|
1981 |
June |
12 |
Gay men and lesbians picket a conference of the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards at the Loaves and Fishes, Wellington Cathedral. |
|
1981 |
mid-year |
|
Lesbians are very active in protests against the Springbok Rugby tour of NZ. |
|
1981 |
mid-year |
|
First feminist radio programme "Leave The Dishes In The Sink" broadcast on Wellington Access Radio. |
|
1981 |
August |
|
Lesbian Line telephone service is set up in Christchurch, on a more formal basis than the earlier SHE service. |
|
1981 |
November |
|
Dr Ian Scott stands unsuccessfully as an openly gay Labour candidate for Mt Eden. |
|
1981 |
November |
|
Wellington Gay Task Force formed after a police raid on the Wakefield sauna. |
|
1982 |
|
|
The Equality Bill Campaign unsuccessfully petitions the Prime Minister for law reform. |
|
1982 |
|
|
Auckland lesbians begin publishing "Dyke News" |
|
1982 |
|
|
Wellington lesbians begin publishing "Lesbian LIP" a lesbian-feminist newsletter. |
|
1982 |
April |
8 |
Wellington Women's Land Collective publish Women's Land, outlining plans for establishing a rural lesbian community |
|
1982 |
April |
|
10th National Gay Rights Conference, is held at Te Tira Hou Marae, Panmure. |
|
1982 |
May |
|
Lesbian Leap Weekend, a national gathering to celebrate and share lesbian culture and discuss political issues, is held at Porirua. A play by Lynne L is performed. |
|
1982 |
May |
|
"Truth" newspaper publishes an anti-lesbian article about "Lesbian-feminist Circle" magazine, pretending a suggestion that lesbians take over Carterton is serious. Lesbians respond with a pasteup. |
|
1982 |
July |
|
Lesbian feminists remove a display they consider offensive to working class culture from the Women's Art Gallery in Wellington. |
|
1982 |
September |
|
A TV documentary about lesbians and gay men in NZ is screened nationwide. |
|
1982 |
November |
|
Lesbian Creativity Week is held to mark the closing of the first Lesbian Centre, in Wellington. |
|
1983 |
|
|
The Equality Bill, lacking support from gay organisations (it would have set an age of consent for lesbian activity) is abandoned. |
|
1983 |
|
|
An anonymous man in New Plymouth is the first known person in New Zealand to die from AIDS complications.. |
|
1983 |
August |
|
The first lesbian caucus of the Women's Studies Association is held at its Blenheim conference. |
|
1983 |
November |
1 |
Homosexual Law Reform Society secretary and long-term campaigner Jack Goodwin dies. |
|
1983 |
November |
|
Bruce Burnett returns from the US, trained as a Shanti Project volunteer and highly motivated to prevent HIV infection in NZ. |
|
1983 |
December |
|
The National Gay Rights Coalition produces the country's first leaflet about AIDS, "AIDS, Choices and Chances" |
|
1984 |
|
|
The first book on lesbianism in NZ, "Amazon Mothers" by Miriam Saphira, is published |
|
1984 |
June |
1 |
AIDS Support Network formed (becomes NZ AIDS Foundation in 1985) |
|
1984 |
June |
1 |
Gay men and lesbians picket a performance of "Boys' Own McBeth" at Downstage, Wellington, claiming it is homophobic |
|
1984 |
July |
7 |
Fran Wilde meets with Wellington Central gay community to discuss law reform options. |
|
1984 |
July |
14 |
Snap election (brought on in part by Marilyn Waring crossing the floor on nuclear ships issue) is Labour landslide, giving hope of reform. |
|
1984 |
September |
1 |
Gay Task Force re-forms in Wellngton to assist Fran Wilde's proposed Homosexual Law Refom Bill. |
|
1984 |
September |
28 |
Morals campaigner Patricia Bartlett warns that sex education might be taught by a "someone known to the children as a poofter." |
|
1984 |
October |
19 |
Retired sharebroker Donald Corby of Wanganui is punched and kicked to death near Palmerston North. Russell Graham, 18, and Manu Royal, 25, are later convicted of his manslaughter and sentenced to 7 1/2 and 9 1/2 years gaol. |
|
1984 |
November |
6 |
Christchurch Gay Task Force formed. |
|
1984 |
November |
10 |
Auckland Gay Task Force formed. |
|
1985 |
|
|
Dunedin Gay Task force formed (shortlived). |
|
1985 |
February |
2 |
Gay BC begins regular broadcasts on Wellington Access Radio, 1/2hr weekly from February 16, to report on law reform campaign. |
|
1985 |
March |
7 |
Fran Wilde (Labour, Wellington Central) introduces the Homosexual Law Reform Bill after six months consultation with gay community groups. |
|
1985 |
March |
8 |
Parliament votes for Homosexual Law Reform Bill to be introduced by 51 votes to 24. |
|
1985 |
March |
14 |
MPs Braybrooke (Labour, Napier) Lee (National, Hauraki), Jones (National, Invercargill) and Wallbank (Labour, Gisborne) launch an anti-law-reform petition. |
|
1985 |
March |
20 |
Anti-reform petition taken over by Keith Hay and Peter Tait. |
|
1985 |
March |
18 |
AIDS Support Network Trust established. |
|
1985 |
April |
12 |
North Shore anti-gay meeting addressed by Pastor Richard Flynn and MP Geoff Braybrooke. Peter Wall ejected amid scenes of disruption. |
|
1985 |
April |
15 |
Rowdy Wellington Town Hall anti-law-reform meeting attracts about 1000. Anti-abortion lawyer Des Dalgety and Mt Roskill mayor Keith Hay deliberately stir up the largely (~600) lesbian/gay audience. A TV image of two women in the audience kissing is widely used as shorthand for the campaign. |
|
1985 |
April |
26 |
Submissions on the Bill close. More than 2000 are received. |
|
1985 |
May |
|
At a rally in Auckland Town Hall, a representative of the Maori and Pacific Island lesbian group Wahine Mo Nga Wahine o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa speaks. |
|
1985 |
May |
6 |
Lesbians and gays commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Holocaust at the National War Memorial, Wellington. Survivor Dr Edith Eger speaks. |
|
1985 |
May |
21 |
1400 attend "Bigot Busters" rally in Wellington Town Hall. |
|
1985 |
May |
24 |
5000 march through Wellington in support of law reform. |
|
1985 |
May |
24 |
2000 attend law reform rally in Auckland Town Hall |
|
1985 |
May |
24 |
ex-MP Marilyn Waring comes out. |
|
1985 |
June |
1 |
Bruce Burnett, AIDS pioneer, dies of AIDS-related lymphoma. |
|
1985 |
June |
|
Heterosexuals Unafraid of Gays (HUG) formed in Auckland, then (June 22) Wellington. |
|
1985 |
mid |
|
National Gay and Lesbian Conference is designated "Bigot Busters" conference and devoted to tactics for passing the Wilde Bill. |
|
1985 |
July |
2 |
First public HUG meeting, Wellington Public Library lecture hall |
|
1985 |
July |
11 |
Coalition to Support the Bill formed in Wellington |
|
1985 |
August |
14 |
Fundamentalist organiser Lou Sheldon (California Traditional Family Values Coalition) visits. His North Shore meeting is disrupted. |
|
1985 |
August |
27 |
Public HUG meeting, Ngati Toa hall, Porirua, former All Black Ken Gray chairs. |
|
1985 |
September |
13 |
Nation-wide marches (~20,000 people) in support of the BIll. |
|
1985 |
September |
24 |
The "Nuremberg Rally" against Homosexual Law Reform on the steps of Parliament, when the petition with 810,000 signatures, only 350,000 validated, many bogus or coerced, was presented. |
|
1985 |
early October |
|
The Coalition of Concerned Citizens publishes "The Social Effects of Homosexuality in New Zealand, largely based on the flawed work of Paul Cameron. GTF publishes its rebuttal a week later. |
|
1985 |
October |
3 |
(US: Rock Hudson dies of AIDS complications.) |
|
1985 |
October |
7 |
Arson attempt on Gay Task Force HQ inWellington. |
|
1985 |
October |
8 |
The Bill is reported back from the Select Committee unchanged. The petition is reported back "without recommendation." |
|
1985 |
October |
9 |
Second Reading debate begins. Opponents try to filibuster. |
|
1985 |
November |
5 |
The body of Noel Stanley Robertson is found in Wellington Harbour after he listened to Parliament debating the Bill. Radio Windy says someone had had anal sex with him shortly before his death. |
|
1985 |
November |
13 |
Debate ends with 47-32 vote to discuss in Committee. |
|
1985 |
December |
|
"Circle" magazine marked "Lesbians only". Continues till 1986. |
|
1986 |
|
|
"A Fair for a Fair Law," the first annual Lesbian and Gay Fair (the first of 10 organised by Des Smith) in Newtown, Wellington |
|
1986 |
March |
27 |
Age of consent of 16 retained by 41 votes to 36. |
|
1986 |
April |
16 |
Part 2 of the HLR Bill (outlawing discrimination) is watered down, then defeated 49-31. |
|
1986 |
April |
24 |
More amendments moved to the age of consent, but tactical delays give supporters the numbers to retain it. |
|
1986 |
June |
11 |
Hiki Tangi Mumauna Brown, 29, a glazier of Mirimar, is convicted of murdering Noel Stanley Robertson. He admitting kicking and smothering him after they met in an hotel and went together to the waterfront. He is sentenced to life imprisonment. |
|
1986 |
June |
|
Eve Van Grafthorst, a child with HIV, escapes to NZ from discrimination in Australia. |
|
1986 |
June |
|
(US: Supreme Court rules laws against sodomy constitutional.) |
|
1986 |
July |
2 |
Third Reading debate (normally a formality) begins. Opponents move closure but it is saved by one vote (43-42), that of George Gair, more on grounds of fairness than support. |
|
1986 |
July |
9 |
9.45pm. The Homosexual Law Reform Act (Part I) is passed by Parliament, 49 votes to 44, to cheers from the gallery. |
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