Homosexual Law Changes (Press, 11 April 1985)

In a letter to the editor published on 11 April 1985, Betty O'Dowd defended the notion that Cardinal Williams’s opposition to the Homosexual Law Reform Bill does not reflect the official stance of the Roman Catholic Church. O'Dowd pointed out that a significant report from the English Catholic hierarchy, which was submitted to the Wolfenden Committee, clearly stated that the state should not be concerned with sin and rejected the use of criminal sanctions for private acts of sexual morality between consenting adults. This report, issued nearly 30 years prior to her letter, advocated for the decriminalisation of homosexual acts between responsible adults. O'Dowd suggested that New Zealand should consider this guidance in its approach to the current discussion about the Homosexual Law Reform Bill. Another letter in the same issue, from J. Ngarimu, expressed disagreement with a pamphlet titled “Ten Good Reasons for Saying ‘No’ to the Homosexual Law Reform Bill,” which was intended to encourage people to sign a petition against the bill being circulated by the Salvation Army. Ngarimu highlighted the division among Christians regarding homosexual law reform and critiqued the pamphlet for what he perceived as its oversimplification of the issue and its promotion of an extreme viewpoint.

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