In an unexpected move that’s drawing both attention and applause, Australian Greens MP Stephen Bates has launched an OnlyFans account — but not for the usual reasons. The Brisbane-based politician is using the platform to campaign for free access to HIV prevention medication, PrEP, as part of the Greens’ broader health equality agenda.
Bates, who made headlines in 2022 for his unapologetically bold Grindr ads during his successful campaign for the seat of Brisbane, is once again turning heads. This time, it’s through OnlyFans, a platform better known for adult content than political messaging. But for Bates, that’s exactly the point.
“Ending HIV is too important to fly under the radar,” Bates told Q News. “I campaign on OnlyFans and Grindr because it gets attention. Sometimes you have to make a splash to make people pay attention to the things that matter.”
In his first OnlyFans post, Bates outlines the Greens’ plan to make both PrEP and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) prescriptions free under a Greens-led government. Currently, PrEP is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in Australia, but patients are still required to pay a gap fee that can add up to hundreds of dollars per year.
“While PrEP is on the PBS, the gap payment can add up to hundreds of dollars a year,” Bates explains in the video. “In a cost-of-living crisis, that’s just too much. You shouldn’t have to pay a fortune to be sexually responsible.”
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a daily medication that dramatically reduces the risk of contracting HIV. For many in the LGBTQIA+ community, it has been a game-changer in preventing transmission. Bates’ campaign is centred on making the drug more accessible — a move that health experts have long supported.
The OnlyFans launch is part of a broader Greens initiative to make all contraceptives free, arguing that access to sexual health shouldn’t be limited by income. But Bates is also using the moment to take a political stand against what he calls divisive tactics by conservative parties.
“The Coalition and One Nation are on a race to the bottom,” he says in the video. “Whipping up hate against LGBTIQA+ people and importing pointless culture wars that have real and damaging consequences.”
Bates emphasises that the upcoming election could result in a hung parliament and that keeping the Greens strong in Canberra is key to pushing the major parties to act on issues like health equity and queer rights.
“There’s a real potential for a hung parliament,” he adds. “Keeping the Greens in will push Dutton out and force Labor to act. Because you will always come first with the Greens.”
The campaign has, unsurprisingly, sparked a wave of cheeky responses online. On Instagram, one commenter joked, “HUNG PARLIAMENT??”, while another quipped, “Master Bates for Brisbane.” Others expressed support, praising Bates’s willingness to use unconventional platforms to speak to a new generation of voters.
Whether or not the OnlyFans strategy translates to votes, one thing is clear: Stephen Bates is reshaping the way politics and digital culture intersect — and doing so in the name of public health.