Petitioners Claim Harassment (Press, 4 April 1985)

On 4 April 1985, members of a Catholic group in Wellington reported incidents of harassment while collecting signatures against the Homosexual Law Reform Bill. The Catholic group, Catholics United for the Faith, was gathering support outside a post office with the approval of the postmaster when they encountered hostility from a group of homosexual men. Janet Curran, a member of the Catholic group, stated that during the petition drive, a woman in her 50s was assaulted when her arm was grabbed and twisted while she attempted to protect the petition from being destroyed. Curran described how members of the opposing group not only verbally harassed them but also vandalised the petition by scribbling on and tearing up several pages. The harassment continued throughout the day, with two male members tending the petition desk in the morning and two female members in the afternoon. Despite the disruption, the Catholic group managed to collect approximately 300 signatures by Tuesday afternoon. Bill Logan, a representative from the Gay Task Force, denied that any homosexual group was responsible for the alleged aggressive actions. However, he acknowledged that such confrontations were not surprising. The incident highlights the tense atmosphere surrounding the debate over the Homosexual Law Reform Bill in New Zealand at the time, reflecting deep societal divisions on the issue of rights for homosexual individuals.

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