Persecution Of Minority Group (Press, 14 September 1967)
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Summary: Persecution Of Minority Group (Press, 14 September 1967)
At a meeting of the Christchurch Presbytery, a psychiatrist from Christchurch addressed the ongoing persecution of homosexuals under current laws, arguing that such legislation serves no real purpose. He questioned the rationale behind police raids on public lavatories and the prosecution of individuals for consensual homosexual acts conducted in private. The psychiatrist pointed out that countries which have liberalised their laws regarding homosexuality have not experienced an increase in public disturbances; in fact, such nuisances have decreased. He described immoral conduct as actions that harm others, asserting that consensual homosexual behaviour between adults in private does not inflict harm. The psychiatrist noted that discussions around homosexuality are often filled with irrational comments, attributing this phenomenon to people's discomfort with acknowledging homosexual traits within themselves that they have suppressed over time. He cautioned against conflating homosexuality with paedophilia, clarifying that paedophilia—defined as sexual attraction to children—is a separate condition associated with individuals from dysfunctional backgrounds or who experience loneliness and social ineffectiveness. Furthermore, he highlighted the misperception that individuals who have been imprisoned for homosexual acts represent the broader homosexual community. He challenged the notion that adolescent homosexual seduction is a primary cause of homosexuality, stating that there is no scientific evidence to support such claims. Instead, he indicated that persistent homosexual orientations are found in about 4 per cent of adult men and slightly fewer women, while approximately one-third of adult men have reported having some form of homosexual experience.
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