Roberta Perkins (30 April 1940 – 26 June 2018) was an Australian sociologist, writer, and transgender rights and sex worker rights activist. She wrote several books and multiple academic articles on the semi-nomadic lives of transgender sex workers, and established the first assistance center for transgender people in Australia.
Perkins completed her BA honours dissertation at Macquarie University in 1981.[1] Her dissertation surveyed the lives and experiences of drag queens and transsexuals, and it was one of the first ever theses by an openly transgender woman in Australia.[2]
In the 1980s, she was an early member of the then newly created Australian Transsexual Association, which supported trans people by lobbying for social and legal reform.[3]
In 1983, she published her first book, The Drag Queen Scene: Transsexuals in Kings Cross, a survey of 146 drag queens based upon her dissertation. Frank Walker, New South WalesLabor Assembly person and at that time Minister for Youth and Community Services, read the book and invited Perkins to meet. She told him about the poverty, homelessness and violence experienced by transgender sex workers, many of them youths; about the rape, beatings, harassment, and evictions, and how trans women could find no aid in either men's or women's shelters.[4]
Walker understood the gravity of the situation and expressed his commitment to help. As a result, Perkins received a grant of AU$80,000 to open a center that would operate as a shelter for transgender sex workers. The home, originally called "Tiresias House", opened in Sydney with 12 beds which were immediately filled. The center quickly grew and, within a few years, included four houses and had both a registered nurse and a community worker on permanent staff. After six years, its name changed to the Gender Centre.[5][6]
Perkins left the Gender Centre in 1985 to concentrate on writing and publishing books and articles in academic publications about transgender women and sex workers. She was a noted figure in the struggle for sex worker rights in New South Wales and Australia as a whole. She was a founding member of the Australian Prostitutes Collective NSW, which advocated for decriminalization of sex work and for the improvement of sex workers' lives. The collective's work is continued today by the Sex Worker Outreach Project (SWOP) NSW.[2]
Perkins died on 26 June 2018 at the age of 78. Her obituaries called her a "trail-blazer"[5] and "a woman of action" who laid the groundwork for sex worker advocacy in her country, and benefited "countless" trans people and sex workers.[5]
Publicationsedit
The Third Sex and Sanctified Persons: A Cross-Cultural Survey, Comparison and Analysis of Transvestism and Transsexuality. Macquarie University BA Hons Thesis 1981.
The Drag Queen Scene: Transsexuals in Kings Cross. George Allen & Unwin, 1983.[7]
With Nikki Searant & Linda Tyne. Transsexualism: An Overview : Understanding the Transsexual. Collective of Australian Transsexuals, Australian Transsexual Association, 1983.
With Garry Bennett. Being a Prostitute: Prostitute Women and Prostitute Men. Allen & Unwin, 1985.
A History, Manifesto, and a Report on the Proposed Welfare Services of the Australian Prostitutes' Collective. The Collective, 1985.
Female Prostitutes in Visible Prostitution in Inner-City Sydney. The author, 1985.
Female Prostitution in Sydney an Overview: An Information Document on Female Prostitution and Prostitute Women of Sydney. Australian Prostitutes Collective (N.S.W.), 1985.
"Working Girls": Normality and Diversity Among Female Prostitutes in Sydney. Macquarie University MA Hons Thesis, 1988.
Interviewed by Phil Jarratt. "The working girl's friend. -Interview with Roberta Perkins, founder of the Australian Prostitutes Collective". Bulletin (Sydney). 140–141,143–144, 13 September 1988.
"Wicked Women Or Working Girls: The Prostitute on the Silver Screen". Media Information Australia, 51, 1989: 28–34.
"Working Girls in ‘Wowserville’: Prostitute Women in Sydney Since 1945". In Richard Kennedy. Australian Welfare: Historical Sociology. Macmillan, 1989: 362–389.
Working Girls: Prostitutes, Their Life and Social Control. Australian Inst. of Criminology, 1991.
With A. Griffin, & J. Jakobsen. Transgender Lifestyles and HIV/AIDS Risk. University of New South Wales, 1994.
With G. Prestage, R. Sharp & Frances Lovejoy. Sex Work, Sex Workers in Australia. University of New South Wales Press, 1994.
With Frances Lovejoy. "Healthy and Unhealthy Life Styles of Female Brothel Workers and Call Girls (Private Sex Workers) in Sydney". Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 20, 5, 1996: 512–6.
“The Drag Queen Scene: Transsexuals in Kings Cross". In Richard Ekins & Dave King (eds). Blending Genders: Social Aspects of Cross-Dressing and Sex-Changing. Routledge 1996: 53–62.
With Frances Lovejoy. Call Girls: Private Sex Workers in Australia. University of Western Australia Press, 2007.
^The third sex and sanctified persons : a cross-cultural survey, comparison and analysis of transvestism and transsexuality. Trove (Thesis). 16 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
^ ab"Roberta Perkins (1940–2018) sociologist, activist". A Gender Variance Who's Who. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
^between 2016, About the Author Jesse Jones Jesse was Star Observer's senior journalist; health, 2019 His special interests include; gender; Facebook, travel You can connect with him on Twitter or Facebook Twitter (28 June 2018). "Trans sex worker activist Roberta Perkins mourned by community". Star Observer. Retrieved 12 October 2020. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Roberta Perkins (1940–2018) 14 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Katherine Cummings, June 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018
^ abcTrans Sex Worker Activist Roberta Perkins Mourned By Community, Jesse Jones, Star Observer, 28 June 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
^"Vale Roberta Perkins - The Gender Centre INC". gendercentre.org.au. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
^Perkins, Roberta. (1983). The drag queen scene : transsexuals in Kings Cross. Sydney: George Allen & Unwin. ISBN0-86861-047-X. OCLC 29005197.
roberta, perkins, april, 1940, june, 2018, australian, sociologist, writer, transgender, rights, worker, rights, activist, wrote, several, books, multiple, academic, articles, semi, nomadic, lives, transgender, workers, established, first, assistance, center, . Roberta Perkins 30 April 1940 26 June 2018 was an Australian sociologist writer and transgender rights and sex worker rights activist She wrote several books and multiple academic articles on the semi nomadic lives of transgender sex workers and established the first assistance center for transgender people in Australia Roberta PerkinsBorn 1940 04 30 April 30 1940AustraliaDied26 June 2018 2018 06 26 aged 77 78 SydneyOccupation s Sociologist writer transgender and sex workers rights advocacy Contents 1 Biography 2 Publications 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksBiography editPerkins completed her BA honours dissertation at Macquarie University in 1981 1 Her dissertation surveyed the lives and experiences of drag queens and transsexuals and it was one of the first ever theses by an openly transgender woman in Australia 2 In the 1980s she was an early member of the then newly created Australian Transsexual Association which supported trans people by lobbying for social and legal reform 3 In 1983 she published her first book The Drag Queen Scene Transsexuals in Kings Cross a survey of 146 drag queens based upon her dissertation Frank Walker New South Wales Labor Assembly person and at that time Minister for Youth and Community Services read the book and invited Perkins to meet She told him about the poverty homelessness and violence experienced by transgender sex workers many of them youths about the rape beatings harassment and evictions and how trans women could find no aid in either men s or women s shelters 4 Walker understood the gravity of the situation and expressed his commitment to help As a result Perkins received a grant of AU 80 000 to open a center that would operate as a shelter for transgender sex workers The home originally called Tiresias House opened in Sydney with 12 beds which were immediately filled The center quickly grew and within a few years included four houses and had both a registered nurse and a community worker on permanent staff After six years its name changed to the Gender Centre 5 6 Perkins left the Gender Centre in 1985 to concentrate on writing and publishing books and articles in academic publications about transgender women and sex workers She was a noted figure in the struggle for sex worker rights in New South Wales and Australia as a whole She was a founding member of the Australian Prostitutes Collective NSW which advocated for decriminalization of sex work and for the improvement of sex workers lives The collective s work is continued today by the Sex Worker Outreach Project SWOP NSW 2 Perkins died on 26 June 2018 at the age of 78 Her obituaries called her a trail blazer 5 and a woman of action who laid the groundwork for sex worker advocacy in her country and benefited countless trans people and sex workers 5 Publications editThe Third Sex and Sanctified Persons A Cross Cultural Survey Comparison and Analysis of Transvestism and Transsexuality Macquarie University BA Hons Thesis 1981 The Drag Queen Scene Transsexuals in Kings Cross George Allen amp Unwin 1983 7 With Nikki Searant amp Linda Tyne Transsexualism An Overview Understanding the Transsexual Collective of Australian Transsexuals Australian Transsexual Association 1983 With Garry Bennett Being a Prostitute Prostitute Women and Prostitute Men Allen amp Unwin 1985 A History Manifesto and a Report on the Proposed Welfare Services of the Australian Prostitutes Collective The Collective 1985 Female Prostitutes in Visible Prostitution in Inner City Sydney The author 1985 Female Prostitution in Sydney an Overview An Information Document on Female Prostitution and Prostitute Women of Sydney Australian Prostitutes Collective N S W 1985 Working Girls Normality and Diversity Among Female Prostitutes in Sydney Macquarie University MA Hons Thesis 1988 Interviewed by Phil Jarratt The working girl s friend Interview with Roberta Perkins founder of the Australian Prostitutes Collective Bulletin Sydney 140 141 143 144 13 September 1988 Wicked Women Or Working Girls The Prostitute on the Silver Screen Media Information Australia 51 1989 28 34 Working Girls in Wowserville Prostitute Women in Sydney Since 1945 In Richard Kennedy Australian Welfare Historical Sociology Macmillan 1989 362 389 Working Girls Prostitutes Their Life and Social Control Australian Inst of Criminology 1991 With A Griffin amp J Jakobsen Transgender Lifestyles and HIV AIDS Risk University of New South Wales 1994 With G Prestage R Sharp amp Frances Lovejoy Sex Work Sex Workers in Australia University of New South Wales Press 1994 With Frances Lovejoy Healthy and Unhealthy Life Styles of Female Brothel Workers and Call Girls Private Sex Workers in Sydney Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 20 5 1996 512 6 The Drag Queen Scene Transsexuals in Kings Cross In Richard Ekins amp Dave King eds Blending Genders Social Aspects of Cross Dressing and Sex Changing Routledge 1996 53 62 With Frances Lovejoy Call Girls Private Sex Workers in Australia University of Western Australia Press 2007 See also editTransgender rights in Australia Sex workers rightsReferences edit The third sex and sanctified persons a cross cultural survey comparison and analysis of transvestism and transsexuality Trove Thesis 16 April 2019 Retrieved 16 April 2018 a b Roberta Perkins 1940 2018 sociologist activist A Gender Variance Who s Who 2 July 2018 Retrieved 14 September 2018 between 2016 About the Author Jesse Jones Jesse was Star Observer s senior journalist health 2019 His special interests include gender Facebook travel You can connect with him on Twitter or Facebook Twitter 28 June 2018 Trans sex worker activist Roberta Perkins mourned by community Star Observer Retrieved 12 October 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a first has generic name help CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Roberta Perkins 1940 2018 Archived 14 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine Katherine Cummings June 2018 Retrieved 14 September 2018 a b c Trans Sex Worker Activist Roberta Perkins Mourned By Community Jesse Jones Star Observer 28 June 2018 Retrieved 14 September 2018 Vale Roberta Perkins The Gender Centre INC gendercentre org au Retrieved 12 October 2020 Perkins Roberta 1983 The drag queen scene transsexuals in Kings Cross Sydney George Allen amp Unwin ISBN 0 86861 047 X OCLC 29005197 External links editGender Centre Roberta s personal papers are held by the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Roberta Perkins amp oldid 1167654600, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
