Bill Logan

In an insightful interview with Bryan Crump, recorded on June 28, 2017, in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, activist Bill Logan discusses the efforts to expunge convictions for consensual homosexual activities pre-dating the Homosexual Law Reform in 1986. With no reliable statistics on the number of individuals convicted, Bill Logan highlights the vast uncertainty surrounding the count of affected individuals. Logan recounts the prevalent police raids on gay venues, even into the 1980s, and the lasting scars of shame and marginalization faced by those who were prosecuted.

Logan notes instances, such as a 1981 raid on a sauna, where advice to refrain from self-incrimination prevented subsequent legal action. Acknowledging the damage caused to the lives of the prosecuted, Logan emphasizes society’s considerable debt to them. The interview touches upon not only the impact on their careers and personal relationships but also the struggle to rebuild their lives.

With legislation proposed to allow individuals to apply for the expunction of these historic convictions, Logan suggests that the justice system's simple process might estimate around a thousand cases possible for expunction. Nonetheless, Logan voices skepticism about the number of individuals who would seek to apply, wary of the emotional turmoil of revisiting such painful memories.

The conversation then turns towards the lack of substantial reparations or official apologies for the harm done with no such efforts being made since the law change 31 years back. Logan further argues for the dignity and small measure of justice that monetary compensation could signify, notwithstanding the impracticalities and potential unwillingness of those involved to confront the past.

In the closing remarks, Logan, now a counsellor, reflects on the current state of LGBT+ discrimination and the familial challenges faced by young queer individuals. Logan notes the saddened aftermath and societal healing still lacking three decades after the legislative victory of 1986 that aimed to put an end to sanctioned discrimination against homosexual men. The interview illuminates the extensive work yet required to address the repercussions of historic injustices endured by the LGBTQ+ community.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Bill Logan

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