MELBOURNE, Australia — Fiona Patten, the convenor of the Australian Sex Party, has issued an open letter to the adult industry in the U.S. in an effort to gain support for her campaign for a Senate seat in Victoria.
According to the Australian Sex Party, latest polling trends indicate it is in close competition for the final Senate seat with Family First, which it calls "the largest right-wing religious party in the country."
Patten is also working with two of the biggest Australian buyers of U.S. adult products in getting the word out about her campaign, asking for support from U.S. companies that sell to Australia. The ASP hopes that its campaign can build momentum for similiar adult industry political campaigns in other countries.
Here is Patten's letter in full:
Dear (Mr / Ms / Miss USA),
Australia is having a Federal Election in a matter of weeks which will very possibly have a direct impact on you.
Due to the particular type of electoral system we have down here we are faced with the very real possibility that the religious right will gain control of our national agenda.
If you have a website with Australian traffic, if you sell DVDs or even if you wholesale toys into this market this election matters to you.
Having been a lobbyist for the adult industry for the past 20 years I have lived through a similar parliament before. That time we only just averted a national ban on X-rated movies.
Back in 2009 I started the Australian Sex Party as an alternative political movement to combat the rapid growth of the evangelical and traditional religious lobby.
Unfortunately there is now an unprecedented number of right wing and religious parties lined up against us.
In Australia we have no such thing as a First Amendment. We have no Bill of Rights. What is one day an adult pastime can easily be a crime the next.
To my delight the Australian Sex Party is now the fourth largest party (by primary vote). At the 2010 election I went within a whisker of being elected as a Senator.
Help me become the first sex party senator in the English speaking world!
We are asking all our American friends, whether they currently do business here or have ever done business here, or just want to help out a good cause to dig deep.
If we are complacent and let our opponents prevail Australia will be sent back into the dark ages of censorship. It will become increasingly hard to sell any type of adult product in Australia should we remain with no representation in parliament to stand up for adult businesses.
$ USD 5,000 will pay for some Internet advertising
$ USD 10,000 will pay for some TV spots
$USD 20,000 will pay for a full page ad in a national newspaper
Please go to our website sexparty.org.au to donate.
Fiona Patten
Australian Sex Party
PO Box 1131 Carlton
VIC 3053 Australia
