Navigation for 20 Years Out!

Homosexual Law Reform in New Zealand

Using a rich combination of archival material and personal reflection, 20 Years Out! explores the passionate arguments for and against the 1986 Homosexual Law Reform Bill.

Produced by Gareth Watkins

Material for this feature was primarily sourced from the Lesbian and Gay Archives of New Zealand with additional material drawn from Sound Archives / Ngā Taonga Kōrero and other private collections.

Links:

Public meeting (1985).
Public meeting (1985).

Credits

A closet is a very dangerous place to be - Alison Laurie (1″09″)
LAGANZ 0503-B
Bigot Busters rally at Wellington Town Hall attended by 1400 people.
(21 May 1985) [Public meeting, unknown recorder]

Audio from a street march in Wellington, including Glenda Gale (35″)
LAGANZ 0501-AB
(13 September 1985) Gay Broadcasting Collective [Peter Nowland collection]

Disruption of the Jackie Butler meeting (57″)
LAGANZ 0501-AB
Jackie Butler (coordinator of 'Women who want to be Women') speaking to the New Zealand League of Rights meeting in Wellington
(29 August 1985) Gay Broadcasting Collective [Peter Nowland collection]

It is against the law of nature - Patricia Bartlett (44″)
LAGANZ 0080-B
(ca 1985) [Peter Nowland collection]

Salvation Army Band/Gay Rights medley (1′03″)
LAGANZ 0501-AB
Impromptu Gay Rights march to the Michael Fowler Centre with the Salvation Army
(22 September 1985) [Peter Nowland collection]

Yes, Jesus was Gay [unidentified group of singers] (23″)
LAGANZ 0080-B0
(ca 1985) [Peter Nowland collection]

Presentation of the petition against Homosexual Law Reform to Parliament (1′04″)
LAGANZ 0506-AB and LAGANZ 0080-B
Includes audio from the event plus the voices of Tighe Instone, Fran Wilde and Tilly Lloyd
(24 September 1985) [Lesbian Programme – Access Radio, recorder unknown]

Trevor Mallard - reporting back from the Select Committee on the petition (49″)
LAGANZ 0206-A
(5 November 1985) [Parliamentary broadcast]

John Banks – 835,000 New Zealanders don’t want to know about this Bill (1′16″)
LAGANZ 0234-B
(25 March 1986) [Parliamentary broadcast]