Reform M.P. Fed Up With 'plain Lies’ (Press, 12 June 1985)
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Summary: Reform M.P. Fed Up With 'plain Lies’ (Press, 12 June 1985)
In a public meeting held in Auckland on 12 June 1985, Fran Wilde, the Member of Parliament for Wellington Central, expressed her frustration with the misinformation and inaccuracies surrounding her Homosexual Law Reform Bill. Speaking to an audience of 1000 at Massey High School, she engaged in a debate with Barry Reed, representative of the Campaign to Oppose the Bill. The audience was split between supporters of the bill and fundamentalist Christians against it. Wilde defended the bill, whichaims to decriminalise sexual acts between consenting males, asserting that it aligns homosexual legislation with existing laws for heterosexuals. She rebutted claims from opponents suggesting the bill would effectively lower the age of consent to 12, arguing that no authorities—including police, social welfare, courts, or churches—had indicated that existing laws inadequately protected young girls. Reed, however, countered Wilde’s assertions, questioning the right of opponents to impose their moral values on homosexuals, and raised concerns about the bill supposedly granting homosexuals superior rights over other community members through amendments to the Human Rights Commission Act. Following the meeting, Wilde remarked that it was the largest audience she had addressed regarding the bill, feeling positive about the conduct of the event but recognising that both sides had likely already formed their opinions. Despite the challenges, she remained hopeful for the bill's passage into law, encouraging liberal supporters to communicate effectively with their representatives and disregard misleading suggestions from other politicians, including Norman Jones, MP for Invercargill.
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