Gay Force Says Ignore Antis (Press, 23 April 1985)

On 23 April 1985, the Gay Task Force in Wellington issued a statement urging homosexuals to avoid attending meetings organised by anti-reform groups, citing their intention to provoke those attending. The group's spokesman, Bill Logan, asserted that allowing the anti-reformers to meet without a significant presence of gay individuals would demonstrate the limited support for their views. He highlighted that anti-reform proponents had used insults and abuse during meetings to incite reactions that could be deemed undesirable in the media. Logan expressed that the gay community was open to engaging in discussions about law reform regarding homosexual rights in a civil manner, but asserted that the prevailing tone at these gatherings was one of bigotry. He condemned the rhetoric aimed at the gay community, calling it "little short of incitement" for anti-reformers to label gays as disgusting without offering them an opportunity to respond. Furthermore, he pointed out that such abuses would be considered illegal if directed at a racial minority, suggesting that the same standards should apply to the treatment of gay individuals. Despite the aggressive tactics employed by anti-reform groups, Logan noted that the gay movement had responded with "extreme restraint," and believed that the New Zealand public could understand the justification behind the anger expressed by the gay community. The statement reflects the ongoing tensions surrounding gay rights and reform in New Zealand during that period.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand