Pioneering former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was champion of gay and lesbian rights. He died yesterday, aged 98. Whitlam was the leader of Labor from 1967 to 1977 and began speaking out for gay rights, calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality across Australia from 1970. While he was Prime Minister from 1972 to 1975, Canberra wiped laws criminalising homosexuality within the Australian Capital Territory. South Australia then became the first Australian state to decriminalize homosexuality. Whitlam also successfully pushed for an end to employment discrimination which meant public servants could be legally fired just for being gay and his Minister for Social Security, Bill Hayden, also made it clear a person’s sexuality could no longer be used as a reason to deny them social security entitlements.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 22nd October 2014 - 8:36am