Women ‘new Victims’ Of Homosexual Law Reform (Press, 11 June 1986)

On 11 June 1986, concerns were raised by the pro-family organisation Kiwi Forum regarding the potential impact of the proposed homosexual law reform bill in New Zealand. National president Mrs Ann Parker, who is based in Dunedin, argued that the decriminalisation of consensual sodomy would adversely affect women, young people, and families. She expressed her belief that many women would be repulsed upon realising the implications of the law, stating that existing legal protections for women would be undermined by the bill. In contrast to Mrs Parker’s views, Mr Mark Henaghan, a law lecturer at the University of Otago, provided arguments in favour of the reform. He clarified that any acts of sodomy performed without consent would still be classified as a criminal offence, emphasising the strength of the recent changes to rape laws that provide robust protection against various sexual offences now defined as sexual violation. Mr Henaghan noted that while consensual sodomy would be decriminalised if the bill passed, it was important to highlight that many married couples had already engaged in such practices despite the current legal restrictions. The discussion surrounding the bill highlighted the divide between differing opinions on the reform, with pro-family advocates raising concerns over women's rights and the protection of familial structures, while legal experts pointed to enhanced protections under evolving laws regarding consent and sexual offences.

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