Homosexuals And Forces (Press, 4 July 1979)

On 4 July 1979, New Zealand's Minister of Defence, Mr Gill, addressed the Armed Services' stance on homosexuality, clarifying the conditions under which servicemen and women could be dismissed. He stated that individuals would not be discharged solely on the basis of being suspected of homosexuality, nor for being homosexual per se. Dismissals would only occur if it could be proven that they were practising homosexuals, meaning they engaged in homosexual acts while serving. Mr Gill's statements came in response to questions about a recent Defence Council order regarding homosexual conduct. The order specified that servicemen and servicewomen would be discharged if found guilty of an offence related to homosexual conduct or if they were established as practising homosexuals. This clarified that mere suspicion would not result in any disciplinary action. During his comments in Parliament, Mr Gill responded to a query from Miss Marilyn Waring regarding historical regulations barring suspected homosexuals from service. He confirmed that no past or current regulations allowed for the discharge of individuals based on such suspicion and noted that there were no historical records of anyone avoiding compulsory military service by claiming to be homosexual. According to reports, no servicemen in the New Zealand Armed Forces had faced charges based on mere suspicion of homosexuality. In the past five years, however, two servicemen were dismissed for engaging in homosexual acts, and a third faced disciplinary action leading to discharge. Administrative discharges were also granted to several servicemen who admitted to being practising homosexuals. Miss Waring also inquired about the reporting of incidents of intimidation, molestation, or rape by female personnel. Mr Gill stated that obtaining accurate statistics on such reports was challenging, but he noted that there had been no court-martial convictions for such offences against female servicemen. However, two servicemen were fined for using obscene language towards servicewomen, and one faced penalties for indecent assault. Overall, Mr Gill affirmed that thorough investigations would occur whenever allegations of homosexual offences were raised, with great care taken due to the sensitivity of such allegations. He emphasised that only with sufficient evidence would an investigation lead to prosecution, highlighting the potential harm false accusations could have on individuals in the services.

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