Sex, alcohol and violence: a community collaborative action against striptease shows

Between September 1988 and February 1989, Anyinginyi Congress, an Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation, facilitated a collaborative community action against striptease shows in public bars in Tennant Creek. This action resulted in changes to the guidelines of the Northern Territory Liquor Act to regulate striptease shows in public bars and began other processes of addressing alcohol related problems in the community. The composition and strategies of both the pro- and anti-striptease lobbies are analysed within the context of changing power relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, as epitomised in the growth and consolidation of Aboriginal community-controlled organisations in Tennant Creek. The role of the media in shaping the course and direction of the debates as well as the response of the Northern Territory government as the final arbiter in the striptease conflict are scrutinised. The use of sex to sell alcohol is a legitimate public health concern and community action for healthier public policy is an important strategy in creating supporting environments for health.