Hecklers Force Meeting To Close (Press, 12 April 1985)

On 11 April 1985, a meeting held on Auckland's North Shore to oppose the Homosexual Law Reform Bill was abruptly closed due to heckling and disruptions. Organised by members of the North Shore Reformed Church, the event aimed to gather support for a campaign to collect 100,000 signatures against the bill. Despite the venue being able to accommodate 560 attendees, only about a third of the seats were filled with supporters, while more than 200 individuals were locked out prior to the meeting's start at 7:30 p.m., even though there were vacant seats. Security was heightened, with ten policemen stationed at the doors.

The meeting faced immediate challenges as the chairman, Mr Bob Pierson, had to call for the removal of Mr Peter Wall, the co-ordinator of the Auckland Gay Task Force, after he refused to sit down and insisted on having both proponents and opponents of the bill allowed to speak. The atmosphere became tense when one of the invited speakers, Rev. Richard Flinn, claimed that nobody is born homosexual. His controversial statement that 14 per cent of homosexuals engage in sexual activities with boys under the age of 16 incited an even more intense backlash from the audience, leading to further disruptions.

Ultimately, the meeting's original purpose was undermined by the vocal opposition and the chaotic environment, prompting the decision to close the event prematurely.

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