One of the topics that came up a few times that afternoon had nothing to do with STIs, though. Talk turned to why it is that escort agencies pay a business licence that's 15 times higher than almost any other kind of business licence in the City of Victoria, and also requires individual SWs to pay an additional $250 apiece for their own licences.
It's not just the money that rubs agency owners and SWs the wrong way. What irritates them much more is that even though people working in the sex industry have to pay far higher fees for everything from business licences to Yellow Page ads just because it's sex that they're selling, they still get the chilly treatment from the municipal staff and publishing/advertising staff at the places where they do business.
"If I'm going to be charged at the gold level, then at least I should get gold-level treatment," notes Sweet VIP's Ms. Harvi.
So true. Come on, business community - either quit your gouging of the industry or give them way, way better service for all that money they're having to spend.
