You pack your favourite vibrator, a pair of handcuffs; condoms, lube, massage oil and you feel you’re all set.

There are some things, however, you need to be prepared for aside from getting your bag of tricks ready. Whether you are a seasoned swinger or a newbie this might shed light into things that you might have dismissed as irrelevant or finicky. Following are a few tips for surviving a sex party.

1. Be prepared

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True, some party venues provide guests with free condoms and tiny packets of lube at the door. This is not going to last you and get you past second base. So definitely, pack some of your own.

While it’s not necessary to bring the entire contents of your naughty drawer, you should take along the basics – your favourite lube, one to remember especially if you are extra sensitive or have any allergies to latex. Maybe pack some of your favourite toys, vibrators, and a costume if you like to dress up and role-play.

It might also be wise to pack a couple of towels and a change of clothes. After a night of frolicking, it will make you feel like you can face the world once you had a shower and put on some new clothes on.

In addition, each club or house party has rules. Rules are intended to make everyone safe. You need to know them well, a good idea is to ring in advance or check the club’s website. The advantage, of course, is that you walk in like you own the place rather than look like a scared puppy hanging out in the dark corners frighted of everyone around. The better prepared you are the better your experience will be.

2. Put some thought to your choice of wardrobe

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There’s nothing worse than wasting your energy and passion on trying to get those skinny jeans off. You’ll both end up exhausted for the wrong reason.

Wear a sexy skirt sans panties for when things get heated up cause nobody ain’t got the time for elaborate and complicated obstructions.

However, sometimes parties are themed so they ask you to come dressed in latex, leather, uniforms or glam evening wear.

3. Scrubbing Up

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Trim, shave, or wax whatever your preference but ensure you look absolutely your best because unlike other parties you are more definitely going to end up naked. Stage one is your sexy clothes you walked in with, then your sexy lingerie and last you’ll end up in your birthday suit. All eyes are going to be on you and you better impress!

4. Look and smell your best

Source:Giphy

Hygiene will break or seal the deal. If you are left all alone in a room where things were about to happen. Ask if you brushed your teeth, groomed or had a shower. Don’t be the skunk in the room.

5. Party etiquette

Image Source: Warner Bros.

It’s a sex party, yes but it’s not free for all policy. There’s a sexy feeling in the air but personal boundaries still prevail. So don’t go around smacking every sexy ass you see or try to grope people up.

Before nibbling on that sexy stranger’s ear, placing a hand on their thigh, show some manners and ask permission. It’s important that all participants feel comfortable, and that all intimate acts are consensual.

6. Watch first, and then decide

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You can do all the Internet research you want, but you’re not going to really understand what it’s like to be in a swinging environment until you’ve been there. Your first time, it’s typically a good idea to just go and see how things unfold. There will be plenty to see and learn.  Roam around, observe and learn how things work.

Then, if it’s something you’re into, and you’re in the mood, figure out how you fit in and either ask if you can join in or leave it for another time. No one couple is the same and what works for one, doesn’t mean it works for the other. If you are comfortable join in the fun.

7. Door Closed vs Door Open

Be respectful of others’ space, especially if they are trying to have a bit of a private play with someone else with the bedroom door closed. Usually, doors closed mean DO NOT DISTURB. However, if doors are left open then a couple is happy to either being watched or being joined by another couple or person.

While voyeurism and exhibitionism are a big part of any play party, there’s a definite line between creepy and non-creepy.

Whether you are single or a couple if you make yourself a pleasant party guest and make a good impression, someone is bound to ask you to play.

8. Expect nothing and the unexpected

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Walk in with no expectations. People instinctively know when someone comes in with expectations; those who are casual about being around sexy people become more attractive.

Sex parties draw in a variety of people and not all fall within your definition of attractive. Be prepared to go to parties and not quite meet someone who ticks all your boxes, but you’re still in luck as there’s novelty to do the dirty deed somewhere new.

9. Be respectful of partners

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If you want to get invited to join a couple you need to build a rapport. You need to impress both parties. Although, some couples are comfortable playing alone, the majority want to play together. It’s important that you respect their boundaries and ensure yours are considered too.

If at any stage you are invited to participated in an activity you are not ready for yet, say politely “I’m really flattered by the invitation, but I’m not interested.”

10. Discuss, set and keep your boundaries

Even the most open of relationships will have boundaries that they work with. Play parties are lots of fun and an incredible turn on for some couples, but jealousy surface. To avoid jealousy it’s a good idea to regulate the level of physical contact with others.

Some couples are comfortable playing together, others are happy playing alone, and none is wrong just whatever is your comfort zone. Agree on rules and boundaries and do not break them. If you feel after the first or several sex parties you are ready to raise the stake, bring up the issue with your partner and re-negotiate your rules.

11. Connect with your partner regularly

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Connect with your partner regularly so they still feel like they are number one, because if they feel good and safe the more fun you are going to have.

On the whole, if you both come out feeling great about the party and your experience there, the more likely you are going to go to another sex party in the near future.

12. You need to be social

Image Source: Universal Pictures

Many people go to swingers parties and complain that everybody there is “too cliquish.” Yes, swingers gravitate towards their friends — like everybody else — but go up and say hello, and you’ll be surprised how fast people will welcome you.

13. Learn the lingo

Image Source: BBC

When you hear the words “full swap,” it’s the term for couples that are down for full-on sex with another couple.

When you hear the word ‘unicorn’ in a conversation they’re talking about a female who attends swinger’s events alone.

Other useful terms include “soft swap”, couples who’ll play with other couples but won’t “go all the way” and “the lifestyle,” which is a term swingers’ use to describe their lifestyle.

14. Don’t overdo the alcohol

Image Source: Comedy Central

You know what’s a miserable feeling? Spending all week fantasising about a threesome or a foursome, getting to the point where it’ll actually happen, and then realising you drank too much to do anything about it.

Sure, you might need a drink or two to loosen up, but past that you risk suffering from whiskey dick. Honestly, nobody wants to have sex with an inebriated mess.

15. Soothe Your Nerves

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You’re bound to be a little nervous at your first party.  There are plenty of experienced sex party-goers who still feel nervous before every party.

It’s really OK to feel nervous. One of the best ways to get past your nerves is to talk to people at the party. Tell them it’s your first time.  There are plenty of nice people who would be willing to show you the ropes or help you feel more comfortable.

16. Set realistic expectations

Even if you and your partner agree to be down for “full swap,” don’t go to a swingers parties with the unrealistic expectations. Nobody’s guaranteeing an orgy or “full swap”, sometimes you may go and not find any couples you like.

Also, the action may not start until much later in the evening, so don’t get bored and leave because nobody’s getting it on by midnight. People sometimes take the time to warm up to each other and to get in the right space for what they about to share with each other. It has to feel right for everybody involved.

17. Let the women lead the way

Guys, if you have a woman who is even CONSIDERING participating in an activity that allows you to have sex with other women, you can consider yourself a lucky man. Don’t  pressure your lady into doing anything she doesn’t want to do.

Let her take the lead. In the swinging world, the women are the ones who give the green light, so be patient and allow her to call the shots.

18. Be adventurous

Image Source: Fox Searchlight

Dare to let go and try new things, things you’ve perhaps never thought about or were too shy to try! This is the place where you can let loose and almost be someone else for a night. If you don’t usually make noise, pretend you’re a porn star or try positions you’ve never done with someone before. Well, any position with more than two of you is likely to be new at this point!

19. You need to debrief

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Debrief after every time you swing, check on how you feel, what you liked, and what didn’t. The conversation will allow you to discuss the experience and figure out if rules need to be changed or added, or if there are different things you’d both like to try next time.

Talking about what you did after the fact is the most important part in making the next experience just as mind blowing.

20. Have Fun

If you decide not to play with another couple or you just didn’t hit it off with anyone. You’re in a sex party. So why don’t you go and have sex somewhere, there are plenty of dark corners, and couches. Be warned that all the prime spots tend to get staked out fast.

Hopefully, these tips will help you better prepare for your sex party. Just remember that everyone is going to be a bit nervous, just looking to have a good time, so relax and enjoy the unique experience. Have fun!
 Have anything else to add to this post, comment below.

RedHotPie recently sat down with Stern to discuss his new book, Swingland and the adventures that lead him to write it.

RedHotPie – Some of the stories in the book sound pretty incredible… were there any stories that were just too much to include?

Daniel Stern – No stories were “too much,” per se, but a couple moments were a tad graphic for inclusion. The main reason stories didn’t make the cut was that they didn’t complement my personal journey of sexual improvement. As I’m sure most can relate, not every sexual experience is an epiphany. Some are just fun times. There was one funny story that I was disappointed didn’t make the final manuscript that had to do with a Halloween hotel party. I dressed as superman and not until I arrived did I realize it was a BBW (Big Beautiful Woman) party. Being 5’7″ on a low-gravity day, I’m not generally compatible physically with larger women. However, I gave it a go, made friends with most of the guests, and even played a little. At one point I was half in my superman costume while playing with a wife when she screamed, “fuck me, superman!” it gave me a little ego boost, which was nice.

Can you describe the first encounter you would describe as “swinging”… were you nervous?

First off, anyone who says they aren’t nervous in the Lifestyle is lying. So much at stake and so much judging going on, it’s impossible not to be. As for my first “swinging” experience, that would have been with the Italian couple about whom I write in my book. The experience was awkward in that the husband didn’t speak any English and the wife was decent at best, so communication ebbed and flowed. However, we got on well enough and got a hotel room. The awkwardness continue when the wife went to freshen up in the bathroom and I was left in the main room with hubby who kept his attention focused on flipping channels on the television. We played and enjoyed ourselves, then went our separate ways. I’m glad I did it, as it set me off on a great trajectory of experiences, but when the communication in inhibited, for whatever reasons, the experience can’t help but be stunted to some degree.

What was your opinion of swinging before you got into the lifestyle?

Honestly, I doubted it existed. I mean, sure, the occasional couple might engage in an atypical sexual situation every now and again (adult movies propagate that scenario). But that there exists a well-populated, lively, and highly active global community to the recreation? No doubt, I would have said you were lying.

What are the main misconceptions about the lifestyle in mainstream society in 2013?

Those swingers are sexual miscreants looking to have sex with anything with a pulse. The fact is, swingers have criteria for those with whom they will play. Just like anybody else does. And for whatever reason, whenever people consider sexual scenarios outside the norm, they consider them amoral. I understand the influences and the beliefs that make people think that, but I don’t agree with them. Another misconception is that swinging is a myth (I was guilty of believing this). Odds are that even the most straight-laced, vanilla person knows a swinger; s/he just doesn’t know that person is one. The Lifestyle is happening everywhere–next door, the hotel room across the hall, the club down the street–and it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, I post that it’s expanding, thanks to the floodgates thrown open by the digital age. The reality is that teachers and police and business executives and people you know are involved.

Often lifestylers enjoy their anonymity, have you received any feedback from people who may have inspired parts of the book?

I have. In fact, I told most of the lifestylers who made the final cut that I was writing a book well before the book was in print. Each of them responded the same: “am I in it?” they’d ask, super excited, wanting to be included. If their story made it, I’d let them choose their pseudonym. I really wanted everyone to feel part of the book since, without their participation, I couldn’t have written it. So, yeah, the response has all been extremely positive and supportive…thankfully.

Do you think monogamy will ever be challenged as the dominant relationship model in western culture?

No. Certain species are genetically hardwired for monogamy–humans being one of them. And that’s not bad. Commitment can be a beautiful thing. In fact, an argument can be made that most swingers ARE monogamous the vast majority of the time. They swing only to “spice up” their committed relationship. Which, in my opinion, is the only mindset one can have to swing long-term. The Lifestyle doesn’t save relationships; it only accentuates them. So, I can’t see a future where monogamy will fall out of first place as the chosen type of relationship between humans.

Did swinging improve your confidence, sexual prowess or social skills in general?

All of the above. That was the goal of my quest. I wanted to be better (much better) at sex. I didn’t specifically seek out the Lifestyle. Through a series of fortunate events, I learned that the Lifestyle existed and spent a long time fighting to be let in. through all the experiences, I slayed that personal dragon of sub-par sexual ability, which in turn lifted my confidence.

Are their any dominant physical or emotional characteristics in the swinging scene or is it a healthy cross section of society?

Those who last in the Lifestyle share a communal palette of atypical sexual predilections which creates a highly non-judgmental, tolerant environment. I’m not claiming the atmosphere is free of all judgment–not by a long shot–but I have found it to be far less than non-swinging society. People come to the Lifestyle to freely experience their sexual desires. They don’t want to be judged because of them, so they refrain (for the most part) from judging others. As far as physically, it runs the entire spectrum of types. Just because the Lifestyle exists to facilitate sexual experiences doesn’t mean it is some select organization populated by only the most physically beautiful. Like every subculture, the Lifestyle attracts all physical types. And it’s this variety that helps give the Lifestyle originality.

What are the right reasons to get into swinging?

I can’t possibly claim to know all the right reasons, but a few are to add spice to a relationship, to experience certain scenarios, to explore sexually. I find, though, that’s it’s more important to be aware of the wrong reasons. The Lifestyle shouldn’t be turned to in hopes of saving a troubled relationship (it accentuates; it doesn’t save). The Lifestyle shouldn’t be seen as a sexual ATM (the Lifestyle is about sex, but sex isn’t ALL the Lifestyle is about). And the Lifestyle shouldn’t be seen as the defining characteristic of one’s personality (it is a facet, not one’s identity).

Are you in a relationship at the moment, and if so could you describe what kind of relationship it is?

I am not currently in a relationship. But I am easing back into dating, though, it’s hard. Once you’ve raised the stimulation bar (in my case, considerably so), it’s difficult to rein it back. To go from sex as a given on the first date to it being a big question mark takes some getting used to. When I started in the Lifestyle, I was gung-ho to leave the vanilla-dating scene behind. At the time, dating ranked right under a colonoscopy as a desirable experience. But, having gone through all the Lifestyle experiences I have–and having gotten to know all the loving couples that make up the bedrock of this way of life–I am much more open to a relationship. Who knows? Perhaps there’s a sequel to Swingland in that process…

Thanks to RedHotPie and Nero Publishers, you can win one of three copies of Swingland… check out the comp HERE.

Swingland by Daniel Stern is published by Nero and on sale HERE.

Sex Party leader Fiona Patten was tongue-in-cheek as to why Labor, the Liberals and the Greens were directing their preferences towards her.

“We’re not monogamous,” Ms Patten said.

Thanks to the proportional representation electoral systems for Upper House seats, Ms Patten could be elected even with a small percentage of the vote.

But she hoped there would be significant support for the party, and for it to not just rely on preferences.

“We need to get a good primary vote, we need people to vote for us,” Ms Patten said.

“We’d hope people are looking for a civil libertarian alternative.

“As extreme as our name sounds, we are not an extreme party.”

Ms Patten said voters would be attracted by the party’s policies, not just its name.

Drug law reform would be on the agenda, as it was one of the party’s key planks aside from sexual matters.

“The war on drugs doesn’t work. We need to be brave and look at new approaches,” Ms Patten said.

“We have concerns about privacy, and the amount of information governments can hold on us, like the myki card.”

Sex education in schools and the community was also essential in light of rising rates of sexually transmitted infections and “sexting”.

“It’s time we had honest, frank information out there,” Ms Patten said.

Support for same-sex marriage was also a key policy of the Sex Party, she said.

Ms Patten said she had worked for almost 20 years as a lobbyist for the adult entertainment industry with the Eros Foundation.

She said the election of a Sex Party member to Parliament would be a world first.

In the Upper House, each region has five members. The battle for the fifth spot in Northern Metropolitan region could be between Ms Patten and Labor’s Nathan Murphy.

Source: hearaldsun.com.au

The party outpolled several more prominent minor parties and came within about 10,000 votes of Family First for the Senate in Victoria.

And in the Northern Territory, it managed to secure more than 5 per cent of the vote in one Senate position, qualifying for more than $3700 in taxpayer funds.

Once a party or candidate secures 4 per cent of first preferences, they are paid $2.31 for every vote they receive.

While the Sex Party gained 2.2 per cent of the Senate first preferences in Victoria, the DLP managed roughly the same. Despite this, the Victorian DLP has been vying for the last Senate spot.

The Sex Party secured a total of 54,744 first preference votes in the Senate in Victoria, compared with One Nation’s 8804 and the Australian Democrats on 11,774.

Sex Party candidate Fiona Patten said the support was encouraging and they would be back for the state election.

Sex Party policies include R and X ratings for computer games, an end to internet filters, a national sex education curriculum to prevent “the sexualisation of children”, and sexual dysfunction drugs to be put on the PBS.

Source: herladsun.com.au

Trading against the increasing conservatism of the three major parties, the Australian Sex Party has launched its election campaign speaking out on sensitive issues and quickly proving the party’s policies are sounder than their name might initially suggest.

President of the party and Victorian Senate candidate Fiona Patten told RedHotPie this week that the party would be standing candidates in every state.

“We’re hopeful that we can score a senate seat in the upcoming election,” Ms Patten said.

If the current wave of publicity continues it’s entirely possible the Sex Party will get their wish and land a member in the senate, thus making them one of the strongest civil liberties groups in Australia.

“We would be working to see less government intervention in people’s lives… a lot of our policies are about the issues politicians are afraid to talk about,” Ms Patten said.

Although the Sex Party will be speaking out on specific issues, the fights they are weighing in on may indeed strike a chord with many members of RedHotPie and indeed open-minded Australians everywhere.

Pie members may find considerable common ground with the Sex Party on issues such as the proposed internet filter, the ban on gay marriage and the archaic media classification and censorship systems.

“For the member’s of RedHotPie (the internet filter) will limit their free speech, it will make it difficult to access sites that are of an explicit sexual nature, there is no doubt about that,” explained Ms Patten.

On the issue of pornographic classification and censorship Ms Patten was quick to point the floors in the current system.

“Basically the censorship and classification system in Australia is broken; it doesn’t work. We have different laws in every state… We would like to see the whole classification scheme thrown out of the window,” said Ms Patten.

“Let’s look at spending the government’s resources on monitoring what children see and let’s leave adult content out of the picture,” she added.

While gay marriage seems to be off the table as far as Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott are concerned, the Sex Party are putting their weight behind gay Australians and their right to marry.

“This is a priority for us, I have a sister who is gay and I can’t believe that she is discriminated against under Australian law just because of who she loves. We would certainly be pushing very hard to have all Australian laws treat everyone equally in terms of their sexuality” she said.

The Australian Sex Party seems to be the only real voice against those that would impose their conservative beliefs on our social and sexual freedoms; and as the wowsers take an increasingly disproportionate stake in our government our votes may be more important now than ever.

For more information on the party and their candidates visit www.sexparty.org.au

The party’s candidates for Higgins in Victoria (Fiona Patten) and Bradfield in NSW (Zahra Stardust) go through the policies in a way that no other pollie could!

Check it out….

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Thankfully you’ve got the RedHotPie army on your side, battling conservatism, battling prudishness and basically battling all the wowsers who stand between you and a rocking good time.

Now, we’re thrilled to report on the launch of The Australian Sex Party, another great initiative from the good people at EROS. Kicking off the party at Melbourne Sexpo with great aplomb and some serious skin, the Australian Sex peeps laid out a charter for reform that will protect our bedrooms for years to come.

Wanting to know more, RedHotPie sat down with Fiona Patten, one of the main players in the party. In an extremely informative chat, Fiona described the party’s background and the role she sees their playing in Australian politics.

(RedHotpie)

So what would say the party’s mission statement is?

(Fiona Patten)

Well I think the name is an extremely honest name, we’re not family first and it was interesting when we were initially looking at these issues, because we do come from the adult industry and our roots are there, but once we looked at the issues, there were so many areas that needed attention, gender issues, sexuality issues and certainly political sex issues such as censorship,. So our clear and concise platform is: equality of gender and sexuality and freedom of speech.

You mentioned the party’s roots; can you expand on the conception of the Australia Sex Party?

Well the party had been born out of the Eros association, which is the retail industry association so it was the issues that were then raised in that association which lead us to say, even though we have much better recognition and understanding in the adult industry, we seem to be going backwards in a lot of those issues.

I think the final one was the ISP filtering, which was going to take Australian censorship back forty years. Material that is now legal in a newsagents in Australia will become illegal online, and not just in an opt out fashion, it will be black listed, so sites like RedHotPie could be blacklisted, so it’s not something you can argue if the government is saying a site contains illegal content and that’s not right, so we need to stand up within parliament rather than outside it.

So the ISP filtering was the catalyst that sparked the party’s conception

Yeah, I think that was the final straw that got us moving toward this level of organisation, I mean we had always tried to lobby and frankly, I had met with Senator Conroy a number of times while he was in opposition and raised my concerns with the ISP filtering and he said to me, “I assure you Fiona, your industry has nothing to worry about, it’s the child porn we’re after, it’s not adult material” and now they’re in parliament, and one wonders, now that they need Senator Fielding’s vote, if that has impacted how they are approaching this.

Senator Fielding wants all porn blacklisted, but it’s not just porn, I mean euthanasia sites will be black listed, anorexia sites will be black listed. Anything that the government perceives to be bad for our community, they’re talking about black listing, and ok, we might trust this government, I’m not saying that I do but you might, but what about the next government, this is such a dangerous path that we’re travelling. Yes it’s quite the slippery slope

Very much so

So tell us about the Party launch at Sexpo Melbourne, it looked quite impressive.

Thank you, it was pretty remarkable actually, we hadn’t expected the type of response we’ve received; I think we spoke to a couple of journalists before the launch, by the time we launched, we already had our 500 members, you need 500 members to register for the electoral commission, we already had those, as of today we’ve got about 1200 members, and we just didn’t expect that. I don’t know how other parties launch but yeah

Well I doubt they have the hoopla, no sexy girls, placards, porn stars next door…

No, it was a pretty special launch, and again the fact that the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is now not giving Sexpo dates, it just furthered our position that there is this conservative creep coming in and it doesn’t matter if it’s a labour government or a liberal government, there is this conservatism coming into politics and people are concerned that the Hillsong Church or the Paradise Church or who ever will complain, and they’re much more vocal than people in the adult industry. You try getting a petition signed for sex, then try getting one signed against it and I can tell you who gets more signatures.

But the response for us has been incredible, I think our little DVD thing we put on Youtube is up to about 67,000 views.

Yeah, I’ve noticed the party’s launch has been picked up in online news circles around the world.

Well I’ve been doing interviews all over the world, even on Facebook I’ve found places like Turkey and Italy are really interested. I put the party name into Google and I think on Friday afternoon there were 16,000 direct references to the party… all of the feedback I’m getting has been great, you get one or two saying I’m a Marxist and you’re a misogynist but most of it’s great.

Well that’s a great indicator of the part sexuality issues play in the online world.

That’s right, and I think it’s also interesting in that it’s come at the right time, you know I think people have started to be concerned, “hang on, yet another government intervention”, I mean our party comes from small business, the Eros Association comes from small to medium business, that’s who we represent and it’s not just a concern about government intervention in the bedroom, it’s concern about government intervention generally and I don’t think any party has thoroughly addressed that, so I think the internet filtering has really hit a nerve and the currency of that issue was fortuitous for us.

So where do you think this conservatism has come from and how has it been left unchecked to get to this point?

I suspect it’s actually that we’ve let politics go mad, you know, politics has become about politicians, the notion of politics is much more about keeping your seat for six years than it is about actually making some changes and making some decisions.

I speak to a lot of politicians who say “Fiona, I totally agree with you and I know that 80% of the population agrees with you, however, I hold this seat by 4% and Hillsong doesn’t agree with you and they will campaign against me, so it’s you and them and me”.

I think it has become as small and as petty as that, it’s about getting elected, doing their time in politics and then retiring on a good pension.

So it’s become a simple numbers game

That’s right, and fortunately, the numbers game is on our side, we know what the polling is like, we know with RedHotPie how popular your site is, the kind of engagement and relaxation people have with sexual issues and their own sexuality, so we know we’ve got the numbers, but the trouble is we’re the quiet ones

The Australian Sex party is out to harness the masses then?

Yes absolutely, and I think fortunately, it’s a beautiful time in that the internet hopefully is one of those harnessing devices. It’s not about walking the streets protesting saying we want sex, we can make our voice heard in that online arena, and then at the polling booths!

So who’s involved in the party?

Well we launched on Thursday so it’s still pretty new, but the Eros Association is the backing force for the Sex Party. We’re looking at running candidates in the senate in 2011, so we’ve got a bit of time in front of us to find the right people, the right candidates to really get ourselves organised.

I don’t want to sound sexist, but one of policies is that we would like to see more women in politics and we would like greater gender equality. I believe our society would be a lot healthier if the public company boards were more evenly balanced between men and women, in those decision making areas.

So at this stage our thoughts are on running as many women as we can into the senate and trying to increase the number. I mean other parties kind of pay lip service to that, but it’s still jobs for the boys and you see it all the time.

So you’ve got you long term goal, what’s happening over the next year or two?

Well we’d love to get huge recognition, I mean I’d love us to have a million people engage with us online, and to go into the next election with those sort of numbers would really make a difference. I think anyone interested in the industry is probably online aware, so that’s one goal. The other area is, I wonder whether some of the parties, particularly state government will be looking at some of our issues prior to the election.

It may be that we’ve been lobbying for law reform in the Eros association, I wonder if the Australian Sex Party might be able to achieve some of that law reform, prior to being elected. That doesn’t mean we wouldn’t run candidates, it just means we would be able to put pressure on Senator Conroy about ISP filtering, we may be able to put pressure on the state’s attorney generals about their ban on the sales of X-rated materials. we may be able to look at some of the national sex education curriculum… so that would be a great achievement, if we could get some of our policies through without even getting elected.

Well you’ve identified the pressing issues, but there will always be battles waiting to be fought, have you committed to this being a long term prospect?

We are definitely looking at this as a long term, it really has been interesting. When we first thought about this party and we were thinking is it the Sexual Freedom Party, is it the freedom of speech party is it the Australia Rights Party, you know, then we just said, no, it’s the Australian Sex Party.

You start looking at sex, which is a basic part of our lives, I mean we’re all here because of it and it is intrinsic in our lives, so yes, the party could be around for a long time because it will be about everything, like how do you treat sex and sexuality in old people’s homes, how do you sexual dysfunction, if we think that sex is part of a happy and normal relationship, what happens if you can’t have sex? Because of age, because of disability, because of some form of dysfunction, these are all issues that most governments and politicians do not want to touch. So I want to be talking to Pfizer about this, I want to be talking to disability organisations about this, and we are an ageing population so these are issues we are going to want to address.

Then you look at immigration issues and thing like people trafficking, I mean I think most people trafficking is done for other purposes than sex, but it’s the sex trafficking that always hits the media. I don’t think that’s going to change, we’re going to see greater movement of people around the world so we need to look at that. If a sex worker in Bangkok, wants to come to Australia to work in brothels legally to earn some money and buy some land back home, we need to cut out that middle man, cut out the trafficker, we need to enable her to come here and work safely, and that stops the exploitation, it may be that we can create a model that can be used in other industries, be it the construction industry or the farming industry, a safe model where workers can choose to emigrate for a brief period to work and earn good money in an area that needs workers. So yes, there are lots of issues that will take us through to the second half of the 21st century.

To get all the Sex Party action you can handle, swing by sexparty.org.au