Fight Likely Over Age Of Consent For ‘gays’ (Press, 9 March 1985)

On 9 March 1985, Fran Wilde, the Member of Parliament for Wellington Central, expressed her confidence that her Homosexual Law Reform Bill would pass into law. However, she acknowledged that she would need to advocate for setting the age of consent for males at 16. Wilde noted that during a parliamentary debate the previous day, the bill was introduced with a majority vote of 51 to 24. She cautioned that this outcome did not necessarily reflect the final support for the measure, as some MPs had indicated they voted for introduction while intending to oppose it later. Nonetheless, she anticipated that support would be bolstered by members who had been absent from the House during the vote. Wilde emphasised that there is substantial medical and social evidence supporting the idea that sexual orientation is established early in life, and therefore, there should be no reason for a different age of consent. The bill has been forwarded to the Statutes Revision Committee for public feedback and submissions, and all 95 MPs are set to vote with a conscience clause, meaning they will not be bound by party lines. Wilde reflected on the evolution of public attitudes over the last decade, suggesting that there has been a shift from extreme opposition to a more nuanced understanding of the issues surrounding homosexuality. She mentioned a survey conducted in 1980, which indicated majority support for homosexual law reform, contrasting current opposition that she attributed to misunderstandings about homosexuality and its implications for society. Critics often cited moral arguments based on Christian values against the legalisation of adult consenting relationships, but Wilde highlighted that contemporary Christian opinions on such matters have become more varied and that changes in legislation globally have been informed by modern research and changing societal norms. Opponents of the bill now commonly argue about potential negative impacts on the family and young people that could arise from legalising adult male homosexuality. Wilde's efforts are aimed at addressing these concerns and ensuring that the proposed legislation garners the needed support as it moves through the Parliamentary process.

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