Effect Of Gay Law On A.ld.s. Unknown (Press, 15 August 1985)

On 15 August 1985, the Health Department presented its views on the potential effects of homosexual law reform on the spread of AIDS to a Parliamentary select committee in Wellington. Dr Ron Barker, the Director-General of Health, addressed the Justice and Law Reform Committee, highlighting the complexity of the issues involved. He indicated that the relationship between legalising homosexual acts and the likelihood of reporting medical treatments for AIDS was difficult to predict. He acknowledged that while making homosexual acts illegal might deter people from seeking help, the opposite argument suggested that legalisation could lead to an increase in homosexual practices and, consequently, a rise in AIDS cases. Dr Barker emphasised that current data in New Zealand was insufficient to conclusively forecast the implications of the proposed changes in legislation on AIDS spread. Despite this uncertainty, he expressed the opinion that the passage of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill could support efforts in the AIDS campaign, pointing to a joint publicity initiative between the AIDS Foundation and the Health Department that was already underway. During the hearing, committee member Fran Wilde, a Labour MP from Wellington Central, pressed Dr Barker for his views on a controversial suggestion from American morals campaigner Dr Louis Sheldon, who proposed the isolation of AIDS patients in "leper colonies." Dr Barker responded by clarifying that the prevalence of infection was extremely low and that any necessary precautions depend on the level of infection, dismissing such proposals as unnecessary. The session experienced some tension, notably when National MP John Banks from Whangarei publicly clashed with Labour MP Bill Dillon, the committee chairman. Banks labelled Dillon an "idiot" after Dillon interrupted his questioning of representatives from the Homosexual Law Reform Society. In response, Fran Wilde admonished Banks, stating that he was harassing the society's representatives through his aggressive questioning strategy. This incident highlighted the charged atmosphere surrounding the discussions on the controversial Homosexual Law Reform Bill and the intersecting issues of public health and societal attitudes towards homosexuality during that time.

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