Story: Women and men

Arguments over gay law reform

Arguments over gay law reform

There was considerable public debate over a bill to decriminalise sex between men, which was passed by Parliament in 1986. Those who supported and opposed the law change held meetings all over New Zealand. When gay and lesbian activists went to some of the opposition meetings to confront those opposed to decriminalisation, fierce arguments resulted. Many of those opposed associated homosexuality with effeminacy, and the arguments were often over the ‘natural’ behaviour of ‘real’ men.

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Photograph by David Hindley

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How to cite this page:

Charlotte Macdonald, 'Women and men - New ways of being a man', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/29261/arguments-over-gay-law-reform (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Charlotte Macdonald, published 5 May 2011, updated 1 Aug 2017