Laws Ineffective’ (Press, 5 September 1985)
This is a Generative AI summary of this newspaper article. It may contain errors or omissions. Please note that the language in the summary is reflective of the original article and the societal attitudes of the time in which it was written.
Summary: Laws Ineffective’ (Press, 5 September 1985)
On 5 September 1985, the A.I.D.S. Foundation presented evidence to a Parliamentary select committee in New Zealand, highlighting a troubling trend among some homosexual and bisexual men. The Foundation reported that these individuals often preferred to risk contracting A.I.D.S. rather than disclose their sexual orientation due to the existing laws that criminalised homosexuality. This secrecy, they argued, not only endangered their health but also hindered efforts to promote safe sex practices among homosexual communities. Researcher Tony Hughes, who was speaking on behalf of the Foundation, asserted that the current laws were ineffective and contributed to a culture of fear and secrecy. He indicated that the criminalisation of homosexual acts pressured individuals to hide their relationships, resulting in more casual sexual encounters and a heightened risk of A.I.D.S. transmission. Hughes pointed out that the existence of liberal laws elsewhere, such as in Spain—where the age of consent for homosexual acts is 12—did not correlate with higher A.I.D.S. case numbers; in fact, Spain had only 18 reported cases despite a population of 38 million. The committee also heard contrasting views from the Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF), which argued that some level of discrimination against homosexuals was necessary. They proposed that it should be illegal for practising homosexuals to donate blood or organs for transplant surgeries and suggested that legislation might be needed to restrict sexual activities between those with certain diseases and non-sufferers. Overall, the discussions highlighted a significant tension in New Zealand society regarding the perception and treatment of homosexuals, the implications of existing laws, and the urgent need for public acceptance and safer health practices within the community.
Important Information
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