Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Fiona Patten, Allen & Unwin, $32.99.
Canberra-born Fiona Patten says she’s not ashamed of anything she’s done in her life. Above all she has no regrets sharing it publicly in her book.
Sex worker, fashion designer, anti-censorship activist, fierce campaigner, political lobbyist and Member of Parliament – Fiona Patten’s life has been nothing if not eventful. She is the leader of the Reason Party and has a seat in the Victorian Legislative Council, representing the Northern Metropolitan Region.
Patten established the Australian Sex Party in 2009 to focus on personal freedoms after deep frustration with stagnation on censorship, freedom, marriage equality and drug law reform. In August 2017, it was announced that the Australian Sex Party would be changing its name to the Reason Party.
The daughter of a naval officer, she came to politics after two decades of advocating for the rights of small business owners, sexual health organisations, sexual freedoms and censorship reforms. It was an unorthodox path into politics for anyone, let alone a woman.
Sex, Drugs and the Electoral Roll has a realistic structure that’s hard to ignore. It’s more than a history of one woman and “how we got to this place and the battles along the way”.
Before entering politics, Patten was the CEO of Australia’s national adult industry association, Eros Association, which soon became the country’s adult-industry lobby group. It was apparent that her main interest was advocacy, initially for the workers and soon for the entire industry, including ‘video distributors, magazines, sex shops, and navigating the labyrinthine legislation that governed this very messy business in the various states and territories’.
She championed sexual rights and health movements for more than 20 years, particularly on HIV/AIDS, after initially starting out as a small business owner with her own fashion label named, Body Politics, which showed some foresight.
Some will be shaken not just by the behaviour of people, but also feel troubled by disturbing characters living under the guise of family values and the cowardice of others in powerful positions, who take no action to make a difference. It’s a noteworthy memoir that does not fail to impress when it comes to Patten’s integrity and honesty.
