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Red Umbrella Event, International Whores Day, Performance on MCA lawn, 2007
Link to Photo spread Pages: 1 << 2 << 3 << 4 << 5
| After walking through the concourse of Sydney Harbour, the red umbrella event planted on the lawn outside the Museum of Contemporary Art for the final performance of the afternoon. A dozen more women had joined the procession by this stage, dropping into line with the red and over dressed participants, whispering furtively "I used to be a worker... can I join in?" into the ears of easily identifiable members of the group. "Sure!" was the answer, and the group grew. Finally settling on the grass, surrounded by the red umbrellas and still accompanied by the sound track of Nana Mouskouri singing "Never On A Sunday" in Greek, Oh, you can kiss me on a Monday, a Monday, A Monday is very very good. Or you can kiss me on a Tuesday, a Tuesday A Tuesday, in fact I wish you would. Or you can kiss me on a Wednesday, a Thursday, A Friday and Saturday is best. Over a hundred tourists crowded around to see what was coming next.... |
| And the onlookers were not dissapointed! Ginger Snapps went to town with sequined bikinis and the strains of "Big Spender." The minute you walked in the joint, I could see you were a man of distinction, A real big spender. Good looking, so refined. Say wouldn't you like to know What's going on in my mind? So, let me get right to the point, I don't pop my cork for every guy I see..... |
| Then Ginger began the shimmying and pastie twirling!!!! Hey, big spender, Hey, big spender! Hey, big spender, Spend... A little time with...me! Wouldn't you like to have fun.. Fun.. Fun.. Hows about a few laughs.. Laughs.. Laughs.. I could show you a ..good time! Let me show you a ..good time! Tourist cameras went wild... |
| As the strains of the song hit a peak, and the tourist audience was left wondering what else could be taken off without the performance becoming illegal, Lydia Lunchbox whipped out her paint box and painted a bold statement onto Ginger Schnapps body. What had been a site of entertainment and titilation now became the political statment of the group Keep Your Laws Off My Body in dripping red ink. |
| Proud to the final moment, the sex worker group clapped wildy along with all the onlookers, and congratulated each other on a fantastic day. Many thanks to all the people who organised the event, and in particular to the 60 or so sex workers who made it along on the day. Your pride and strength has lifted the spirits of the million sex workers that read about it in the paper the next day, that saw us sashaying along the Harbour, that heard us proudly claiming our rights on the radio, that will do so next year and the next. See you at International Whores Day Red Umbrella Event in your capital city 2008!! |
Link to Photo spread Pages: 1 << 2 << 3 << 4 << 5
All photos © Scarlet Alliance, The Australian Sex Workers Association, 2007. Article by Kate Holden on previous pages reprinted from RED Magazine, with permission.<