Homosexuality Laws Defended (Press, 7 June 1967)

In a speech to the Christchurch Lions Club on 6 June 1967, Detective Superintendent F. A. Gordon expressed strong opposition to any relaxation of laws against homosexuality. He argued that allowing homosexuality to be normative would expose the youth to significant degradation and societal dangers. He projected a grim vision of a future where acceptance of homosexuality could lead to increased moral degradation, referencing a potential scenario where cities would be inundated with those he characterised as "pimps, ponces, pansies, pussyfoots, and perverts.” Gordon was particularly critical of a recent meeting in Wellington where attendees suggested that current laws on homosexuality did not benefit the community. He dismissed the notion that only a minority—specifically homosexuals—would welcome such changes, labelling the potential for legalisation as dangerous and disastrous. He acknowledged that while some individuals might have latent homosexual tendencies due to various reasons, these individuals could potentially seek treatment and remain non-offending under the current laws. However, Gordon reserved his strongest condemnation for what he referred to as "the pervert," arguing that this group posed a threat to societal norms and decency. He expressed concern that legalising homosexuality would lead to an unrestricted environment for deviancy, which he deemed unacceptable. He further stressed that the notion of such behaviour remaining confined to private settings was a fallacy, emphasising that societal acceptance could open the floodgates to more overt expressions of deviance. He then drew parallels between homosexuality and other societal issues, drawing an analogy to prostitution, where he implied that the latter, while problematic, could be seen as less harmful than the supposed implications of legalising homosexual practices. In a wider context, he connected these views to the ongoing concerns regarding drug use, arguing against providing special privileges to homosexuals while also allowing for the deregulation of drug use. Gordon closed his address by equating the legalisation of homosexual acts to other morally reprehensible actions that society currently regulates, such as rape and theft. His speech underscored a deeply conservative outlook and a strong belief that maintaining existing laws was essential for protecting societal values and the youth against what he considered moral decay.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand