Preliminary results from the Victorian state elections in Australia show Fiona Patten taking a seat in the upper house of the state parliament, the first win for the party she founded four years ago: the Australian Sex Party.
The former sex worker began the party to protect the sex industry from attacks by religious conservatives. She achieved electoral success by branching out into other social issues, taking bold stances on euthanasia, drug reform, gay rights and levying taxes on churches.
One political ad showed Patten laying out the party platform to man who says he's "worried that everything we do is about sex." After Patten states her plans for "better public transport on weekends, tax breaks for small businesses" and opposing "kids going to jail for smoking a joint." She closes with her slogan, "it's not just about the sex."
The former sex worker began the party to protect the sex industry from attacks by religious conservatives. She achieved electoral success by branching out into other social issues, taking bold stances on euthanasia, drug reform, gay rights and levying taxes on churches.
Australian Sex Party Wins With Slogan: It's Not Just About The Sex
“People understood what our policies were instead of focusing on the name ... Gone were the whispers. There were no silly jokes this time around, no sniggering," said Patten. That was because she engineered a clever two-pronged ad strategy: outrageous not-safe-for-work ads that appealed to younger voters, alongside sober, straight-forward ads describing their issue positions.One political ad showed Patten laying out the party platform to man who says he's "worried that everything we do is about sex." After Patten states her plans for "better public transport on weekends, tax breaks for small businesses" and opposing "kids going to jail for smoking a joint." She closes with her slogan, "it's not just about the sex."