iRVinE (hE/him)

suicide and violence.

On Friday the 8th of March, at approximately 1:00PM, an explosion ripped through a Kainga Ora apartment on Boulcott Street, drawing crowds from nearby halls and apartments. Police and firefighters were on scene within minutes, and eyewitnesses reported multiple people being removed under the cover of fire-retardant blankets.

Adjacent resident Riley Hoet told Salient that she “saw a tall, lean guy being escorted out with a fire blanket over him”. Hoet spoke to a variety of residents in the ensuing crowd, and heard multiple differing accounts of what might have happened.

Salient spoke to those affected, including a man who claimed to be a neighbour and friend of the victim. The man, who wished to remain unnamed, said that he felt the explosion was likely to be an attempt at suicide, mentioning “LPG fumes” that made the apartment complex dangerous to enter.

While no official reason has been cited by Police or any media outlet, most of the residents Salient encountered felt the explosion was likely to be a methamphetamine lab accident. The resident we spoke to refuted this, however, claiming that both he and his friend were drug-free for a number of years. Eyewitnesses reported no long-burning flames, which is typically an identifying characteristic of lab explosions. However, Salient was unable to identify any consequential evidence for either explanation, and it will likely remain unknown.

Last week’s explosion came amid rising tensions in the beleaguered Kainga Ora building, which, according to Boulcott Street residents, underwent a police raid the night before the incident. Salient has been unable to corroborate this report.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Turnaround

Eighteen months ago, Joseph Parker was dead in the water. After a brutal knockout by Joe Joyce in September 2022, most boxing outlets were ready to declare Parker old news. Just over a year on, though, the South Auckland-born heavyweight is climbing the rankings fast. Now, he’s ready to seek a second title shot.

Last Saturday, Parker further cemented his climb back towards the top with a majority decision win over Zhilei Zhang, who promised to “bang” Parker in preparation for the fight (perhaps he was seeking

a feature in this week’s issue of Salient). Despite two knockdowns earlier in the round, it was in fact Zhang who was well and truly banged by the end of the fight, not landing a single punch in Round 12.

Much of Parker’s remarkable success can be traced to superstar boxing coach Andy Lee, who is the cousin of Parker’s friend and contemporary Tyson Fury. The two have worked together in the past, including in preparation for Parker’s loss to Joyce. However, their partnership gained significant media attention when Parker overcame nearly insurmountable odds to defeat former world champion Deontay Wilder in December last year.

The world of heavyweight boxing has undergone a massive revitalisation under the guardianship of the Saudi monarchy, who have effectively purchased the sport in order to drive tourism. We are closer than ever to having an uncontested heavyweight champion for the first time in decades, thanks to hefty Saudi paycheques forcing otherwise untenable fights. So—now that a crown has emerged, can Parker seize it?

WiLL iRVinE (hE/him)

PICTURED: Joseph Parker and a technicolour NZ flag; Getty Images.

THE WEEK IN review

Hurricanes Haka

words by ASHLEIGH PUTT-FALLOWS (she/her), Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi-Ngāti Hine, Tūhoe

On the 9th of March the Hurricanes Poua performed a pre-game haka at the super rugby Aupaki that led to controversy. While the Hurricanes normally do haka, these were particularly notable— including reference to "karetao o te Kāwana kakiwhero" or "puppets of this redneck government", to the Toitū Te Tiriti movement, and a line translated to: "New Zealand rise up! Here is Hurutearangi. Governments are temporary, the Treaty will endure. Poua will endure."

This was taken to heart by our deputy PMs. Winston Peters said they were “trying to insult the government”, and David called it stupid, after claiming he still defends the right for all to have free speech. Both of them also include comments about the team's loss. Peters felt the need to add “go woke go broke”, for some reason.

The Chief Executive of the Hurricanes, Avan Lee, issued an apology to the government and said he was “disappointed with the action” and the Hurricanes shouldn’t be making political statements.

The Poua were defended by their head coach, Ngatai Walker and the New Zealand Rugby Union who both said the haka was misinterpreted and that it's irresponsible to make it political. Chris Hipkins also defended the team by stating his support for protest in sport and freedom of speech "We live in a democracy, I support free speech”.

While haka has undoubtedly become a part of New Zealand rugby culture, it is a part of Māori culture first and without the ability of players to express themselves through it, it's just another way Māori culture is being taken and used when convenient, entertaining and helpful to pākehā.

Politics in MY Leisure Activities!? Glazer and The Zone of Disinterest

words by HENRY BROADBENT (he/him)

The week in Aotearoa has seen various pundits whinging at the bothersome intrusion of petty concepts like ‘human rights’ and ‘politics’ into their beloved and staunchly apolitical entertainment activities. ‘Politics doesn’t belong in sports!’, they cry. 1981 Springbok Tour? Never heard of it.

Meanwhile, a world away from the FMG Stadium in Waikato, the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles saw host to the 2024 Academy Awards. The played-safe ceremony looked set to go down in history as remarkably sedate affair, were it to be mentioned at all—until Johnathan Glazer took the stage to accept an award for the harrowing, disquieting Auschwitz film Zone of Interest. In doing so he became the only Oscar winner in the entire ceremony to mention a conflict that has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians.

The film details the disturbingly placid, tranquil home life of concentration camp commandant Rudolf Höss and his family; all the while, metres away beyond a barbed-wire topped wall, is the camp. We know this. Sometimes, we can hear it. Watching the film brings to mind Hannah Arendt’s (now almost cliched) observations on the ‘banality of evil’. She saw fascism corrupt everyone it touched, and wrote with incredible lucidity on the large scale incapacitation of communal morality that allowed the programme of mass-murder to go ahead. This concept is at the core of the film, and of Glazer’s speech.

Glazer, who is Jewish, used his moment in the spotlight to draw attention to the genocidal actions of the Israeli military in Palestine, and the dehumanisation that accompanies and propels it. He said he refuted his identity as a Jewish man “being hijacked by an occupation”, and stated that The Zone of Interest exists “not to say look what they did then, but rather [to] look what we do now … Our film shows where dehumanisation leads at its worst.”

#FiredUpStillettos:

One Year On

which denies them benefits such as hourly wages and holiday leave. This in itself would be fine if the venues weren’t also exercising an absurd level of control over the workers—often beyond what would be expected in an employment relationship. Prior to the mass firing at Calendar Girls, the venue unilaterally changed the contract for all dancers (independent contractors are supposed to have the power to negotiate their contracts) The newly implemented price structure for private bookings greatly favoured the club, resulting in a significant price increase for customers and a decrease in earnings for the dancers. Hence the letter, hence the firing.

But the infamous firing of 2023 was not the beginning of the problems in the adult entertainment industry. “The fact that we all got fired together, and all suddenly had nothing left to lose, meant that we were able to start tackling long standing industry issues in a big way” says FUS member Margot Embargot. These ‘long standing industry issues’ are present across the country and vary from club to club. The general theme of the problem: venues exercise unnecessary (and harmful) control over the workers, usually without providing the services they are supposed to be responsible for, like security and venue maintenance. “What strip club owners want is to be able to control strippers as if they are

STRIP CLUB ETIQUETTE

words by Cowboy (they/them)

Stepping into a strip club for the first time can feel like entering a boss level in a game without knowing the rules. Whether it's your initial visit or you've been there before, navigating the environment can be daunting.

Before looking into specific topics, it's important to note that each club has its own set of rules. Dancers may also have additional rules. What follows is a general pointer of clubs in Aotearoa regarding etiquette from my own experience.

Let's start with what you can experience at a strip club. There's a range of options available, depending on what you're seeking and your budget.

Of course, you can just enjoy watching the dancers perform while sipping on a drink, but remember to tip generously! If you're interested in conversation, you can engage in a chat with a dancer. It doesn't have to be serious, and you might be surprised by what you end up talking about.

For those seeking a little more excitement, you can opt for a cheeky lap dance in a private room. Of course these rooms can also be booked for a more intimate gathering, whether it's for partying, chilling, or chatting. If your craving an even spicier experience, some dancers offer additional shows during private bookings, such as dancer-on-dance performances, toy shows, or even dominatrix. Keep in mind that these extras come at an additional cost on top of the private booking fee.

It's important to note that the majority of strip clubs do not offer full-service bookings.

As an exotic dancer, I've noticed that many people are hesitant to ask or simply don't know where to begin when it comes to the etiquette of being a patron, particularly if it's their first time. So, let's delve into a few key points to ensure both your experience and that of the dancers are enjoyable.

Tip the dancers: When entering a strip club, it's courteous to tip all the dancers who have performed on stage for you. Even if you weren't actively watching, they've still been standing half-naked in front of you, giving it their all for 5 to 10 minutes. If you're with a group, make sure several of you contribute to tipping the dancers for their artistry.

Most dancers make their income on tips and earnings from private dances. As blunt as it may sound, if you're planning on only there for a drink and not tipping please dont come in. Like any other professional, dancers appreciate being paid for their hard work and talent rather than working for free. Additionally, tipping after a private booking is greatly appreciated and welcomed.

Funny Money vs. Real Money: When you enter a strip club, you typically will purchase what we call 'funny money,' which is used to tip the dancers. It can often be purchased at the bar or reception. However, we absolutely love and prefer real money! Save up all your $5.00, $10.00, or more to bring into the club. The dancers always greatly appreciate being tipped with real notes!

Consent is sexy. Not only is that, it is mandatory. Consent in a strip club goes both ways! Refrain from touching the dancers unless they've explicitly given permission. Even when tipping or enjoying a

private dance, it's crucial to honour both the dancer's personal boundaries and the club's regulations. No

During a tipping round, dancers might invite you to contribute by placing money in their underwear or indulging in a cheeky motor boat. However be aware this isn't an invitation to engage in unwanted

We Are On the Clock: We genuinely appreciate it when patrons respect our time. Here are five rules to help achieve this:

1. Be upfront if you're not seeking company. A simple, polite response like, "Thank you for the offer, but I'm not looking for company right now/ tonight," is appreciated.

I AM MY

I work in a walk-in late-night brothel. I choose the days I work but not the length of my shift. I have worked in many different establishments and strip clubs, and they all have different rules about how long you need to work. This piece is based on my working experiences in late-night club/party

When I work, I am my fake name. I have a whole personality built around this name, a personality that aims to please the customers and clients in the best way possible and, at times, can feel all-consuming. This fake name personality can feel insincere when it is used to please clients who don’t really deserve it. When it is used to appeal to a demographic with opinions that I don’t agree with(although I do love a good debate), or when it is used to appease a client who shows me a picture of his wife and children after we have just finished having sex. I tell him ‘wow your wife is gorgeous’ without a fault in my smile, making sure to keep the sparkle in my eye, while in my head I am losing more and more trust in people who say that they love you.

A good balance between work and your personal life is important to separate the character you play at work from who you are outside of that. Sometimes, it feels like you are the fake name you assigned yourself and they have taken over your life, consuming your personality and way of thinking. I respond more to my fake name than my real name. It has been my name for almost 5 years and, sometimes, when I go out with my friends, I almost introduce myself as her.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of working all the time when you start. In my experience, this is especially

easy when you have a manager and are not working independently. When you first start, you get ‘new worker money’. The regulars at your place of work smell fresh meat and want to book you over who they already know. Sometimes, this is a good thing, and sometimes, they will try all their moves on you to try to get extra services for free. Your managers know this influx of cash will happen, and they see the benefits they can get from it. They encourage you to pick up more shifts, to stay later, to work after hours, and to go on outcalls. At the start, it’s all so exciting, albeit a little scary, but you usually get a lot of positive reinforcement to keep going. Clients compliment you and your body; management is hyping you up and getting you more jobs so that your paycheck at the end of the night is even more insane to a young girl who is used to making minimum wage. You overhear how management describes you to customers, and if, like me, you’ve struggled to love yourself/your body in the past, it feels so good it’s addictive.

When working in a club/party environment, some of the busiest times are typically Friday and Saturday nights. The same nights that you and your friends like to go out, the same nights that people celebrate their birthdays and going away parties, the most typical days and nights for 9-5’s to have off work. It feels hard to say no to the money, and if sex work is your primary income, it almost feels irresponsible not to work.

Don’t do what I did—remember to have fun with your friends, spend time with your family and live your life!

mwah xx

About this week's Artist

This week's centrefold is designed by Anaïs Walton-France My name is Anaïs and I am a third year Fine Arts student at Massey University. My main focus is painting and sculpture, exploring ideas such as identity, feminism, memories, and dreams. This painting explores the gen z experience in their exposure and consumption of pornography. The progression of sexual liberation, LGBTQ+ rights, access to sexual education and contraception develops beside the surge of porn production and accessibility. This is a complex relationship as there is continuous discourse about the ethics of not only the production of pornography but also the implications for consumers. Either way, this is our experience. See more of my art at @anaiswaltonfrance on Instagram.

Temptation is overcoming you. There’s someone you are desiring carnally. Just do a quick check to see whether they’re ethical to pursue, your best friend's ex probably isn’t.

Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo

There is a reason why the symbol for Cancer is crabs. Your flat may be pet free but you’re probably not. Get tested babes.

You’re at a crossroad. The options are laid out in front of you, but for the first time, you’re actually thinking things through. Character development, we love to see it.

All good things must come to an end. Too bad your situationship is neither good nor ending soon. How many more months are you going to spend waiting for them to choose you?

How far would you travel for a 1am “You up” text. While I admire your commitment, I do wonder how the fuck you can afford all those late night ubers.

Time for the femcel era to end. Open yourself up to new possibilities. As long as you stay safe and kind, there’s no harm in putting yourself out there.

All’s fair in love and war. I see competition for attention in your future. You should cherish what you have, or someone else will.

Capricorn

The C in Capricorn stands for content. How does it feel to be doing better than literally everybody else?Just keep doing what you’re doing.

No one was rooting for you but you managed it anyway. You pulled the person who everyone thought was out of your league. Don’t they know Scorpios can flirt.

Aquarius

There are barriers in place preventing you from getting what you want, limiting your options. It’s fair to feel frustrated, and wonder why your tinder account got banned.

Libra Scorpio Sagittarius

How’s the roster Sagittarius? Just kidding, what roster! It’s drier than the Sahara desert right now. That’s okay “you’re just focusing on yourself” which is perfectly valid.

Pisces

Prepare to be worshipped. Someone is fiending for you as we speak. This attention may come from an unexpected place so keep yourself open to new possibilities.

DOS & DON'TS

The aim of this article is to provide some guidance around the common DOs and Don’t for new sex workers as well as

New Sex Workers:

If working in a brothel, DO find people you are comfortable with and hang around with them, ask questions and gather as much information about the niche knowledge of the new space you're in and what clientele are like. If you're working as an independent worker or giving out a contact at all—DO use an account dedicated to your work or a work number—DON’T give out your actual personal details to anyone. get in touch with NZPC and utilize their free services such as STI testing and counseling for use condoms and dental dams in every booking for oral and penetrative sex. believe clients when they say other girls gave them extras or no condom services—they

be strong in your boundaries and know your worth—if they want it they will pay. get too intoxicated while doing bookings— safety is paramount and you don’t want to rely on drugs or alcohol to work the job. ask people for help when you need it—the industry can be hard and that's okay.

listen to your body and mind—DO take breaks and take shifts off when needed. show up to shifts late or without any

grasscut or poach bookings from other girls—we all need money. know your rights and what protections are in place—bad bookings can be hard but it's worse when you have no support or sympathy.

• DON’T let management take your money or rights away—it is not right that any worker is exploited!

• DO engage in self care.

• DO have your own safety plans in place—especially if your an independent worker

• DO wash your outfits and towels often—or just put the towels in the washing machine and not the floor at least.

• DON’T do anything you're not comfortable with—you're not a doll, you're a person.

• DO rant—trust me you need to and yes, they deserve it.

• DO know your space—exits, intercoms or safety things, cleaning materials, bathrooms, bins etc.

• DO know what you look good in and what helps with tips or bookings.

• DO have hobbies or things outside of work—it's important to have a life for you.

• DON’T carry a self protection weapon—it's illegal to use a weapon in self defense. Try to find something that is not harmful but causes a distraction.

• DO working there to see if it's the right fit for you.

• DON'T are not allowed to be enforced in brothels.

• DO now

• DO follow you, uber drives can stick around.

OF SEX WORK

For Clients:

• DO treat workers with respect—we are people after all.

• DO respect workers boundaries—we aren’t dolls and there is a reason those boundaries are in place.

• DO tip—if you wanna be a favorite x

• DON’T break rules—set by the worker, club or whoever. Just DON’T. It’s annoying and the rules are made for a reason, usually safety for everyone or ya know the law.

• DON’T tell us we look like your wife, child or any other family member—it's gross and you know it.

• In fact—DON’T talk to us about your kids or wife.

• DON’T talk badly about the other girls we work with—if you have an actual complaint or worry report it to the appropriate person, otherwise you're gunning to get the dickhead tax.

• DON’T blame us if you can‘t finish or get hard— you have known your dick longer then I have and it's not my fault you took a boatload of MDMA before coming in.

• DO use the bathroom if you need to—we have to clean the mess left in the room and you will be charged a cleaning fee if you throw up anywhere I can’t just flush down a drain.

• DON’T ask for free services, discounts or no protection services—no.

• If given contact to a girl—DON’T abuse that or get mad when we don’t respond the way you like—we aren’t dating bro.

• DO offer the girls a drink if appropriate.

• In a brothel setting—DON’T be a time waster—we

know it can be hard to choose and nerves make it worse but we don’t get paid to sit with you in the lounge for an hour—if you wanna chat book a room or at least offer to pay the girls for the time chatting.

• DON’T go into the “girls room”/changing room/ break room, it's a private space.

• DON’T haggle—it's a set price and in a club setting the workers don’t control that.

• In strip clubs—DON’T ask to go home with them

• In strip clubs—DON’T just watch and not tip—yes these services are in fact a luxury not a right.

• DON’T pressure anyone—full service or not, to do things they don’t want to.

• DO be clean—teeth, smell, washing your downstairs—please come in.

• DON’T comment on our bodies—the generalized comments like your so hot are fine but DON’T go commenting on scars etc.

• DON’T lecture us—we are fine earning more in an one eight hour shift then most workers in NZ earn in a week.

• DO ask questions if you are unsure.

• DO tell us if you are uncomfortable or need something—we want to make it comfortable and good for you.

• DON’T say or even suggest that it isn’t a real job. It absolutely is and we take far more risks than a lot you DO while doing it.

• DO think about what you want before coming— what DO you need from a service or want and DO communicate that.

DON’T do illegal things like fine people, force girls to do things they aren’t comfortable, take money you didn’t earn, encourage unsafe sex or behaviors, offer and encourage girls to be high or drunk on shift, make girls do back to back bookings with no breaks or ignore your workers when they raise these issues with you.

As an employer you shouldn’t be doing this and you Be human and treat us they way you would like to be treated.

ARIES, THE RECREATIONAL

SEX WORKER

words by Aries (he/him), Phoebe Robertson (she/her) photographs by Phoebe Robertson (she/her)

Aries stumbled upon his sugar mother through Tinder, with the initial intention of "wanting to be a bit of a slut." He matched with an older woman who worked for the government, and he only expected it to be a casual fling. However, in true Wellington fashion, she happened to live just down the road from his flat.

At first their relationship seemed like any other casual hookup, but things quickly escalated when the woman started buying dinners for both of them and taking Aries out on dates. A couple of months into their arrangement, she sent him a picture of a Lego set and told him to pick one. That was two years ago. Since then, their relationship has evolved into what Aries describes as "casual friends with benefits" where he doesn't have to buy anything. The woman has taken him on family trips to Christchurch, showered him with expensive Lego sets, and regularly treats him to fancy dinner dates around Wellington every few weeks.

While neither of them labels their relationship as a formal sugar baby arrangement, there are definitely some connotations present. The woman refers to Aries as her "boy toy," and Aries himself admits that the dynamic has some sugar baby influences.

Aries is content with this arrangement and considers himself a "recreational sex worker." He enjoys the non-committal nature of their relationship, allowing him to still engage in casual sexual encounters without the pressure of commitment. One of his favorite websites is Fetlife, which is a social networking site for individuals interested in BDSM, fetishism, and kink. Described as "Facebook for kinksters," FetLife allows users to connect with like-minded individuals. Aries frequently posts his own pornography on this site, simply because he enjoys showing off. On his profile, he lists "exhibitionism" as one of his top kinks. One interesting aspect of Aries's profile is that he includes his face in the explicit images he shares. When asked if he has any concerns about essentially leaking his own nudes, he dismisses these worries. He explains that even if someone were to recognize him, it would most likely be from the fetish website and questions why they would be on there in the first place. According to Aries, FetLife is a closed community and only those who intentionally sign up and create an account have access to his material. This limits viewership to those who are genuinely interested in such content.

Continuing our conversation about sex work, I inquire if Aries has ever considered making money from his pornography. With the rise of websites like OnlyFans and online sex work, it seems odd that he still chooses to share his content for free. However, he quickly clarifies that for him, posting this type of content is a personal kink and source of satisfaction. He has no desire to turn it into a job. Drawing a parallel to his profession as a chef in the hospitality industry, he explains how he's had food ruined for him due to his day job, and doesn't want to risk ruining his enjoyment of sex in the same way.

in an OnlyFans shoot with one other man and two other women. The majority of the shoot was between two of the people there, so Aries says he spent most of it (at a random airbnb) helping film the shoot. OnlyFans has implemented strict guidelines that anyone you film with needs to have an account on the platform, and unsure if he wanted to create one, Aries was content in the background.

He was involved in some of the filming, but he describes it as a mechanical experience. As an aside, he mentions one particular shoot where he lay naked on a bed while the actress "skied" with him and another man. He laughs when he tells me about it, but goes on to say that the experience made him realize he only wants to have sex for recreation. He wants an emotional connection or at least chemistry with his sexual partners.

He also brings up the issue of OnlyFans creators not having the same rights as employees and being contractors instead, which has been highlighted recently through the #firedupstilettos movement. Aries explains that if he wanted an OnlyFans account, he would have created one during Covid when the platform became popular. Currently, there are many creators with unique brands that set them apart from others. Though Aries acknowledges his own unique traits, he is not willing to risk his relationship with sex by turning it into content.

After careful contemplation and consideration of all aspects of the industry, Aries reached a refreshing conclusion—that casual encounters were the best fit for him. My initial uncertainty about his views on sex work was quickly dispelled as I found him to be respectful and grounded. Aries' perspective serves as a reminder that open-mindedness and respect can lead to a better understanding and acceptance of different forms of intimacy. Or maybe just the different forms of being a bit of a slut.

LIBERATED

words by Cowboy (they/them)

The first time I stepped into a strip club was when I began working in one. It was also the first time I watched porn, playing on a large TV in a private room during my initial lap dance. What a way to tick things off the list! Now, with over five years of experience as a stripper, I can confidently say that this job has been invaluable to me.

Before delving into various aspects of the job that I've both loved and loathed, I want to emphasise that this is solely my personal experience, and I cannot speak for other dancers or clubs.

Stripping liberated me. As an extroverted introvert, taking the stage in minimal clothing, towering heels, and slowly undressing has a unique way of blossoming one's courage. The personal growth I've experienced—whether in building confidence while engaging with people, embracing my body, or mastering the art of self-promotion—has been truly uplifting.

One of the things I absolutely cherish about this job is the flexibility it offers. Dealing with various mental health issues like depression and anxiety, alongside physical challenges such as nerve damage, can often make it difficult for me to maintain regular employment. However, I feel immensely grateful to have the ability to decide when I work, jumping onto shifts with 48hrs to one week's notice.

What's truly remarkable is that there's no pressure for me to work every single week. This level of flexibility allows me to prioritise my health and studies without feeling overwhelmed. Having familiarised myself with the workings of the club I can earn a decent income from just one or two nights of work each week. This relieves the stress of having to juggle both my studies and employment commitments during the week. It's truly a blessing to have found a job that grants me this level of autonomy and balance in my life. However, this job is ideally suited for night owls, with hours typically ranging from 7 pm to 4 or 5 am—a schedule that doesn't quite align with my ideal hours. One of the most significant adjustments I've faced,

aside from dealing with difficult or rude customers, is adapting to these hours. Constantly resetting my body clock, coupled with the physical demands of the job, can be draining and challenging. As a result, I often find myself feeling tired and fatigued, especially during the weekends. It's a significant aspect of the job that can take a toll on both physical and mental well-being. Hence why breaks from this job are important!

Another struggle that I faced with this job was realising that I was non-binary. In an environment where the majority of people expect hyper femininity it can be difficult to balance the days when I am filled with masculine energy. Being comfortable with being referred to as a woman and having my feminine features constantly highlighted added to the complexity. It often feels like I had to conform to the social expectations of the club culture in order to make more money and be safe—an acting challenge I take up on many nights.

Some of these tougher nights are made lighter by the incredible support of my fellow dancers. It's truly empowering to witness so many beautiful souls come together and exude confidence as the sexy people they are.

Regardless of whether strip clubs align with your vibe, I recommend stepping inside and supporting these talented artists. And if you've ever been curious about trying it out, why not give it a shot? Take the time to do some research, ensure you feel comfortable, and enter the space with grace. I can whole heartily say that stepping into this world will be an eye-opening journey of self-discovery.

SEX WORKER'S STORIES

A handful of Sex Workers answered questions about their experience of the Aotearoa Sex Work industry. These were the questions:

• Who are you, introduce yourself? How do you describe your role within this industry and how long have you been doing this?

• For the people who have only ever seen our industry from the outside, what is one thing you wish everyone knew about what we do?

• What is the biggest thing you have learnt in this industry you wish you knew before entering?

• If you could go back and trade what you do for a more traditional, 9-5 type job, would you? Why or why not?

@beacon_ropes My name is Beacon Ropes, and I have been doing rope art for approximately seven years. My role in the industry is to rig for models/photographers—they will call me in to do rope that reflects their intent and vision for a shoot. Physical safety is my primary concern, but providing a safe environment is important as well, so everyone is comfortable. I wish folk would understand that rope means different things to other people and it does not just mean sex. Some find it cathartic, creative, aesthetically pleasing, a bit of fun with all other things in between. I’ve learned so much about safety. It is insane the amount of safety concerns creators are responsible for around photographers or co-creators. As a big guy it was really eye opening to listen to stories from creators around predatory and unethical behaviour, and it is really disappointing that these folk are out there affecting the industry. Unfortunately I’m not free from the 9-5—rope is not a full time job and I rarely get paid for it, so I have a shift working job that I do so I can be creative with rope.

@raya_fox_official My name is Raya Fox, I'm a sex worker and content creator. I've been a sex worker for 3 years now. I’d love for people to know that sex work is work, and people can love being a sex worker as much as other people love their job. People sometimes think we get into this industry just because of the money, or we have no other choice. But for me, this has always been my dream job. I love being a sex worker. The biggest thing I've learned from this industry is to stop being too much of a people pleaser. People sometimes will try to push your limit and ignore your boundaries. When I first got into the industry, I was too eager to please every single client. 100% no 9-5 for me. I love my job, I'm a sex addict, and I love fucking strangers on a daily basis.

@onlyanastasianz I'm Anastasia, I'm a small online creator here in NZ! I’ve been in the industry for almost three years believe it or not! The capacity for sex work to build self-love. I remember reading something once that said "everyone in life is given a window of opportunity, but some people's windows are only so big" and I think of this industry as an important opportunity—it allows you to build a lot of love and respect for yourself. And although it may not be in the way people agree with we all have journeys in life that get us to the places where suppose to be, I'm glad I have OF to guide towards seeing how worth it I really am! I’ve learned how to set boundaries; if you don't have boundaries towards yourself it can be a struggle. You may settle for less, or whatever that may be, due to you not knowing what your own personal boundaries are! No 9-5 for me, I've struggled with mental health and anxiety and always felt like a let down in those roles. I like being my own boss, and having control of myself. I don't feel the pressure of anyone but myself, which for someone with anxiety is perfect!

@duchess_courts I'm Courtney, aka Duchess. I started out as an escort offering full service at an establishment five years ago. Now I work independently, offering a wider range of services like sensual massage, live sex shows online or in person, OnlyFans, host sex events, prodomme/domination and of course full service to name a few. I also do a bit of work with couples to help revive and vamp up their sex life by offering threesomes, or coaching. I wish people understood that not all workers fit inside the stereotype, or work illegally. In fact, the majority of us are your average school mum, hospital nurse, uni student, even the church goers just earning some extra coin to ease the pressures of the raising cost of living. We are not "selling our bodies" or "disrespecting ourselves". No one owns me, I still leave with full control over myself. I personally refer to it as "selling my clients an experience" since each individual is looking for something different to the last. It's extremely empowering and a huge boost for your confidence when someone chooses you over the other hotties available, and having them not want to leave because they are enjoying their 'experience' and wanting to return is extremely satisfying. And 9-5? Absolutely not. I mean, there are aspects of my 'vanilla' life that would be easier, but I am really passionate about what I do and how I do it. This industry changed how I view myself. I began seeing my body in a new light. What I once felt insecure about or disliked about myself, I now love and embrace. I've had some phenomenal experiences and met some pretty great people. It's certainly taught me a lot about myself that I would never have learned in regular '9-5' job.

@kaimerastudio Hi, I'm Brian of Kaimerastudio. I'm a photographer who has been shooting photo content for twelve years and videos for four, and am a recent New Zealand transplant. I've always been close to the industry due to the styles and themes of my photography, so when one of my models first asked me to help her shoot photosets it wasn't very difficult to make the leap. I’d love it if more people underwood this: it is a job. Yes, it can be fun, but when you're doing set dressing, lighting, or video editing it is still a job. Editing out that identifying tattoo, making sure everything is evenly lit, and getting rid of distracting background elements takes planning and work. Some scenes take several takes, are exhausting, and some days you're just not into it. This may seem obvious, but I’ve learned that the industry is inherently social, even more than the photography that I started with and still takes up 80% of my time, and I'm a huge fucking introvert. It is an industry that for small, independent workers, is hugely reliant on trust networks and interpersonal connections. I've been blessed with extrovert friends who introduce me to people and help make connections and inroads, but avoiding parties and meet ups has probably hampered me more than anything else, especially having recently moved to a new country. My involvement in the industry mainly supplements my other work. Additionally I know a lot of people working 9-5 jobs, and I wouldn't say their lives are objectively better or worse than mine. But while it doesn't fully support me, it does let me be more choosy with projects so I can prioritise working with friends or pick jobs where I'll be paid better for my time commitment.

@dalton.jh Hey I’m Dalton! I’m a male entertainer and I’ve been predominately dancing within this industry for just over 5 years! Recently I’ve been exposed to the lifestyle of an onlyfans creator. I wish everyone knew that strippers do not sleep with their clients as part of their strip jobs. Our job is to go in and dance/perform our choreographed piece of work then leave. I believe it would take some of the requests and stigma away from the industry—there’s nothing wrong with escorting, but they are separate jobs completely. I wish I knew exactly what I was getting into. I wouldn’t trade my experiences and the job for anything, but the male entertainer supply of seasoned performers is scarce I think partly due to this lack of places to get insight on the job until you join. I would never trade my job. The financial freedom this industry has given me to still work during the week if I want to, all while setting myself up for the future, is incredible. The lifestyle and people I’ve met in this industry are too amazing to regret anything.

@iampinkietarts My name is Pinkietarts, I’m a 23 year old adult entertainer here in New Zealand and have been in the industry nearly six years now. I worked across multiple areas of the industry before starting OnlyFans and becoming a top percentage creator, earning more in a month then I would a year in my previous occupations outside the industry. One things I wish everyone knew about what we do … We’re human beings! We’re your mothers, sisters and daughters, we have normal day to day lives, and are just like you! I’ve learnt that, while sex work is fully legalized here in Aotearoa, the industry is still full of destructive criticism regarding sex workers, for absolutely no reason. We pay taxes, we do manual labour, as human beings we all sell our body’s in some way. But a builder who sells his body for manual labour sees no criticism? I also learned the industry is NOT for the faint hearted and can be HARD work, both mental and physical. If I could go back and trade what you do for a more “traditional” 9-5, Would I? Not in a million years. I have never been happier in my life to run my own business, and work when I want to. The industry is so tight knit and holds some of the kindest souls I have EVER met. Not to mention, why work 9-5 for the rest of your life when you can make more in a year then most 9-5 jobs in a lifetime? Well I have nothing wrong with more traditional jobs, it’s just not the path for me, each of us have our own paths we’d like to take!

@cult_creative_nz I work under the name Cult creative, Im a photographer, filmmaker, and sometimes performer working in the world of creative porn production. I've had one foot in for several years, but have been all in for about 12 months now. I wish more people understood just how planned, scheduled, and respectfully arranged it is. There’s a great network of people that truly view it as a professional career and treat the job as such. I’ve learned how to talk openly about sex. Too often its a subject that makes people uncomfortable, but within the industry everyone knows why they’re there and it brings down any remaining walls. I left the 9-5 a long time ago and never looked back.

@nymphekitten Hi! On onlyFans my username is alluringkitten. I’m honestly not the biggest fan of that, but the name iI was using 'went against their rules, so I had to change it. Otherwise, I’m known as erika on my social media platforms. I started on OnlyFans around two years ago now, and in November I also started working as an escort. I wish people understood that for online work, social media and social networking with other creators is key. My progress hasn't been as good as it could be, because I don't put enough time into my social media. I’ve learnt a lot about being authentic to myself. I know a few people who put on an act for this work and I mean, if it works for them that's cool, but for me I only ever want to present myself who I am and do things I enjoy and make me happy. I feel my best work has come from no planning and just going with the flow. 9-5? Not at all. I love having freedom over my life and doing what I love when I want. If I could work out social media and gain a better following I would only ever get to do what I want when I want. I love making content, I really do have a lot of fun doing it, and coming up with new things to film makes me excited.

STONE FRUIT SEASON

words by Zia Ravenscroft (he/they)

The first time I encountered the term ‘stone’ was when I was both still lesbian and in high school, in classic queer text Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg. The first time I used it to describe myself was one transition and two years later.

Stoneness refers to either a stone top (not wanting to receive sexual touch) or a stone bottom (not wanting to give sexual touch). Nobody experiences stoneness in the same way, so there’s lots of variation and individual boundaries. The terms stem from lesbian communities in the 1940s and 50s, and are closely tied to butch/femme identities and relationships. Nowadays, they’re a little less common, and predominantly used by lesbians still and transgender people.

I thought stone was an outdated term. I didn’t know how it related to me, until I made friends with a high femme lesbian in first year. When she talked about her identity, I had the lightning strike moment of ‘Oh. Me too.’

Realising I was stone allowed me to name my desires properly, even if I was no novice to weird gay sex at this point (and would consider myself something of an expert now). I thought I knew what I wanted from intimacy, but feeling confident and comfortable in being stone completely changed this. I was no longer failing expectations I’d literally just put upon myself, and started having infinitely better sex as a result. I’ve spent the majority of my life feeling disconnected

from my body from a combination of gender dysphoria and post-traumatic stress disorder from sexual abuse and rape. Exploring my stone identity reminds me that I exist and am present in my body. While my own stoneness absolutely relates to my trauma, there is no set or even clear reason why anybody is stone. Sometimes, you just are.

As someone living with PTSD, there is nothing I can do to guarantee that I won’t have a PTSD flashback during sex. These mean I need a whole day off for recovery and looking after myself. Being stone reduces this in a way that’s transformative for me. After being abused, I didn’t think there would be a point in my life where I could have consensual sex. It felt impossible and out-of-reach, a hypothetical for if I was ever ‘healed’ enough. I know I wouldn’t have the sex life that I currently do—one I consider healthy, and most importantly fun—if it weren’t for discovering that I was stone.

People love to joke about pillow princesses, or misunderstand stoneness entirely, and I’ve had a few partners lose interest after I’ve told them I’m stone. The first time I had a lover fully accept my stoneness and check exactly what my boundaries were, I felt like crying. It sounds like the bare minimum, but when you haven’t even had that for years, it meant everything to me.

It’s stone fruit season, baby- take a bite.

What

Who was the last Tsar of Russia?

What character have both Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch played?

What country drinks the most coffee per capita?

Which planet in the Milky Way is the hottest?

I THINK I'VE BEEN HERE

CROSSWORD MADE

ACROSS

1. Place for a banh mi or an O-Week gig (3,3)

4. Newest NATO member, ending a 210-year tradition of neutrality (6)

8. Te Mārua ______, geological feature overlooking the Hutt River (6)

9. Pipitea or Te Aro? (6) *

11. Foster or Whanau? (5) *

12. Main protagonist of 1999's Muppets From Space (5)

13. Zac of High School Musical (5)

18. Victoria or Cook? (5) *

19. Online acronym sometimes used as reminder (5)

20. Like holders of a student loan (2, 4)

21. Kelburn or Oriental? (6) *

22. Cuba or Bunny? (6) *

23. Happy or Aro? (6) *

WORD SCRAMBLE

How many words (of three letters or more) can you make from these letters (according to the Scrabble UK dictionary)?

DOWN

ISSUE 03

Crossword solution

1. On the way (2,4)

2. Brontë and Dickinson, for two (6)

3. Memorable (13)

5. Te __________-a-____, the tāone nui that’s home to the starred clues (9, 4)

6. Rely upon (6)

7. How an absentee might get marked as in a compulsory tutorial (2, 4)

10. Capital city Southeast of Salamanca (6)

14. Outlook inhabitants (6)

15. A group of crows getting down to Sophie EllisBexter? (6)

16. How commuters on the Melling Line travel (2, 4)

17. Vineyard, like one of many in Martinborough (6)

BY NIL N A B E

Good: 7 | Very Good: 9 | Excellent: 10+

podcasts.

with Speaker of the House Teddy O'Neill (he/it/ia)

Salient Unedited This week on Unedited, Phoebe, Teddy, Henry and Ethan talk sex work- do's, don't's, and answering the question: what does skiing entail?

Arts & Culture This week on the Arts and Culture pod, Teddy and Phoebe talk to Labour Deputy Carmel Sepuloni about all things pop culture, and then Teddy talks to Emily, our poet for the upcoming drugs issue!

VUWSA Unedited This week, Teddy's joined by Will in the studio to grill Matt Tucker, VUWSA's CEO.

THE TEAM

Third Row: Ngan Dang (she/they, Staff Writer Intern) ; Monisha Dahya (she/her, Podcast Intern) ; Darcy Lawrey News Intern) ; M&M (Ash's cat) ; Bird of the Week

Second Row: Phoebe Robertson (she/her, Editor) ; Te Huihui Tran (he/him, Te Ao Māori Co-Editor) ; Ashleigh Putt-Fallows Te Ao Māori Co-Editor) ; Daphene (Henry's cat) ; Guy van Egmond (he/him, Contributing Writer) ; Jia Sharma Mauatua Fa'ara-Reynolds (she/her, Staff Writer) ; Henry Broadbent (he/him, Sub-Editor)

Front Row: Teddy O'Neill (he/it/ia, Speaker of the House) ; Ava O'Brien (she/her, Distributor) ; Ethan Rogacion (he/him, News Co-Editor) ; Dan Moskovitz (he/him, Chief Reporter) ; Will Irvine (he/him, News Co-Editor) ; Kate Seager (she/her, Designer)