Decrim now world news digest for November 2025

Joy, the World’s First Statue of a Sex Worker, Returns to Darlinghurst in Sidney

Australia, Sidney

November 8, 2025

The piece was erected in 1995 to commemorate NSW’s progress in decriminalising sex work. After 18 months, following community backlash, it was moved. But now, she’s back.

Over the weekend, Joy came back to Stanley Street.

Artist Loui Fraser (now known as Loui May) made a sculpture that was erected at the intersection of Yurong and Stanley streets in 1995. Made of a strikingly white mix of cement and marble dust, the woman – named Joy – was a tribute to sex workers in the area. She leant against a red metal “doorway”, nonchalantly smoking a cigarette.

May made the piece to recognise NSW’s role in the decriminalisation of certain forms of sex work; and it was widely considered to be the first statue in the world to immortalise a sex worker.

Joy stood proudly in her Darlinghurst spot for 18 months – drumming up a lot of controversy. The artist told the ABC that the piece was bashed with a pipe and that a mother – who thought the woman in the work looked like her daughter – took to it with a hammer.

In 1997, it was moved to the permanent collection at Macquarie University.

Nearly three decades later, following a public petition, the City of Sydney council resolved to either bring the sculpture or a replica back to that corner. But, Macquarie University was unwilling to part with the original. Casting technician Matthew Crawford was commissioned to make a replica.

The new Joy, unveiled on Saturday November 8, has a few key differences: it’s now cast in bronze and Joy has lost her cigarette.

“Darlinghurst was a very different place in the ’90s when sex and drugs and associated crime were rife on these streets,” Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore said in a statement.

“[The original] was created as a tribute to women and to the history of East Sydney as a place known for sex workers. It’s been 30 years since Joy graced this corner and 30 years since NSW became one of the first jurisdictions in the world to decriminalise many forms of sex work, sealing our place as a global leader in sex worker rights.”

May left school at 15 to attend the National Art School in Darlinghurst. In those formative years, she remembers seeing sex workers leaning against doorways as she walked to and from school. The artist told the ABC that the name Joy referenced both the women’s joyful demeanour and the joy their services could bring, with that very joyousness and the women’s quiet strength forming her inspiration.

“While my hands may have created this sculpture, it is the women who have lived and worked in this area through history that Joy represents,” said May. “On their behalf, I give thanks to the hundreds of supporters who believed this sculpture was important.”

Source portal broadsheet.com.au

Sex workers protest outside Scottish Parliament over ’Nordic Model’ bill

Scotland, Edinburgh

November 18, 2025

ASH Regan’s Prostitution Bill faced a protest outside of the Scottish Parliament yesterday, with the proposals being branded “dangerous” by the campaigners.

Around 60 sex workers and allies of their campaign gathered on Tuesday night at Holyrood.

The sex worker-led organisation Scotland for Decrim argues that the bill would have a negative impact on sex workers, making it more difficult for them to work safely while not significantly reducing the demand for sex worker’s services.

The bill would create a new criminal offence of paying for sexual acts. The approach, known as the Nordic Model, originated in Sweden before being adopted by Norway, Iceland and Northern Ireland, among others.

Scotland for Decrim argues that the model fails to protect sex workers, citing evidence from Amnesty which found that hundreds of sex workers were made homeless through forced evictions as a result of similar legislation, and reports from Northern Ireland which showed a spike of 225% in reported assaults against sex workers following the introduction of the model.

Liz Thomson Amnesty International UK’s Scotland programme director said: "If passed into law this Bill will cause many of the same harms against sex workers in Scotland as our researchers have documented in other jurisdictions where the purchase of sex is criminalised.

"As Amnesty’s extensive worldwide consultations and first-hand research has shown, the main driver of sex work is poverty and the route to supporting those who want to exit sex work is to ensure that their economic and social rights like access to adequate housing, food and social security are upheld.

"We call on MSPs to oppose the bill and to ensure that the voices and experiences of sex workers are at the centre of any decision making in Scotland that impacts their lives."

Source portal uk.news.yahoo.com

OnlyFans creator’s visit to college class draws crowds, controversy

USA, Seattle

November 25, 2025

A guest lecture by OnlyFans creator and social media influencer Ari Kytsya has sparked backlash after she addressed more than 1,200 psychology students in a University of Washington human sexuality course.

What did Ari Kytsya talk about?

Dr. Nicole McNichols, a psychology professor who organized the speech, said Kytsya’s perspective offered students a firsthand look at digital labor and the realities of sex work in modern society. McNichols said the event shared “essential voices” in conversations about sexuality and online work.

Kytsya, who has millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram, talked about topics including sexual economics, the construction of online personas and the psychological implications of digital spaces.

What supporters and critics said about the presentation by the OnlyFans creator

Critics said the OnlyFans personality blurred the line between academic inquiry and sensationalism. Parents and faculty members questioned whether the university should provide such a platform. Supporters countered that sex work and influencer culture are legitimate areas of study.

Kytsya’s talk, titled “Surviving Digital Economies: Performing an Online Persona, Psychological Implications for Sexualized Public Spaces,” included stories about online requests she has received, which she said illustrated the challenges of navigating a career built on adult content. The university has not issued a formal statement beyond defending the professor’s academic freedom.

Source portal cleveland.com