Coronavirus restrictions: adult entertainment industry to reopen under stage three

The part-time male stripper saw his Saturdays free up from mid-March when the adult entertainment industry was forced to grind to a halt.

As the most sought-after private performer at Young Gunz Entertainment, Mr Fraser took a significant pay cut when the company was forced to cancel its booked-out Canberra shows just as hen's parties across the territory got the axe.

Since its launch in Canberra two years ago the all-male strip show had been sold-out each month, including booked-out performances scheduled throughout Autumn this year.

"We had to refund all of those tickets, so there was probably about $15,000 worth of refunds in one week," business owner Elliot Smith said.

Strip clubs, brothels and "sex-on-premises" venues were added to the long list of non-essential services ordered to close nationally due to coronavirus on March 25.

Many of the industry's contracted employees were left without an income, ineligible for the JobKeeper stimulus announced in April.

Pitched to be one of the last industries allowed to reopen under stage 3 of the ACT Recovery Plan, the whole adult entertainment industry in Canberra has taken a hit.

Red Door owner Donna Fox runs an all-female-staffed exotic massage parlour in Fyshwick with five receptionists and around 35 contractors.

The business had planned to expand into an escort service the week COVID-19 shutdowns were announced for the industry - plans which have since been put on hold.

Ms Fox said it's not just been hard on the girls but on their clients, especially the "older gentlemen" who rely on the service for companionship.

"It's a massive part of what we do, we have a lot of older gentlemen who come in and just don't have anyone else to talk to," she said.

"I think this will have hit them quite hard."

Asked whether Canberra venues would be fast-tracked for reopening ahead of the current mid-July plan, the ACT government failed to provide any details.

"Requirements for stage 3, including those for strip clubs, are currently being considered," a government spokesperson said.

Asked whether venues would record patrons' names, whether food orders would be required and whether the 100-person rule would be enforced, the ACT government offered the same response.

Sex Work Outreach Program ACT coordinator Venus de Siren said it was disheartening to see stigma and discrimination underscore the decision-making to delay the return of the sex industry.

"[Especially] when we have already seen adjacent personal service industries return that also have a person-to-person contact, such as beauticians and remedial massage therapists," Ms Siren said.

"Sex workers have a long track record of effective leadership in responding to the HIV epidemic and the response to COVID-19 has been no different."

She said the industry body had advised sex workers to continue enhanced screening measures, increased use of personal protective equipment and enhanced cleaning and hygiene protocols to ensure the safety of workers and clients when they transitioned back to work.

Ms Siren said the impact of brothel closures had a varying toll on sex workers, depending on personal circumstances.

She said some had accessed JobKeeper or JobSeeker, others had been forced to rely financially on partners, families and friends and some had pivoted to online sex work.

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In between issuing ticket refunds for Young Gunz live shows, Mr Smith devised a plan for a virtual striptease, which included a pre-recorded show with a personalised message sent to the client.

Partnering with an agency in the United Kingdom, the business had 24 orders from 12 different countries in its first week.

Now into its third month of going digital, Mr Smith said the Australian boys had proven popular with American, Japanese and UK customers.

The company has since started doing live online strips through Zoom, which was also proving popular.

"We have done shows for people in hospital with COVID, we've done doctors that've been working, nurses, buck's parties, hen's parties, birthdays. Yeah, you name it, we've done the most bizarre jobs. It's been crazy," he said.

Wanderlust Gentleman's Club in Mitchell has been operating since the third week of May for bookings of 10 people, the lingerie restaurant advertised as COVID-19-compliant.

Despite allegations from a competing establishment the club had continued with shows during the lockdown, an ACT police spokesperson said these rumours were unfounded.

"The establishment was inspected five times by ACT policing during May and no COVID-19 breaches were found," the spokesperson said.

Despite the loosening of social-distancing restrictions to allow 100 people at indoor venues from Friday, Young Gunz will not be returning to the stage in real life any time soon.

Mr Smith said it's not financially viable and nor was it the good time they wanted to show attendees.

"If we can only give a half-decent show we won't bother putting it on at all," Mr Smith said.

Ms Siren said the sex industry had seen many people fall through the gaps in terms of accessing government stimulus support.

"The COVID19 impact has further highlighted the stigma and discrimination that sex workers face dealing with the fear of judgment it conjures when considering accessing crisis relief, religious charities, and government agencies," she said.

"Full decriminalisation of sex work in the ACT will see an end to this and there is the hope that this is realised sooner rather than later."