A quick guide to advertising standards for licensed brothels and sole operators
Sole operators
An advertisement for prostitution by a sole operator sex worker must not state or imply that more than one sex worker may be available.
A sole operator sex worker can advertise that they are working at a specific licensed brothel. If the ad includes a telephone number it must only be the telephone number for the licensed brothel.
Licensed brothels
An advertisement for a licensed brothel must state the business name of the licensed brothel, as it appears on the brothel licence.
An advertisement for a licensed brothel must not:
- contain a telephone number that the Authority have not been advised of
- state or imply that the brothel is associated with escort services
- state or imply that more sex workers are available than permitted
- contain a discount unless it explicitly states that the discount is in respect of room hire only.
Signage
Licensed brothel signage is regulated by local government under the assessment benchmarks for the Planning Act 2016. Refer to s. 25 and Schedule 3 (Code setting out assessment benchmarks) of the Prostitution Regulation.
Contact your local government authority for more information.
Checklist: Ads by licensed brothels and sole operators
You must follow these guidelines to advertise in Queensland, no matter where in Australia you work.
What you can do – legal advertising
| Where can I advertise? | Staying compliant | |
|---|---|---|
| Business cards | ||
| Newspaper | ||
| Websites and website links |
| |
| Social media | ||
| Subjects and words | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Safe sex | Safe sex only, condoms used always | |
| General description of services only | Fantasy, fetish, girlfriend experience, hard core, role play, etc | |
| Sexuality and gender | Gay, transgender, bisexual, shemale, female impersonator, sex change | |
| Age | Young, student, boy, girl. Only if stated that the person is 18 years of age or older | |
| Recruitment | You may only advertise for brothel staff in a ‘positions vacant/employment’ section of a publication or website IF the ad does not imply that the position is for a sex worker. | |
| Images: pictures/photos | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Bare breasts and nudity | Not showing sexual organs or anus | |
What you can’t do – illegal advertising
| Where can't I advertise? | |
|---|---|
| Television | |
| Radio | |
| Video and video recordings | |
| Stickers | |
| Subjects and words | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Unsafe sex | You must not advertise in a way that implies unsafe sex (i.e. sexual intercourse or oral sex without prophylactic) For example, sexual references to ‘natural’, ‘bareback’, ‘basic’, ‘skin to skin’. | |
| Specific description of services | BJ and B & D | |
| Bodily fluids – describing and naming | Tasty, juicy, pee | |
| Anything that suggests a person is under 18 | Young, student, boy, girl, virgin, fresh, never touched, beginner | |
| Any connection with massage services | The word massage must NOT be used | |
| Escort services | ||
| Drugs/drug use | ||
| Sex workers and choice | You must not advertise in a way that suggests sex workers do not have a choice about the services they provide. | |
| Recruitment | You must not advertise in a way that might encourage a person to become a sex worker. For example, a licenced brothel advertisement for a ‘hostess’. | |
| Advertise another business or event | Unless consent must be sought from the person conducting the business or event, this includes a discount voucher for a shop. | |
| Sponsorship of an event or organisation | ||
| Game of chance or trade promotion of offering sexual services as a prize | ||
| Prohibited Images: pictures/photos | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual organs or anus | ||
| People under 18 years of age | ||
| Anyone who looks like a child | Unless you state that the person is 18 years of age or older | |
| An animal | ||
| Alcohol, drugs, drug use, underage sex, unsafe sex, sexual activity | ||
| A sexual act or a simulated sex act | ||