Comment On Editorial (Press, 18 August 1971)

In an editorial published on 12 August 1971 in "The Press," the claim was made that "few men come before the courts because of mutually consenting homosexual behaviour." This statement was met with criticism from Mr. J. W. Goodwin, the secretary of the Homosexual Law Reform Society, who labelled it as "wishful thinking." In his response to the editorial, Mr. Goodwin pointed out that the Justice Department does not maintain statistics in a manner that allows for easy identification of convictions related to homosexual acts. He noted an improvement in law enforcement, where fewer convicted homosexuals are sent to prison, and fines for such offences don't often attract media attention. Mr. Goodwin highlighted that many cases remain unreported in local courts, which, while beneficial in some respects, obscures the persistent threat faced by an estimated 45,000 to 50,000 adult homosexual men in New Zealand. He stressed that efforts for reform are still urgently needed despite the misleading impression that the law is rarely enforced. Mr. Goodwin further remarked that the editorial, along with similar ones from recent years, has played a key role in shifting public perception from prejudice towards reasoned understanding. He referenced the historical context of the law, indicating that the legislation criminalising homosexual acts in private had been hastily introduced in Britain 76 years earlier, but that it was repealed four years prior. He argued that the repeal led to positive outcomes, with many homosexuals seeking counselling and gaining the understanding necessary to lead fulfilling social lives.

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