Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland. It is strategically located in the southeastern section of the state and to the east of the Great Dividing Range. An estimated 2,274,600 Brisbanites inhabit an area of roughly 1140 square kilometers.
Brisbane is considered an underrated city that has always struggled behind Melbourne and Sydney in terms of cultural stakes, but it grew steadily after World War II and now boasts a thriving arts scene, pulsating nightlife and is home to some of the best bands and live music in Australia. Historic building and lush parks complete the picture.
It is virtually impossible to traverse modern Brisbane without having your sexual promiscuity called to account. Fortitude Valley (a.k.a "The Valley") has been historically associated with the city’s darker side and has emerged over time as a bona fide red light district. It started to be linked to Brisbane’s nightlife and its seedy underbelly during the 1970s and into the 1980s. It is situated immediately northeast of the central business district and remains renowned for its vibrant nightlife and features some of Brisbane’s finest bars and nightclubs.
However, Fortitude Valley has been supplanted as the city’s red light zone by a glitzy riverside suburb with lavish residences and private river moorings. The reason behind this is that the incursion of sex workers from Asia had altered the dynamics of the exclusive riverside dwellings at Dockside and Kangaroo Point. For instance, a lot of Asian women are offering cheap services at apartments in Kangaroo Point. Some people are also claiming that Caxton Street is fast becoming another contender as Brisbane’s red light district.
How to Find the RLD
The suburb of Fortitude Valley lies in the north-eastern side of the CBD, approximately just a kilometre away. Caxton Street is in the suburb of Petrie Terrace, in close proximity to Sun-crop Stadium, and the Brisbane Arts Theatre.
Stay Safe in the RLD
When compared to other cities of comparable size, Brisbane tends to have a relatively low crime rate. In majority of cases, use of common sense and being aware of the surroundings will keep you safe. Just like Melbourne, Sydney and other large cities, train stations are the common crime zones, though trains and stations are being patrolled by private security guards, local police officers, and transit officers. It is advised to be extra cautious when travelling on buses and trains, particularly in the afternoon and at night. Here are a few more tips:
Other than these, the only trouble you'll encounter is with other bar/club patrons, either in the venues or on the streets after closing time, which is typically between 3 am and 5 am. For females, it is highly recommended to travel in groups to avoid unwanted attention from drunken partygoers and revellers, especially during the early hours of the morning.
Booming Brisbane has emerged as one of Australia’s biggest party and nightclub districts, with the metropolis hosting about 60,000 revelers every Friday and Saturday evening. There are folks from all walks of life and they all enjoy the wide selection of bars, clubs, and pubs that cater to every subculture and sexual orientation. The city also has a well-established adult entertainment industry so expect to find a menagerie of brothels, strip joints, sex shops, and swinger clubs.
Adult Cinemas
Everything Adult Cinema - the only one of its kind in Brisbane. It has a lounge area with a large TV screen, and the main cinema with 20 seats, plus three private rooms. There is small room next to the men's toilet where 'willing' customers can ‘play’.
Address: 93 Elizabeth Street (opposite Myer Centre)
Phone: (07)32200046
Website: www.everything4adults.com.au
Adult features: Glory Holes and Dark Rooms
A number of swinger clubs operate in Brisbane, but here are the more notable ones:
Mike’s place - the city’s newest council-approved 5-star club for like-minded adults. It features 380 square meters of fully air conditioned entertainment venue that’s spread over two floors with seven private rooms, 10-person spa pool with lockers, open areas for intimate meetings, spacious dance floor with state-of-the-art lighting and great music. There is a dress code: collared shirt and trousers or smart jeans for guys, and smart ‘n sexy for the ladies. On Saturday nights they average 35-40 couples and 3-4 single ladies. Single guys are not allowed on Saturdays.
Address: 12/6 Maunder Street, Slacks Creek
Phone: 07 31330040
Sex work in Brisbane takes on two forms: private work involving lone operators is legal, but all other types of sex work are deemed illegal. These include unlicensed brothels, street prostitutes, two sex workers sharing the same premises, and out-calls offered by a licensed brothel. Any person over 18 years of age may legally provide prostitution, either as a lone prostitute or as an employee of a licensed brothel.
The Prostitution Act of 1999 allows all individuals to apply for a brothel license, or a certificate to operate/manage one on behalf of the licensee. Concurrently, the Act has raised the penalty for public soliciting from $750 for a first offence to $1,125. Individual sex workers are not prevented from going about their business under the Act, but the restrictions placed on private workers or sole operators continue to apply.
A second offence entails a maximum penalty of $1,875.00, while a third or subsequent offence carries a penalty of $2,250.00 or 6 months of imprisonment. Deliberately luring or recruiting a minor or an intellectually impaired individual to work as a prostitute involves a maximum penalty of 14 years of imprisonment. It is a criminal offence to have an interest in or be present at, premises used for prostitution while knowing that a minor or intellectually impaired individual is at that place.
If premises declared as prohibited brothel are later used as a brothel, the owner and occupier each commit an offence that carries a maximum penalty of $15,000 or 3 years of imprisonment. Prohibited brothels are premises declared as being unlicensed or operated contrary to the Integrated Planning Act.
Chic bars, cool clubs, and a superb live music scene make the city of Brisbane really come to life at night. Fortitude Valley itself is teeming with bars, clubs, and pubs but West End is also emerging as a great place for night outs. Thursday to Sunday are the key days of the week to head out and party till you drop. Here are some excellent venues you need to check out:
Queensland is said to be the least gay and lesbian-friendly state in Australia. This may hold true a few years back and the same cannot be said for Brisbane because the gay and lesbian scene in the city is well established, with several bars and nightclubs, along with a number of bathhouses, gyms, and saunas on roads like Jeays Street and Peel Street.
General Attitude Towards Gays
Brisbane has become a liberal city over time, as gays and lesbians now revel in a loud and lively scene that only gets better every year. There is generally no hatred or animosity towards the LGBT community. In fact, a number of events are held on a regular basis including the Pride Festival which is a month-long event with art exhibitions, a street march, a film festival, and sports competitions. There is also the Northern Exposure organized by Brisbears.
The gay activity is centred around the suburbs of Spring Hill, West End, Fortitude Valley, New Farm, Paddington, and Woolloongabba. Nightlife tends to be focused on The Beat, The Wickham Hotel, and the Sportsman Hotel. There is also a wide selection of cafes and restaurants along Boundary Street and Hargrave Road at West End, where guests are welcomed into a non-discriminatory setting.
Gay Prostitution in Brisbane
Gay prostitutes hang out at the Bodyline Spa and Sauna on Peel Street, in the vicinity of the Sportsman Hotel on Leichhardt Street, and at a bar called The Wickham.