Our first seminar of the 2015 academic year is on Emerging social, health and regulatory issues associated with male escorting, presented by Professors John Scott and Victor Minichiello

There is increasing attention to the fact that global increases in sex work occur not only among female sex workers, but also among cohorts of male sex workers. However, current research continues to focus predominately on female sex workers, and specifically on street sex workers, despite the existence of large numbers of MSW and significant changes in the geography of sex work from ‘outdoors’ to ‘indoors’. International research suggests that the majority of men who have sex with men meet their partners through the internet. Despite this sex industry research has only recently begun to examine the impacts of social and technological change on the male sex industry. At a broad social level, telecommunications and changes in gender relations has increased the numbers of male escort workers, created new spaces for sex work encounters, and has extended the reach of sex work to a wider socio-demographic audience. This has changed the way in which the sex industry is regulated in many jurisdictions, both internationally and locally. With attention to the larger social context of the sex industry, especially public health and criminal regulation, this paper examines how telecommunications, in changing the structure and organization of sex work has opened up new spaces for the expression of masculinity and intimacy.

Author Bios:
Emeritus Professor Minichiello, a health sociologist and public health researcher, holds a number of professorial appointments, including being an Adjunct Professor in the School of Social Justice at QUT. He has published extensively on the topics of sexualities, male escorts, ageing, suicide, and research methodology. He conducted one of the first landmark studies on male escorts and their clients funded by the NHMRC, and currently is working on two ARC funded projects related to the sexual wellness of seniors. He also coordinates the Argentina-Australia Binational Project. Further information about Victor’s research and publication can be found at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Victor_Minichiello
Professor Scott joined the QUT School of Justice in 2014. He has published widely on topics such as the sex industry, rural crime and violent crime. Current projects include an ARC funded project, with Minichiello, examining male sex work and two National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund grants, investigating social aspects of drug supply and usage. His most recent publications include Male Sex Work and Society (Harrington Park Press, 2014) and Key concepts in Crime and Society (Sage, 2015).