The Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986 is a law that legalised consensual sex between men aged 16 and older. It removed the provisions of the Crimes Act 1961that criminalised this behaviour.
The debate in parliament lasted 16 months. The main argument was that there is a difference between the legality of an issue and the morality of an issue. Therefore it should be legal for two consenting males.
An issue that came up was that the young and vulnerable need to be protected. The age of consent for females was 16 so it was made the same for males. This was about equality and many other western countries had already made the age of consent for males the same as females. Another issue was that AIDS would spread quickly and
cause many deaths throughout New Zealand.
The bill had two parts. The first dealt with the decriminalisation of sexual offences between men as well as the decriminalisation of consensual heterosexual anal intercourse, while providing protection for minors of both sexes. The second would make it illegal to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation in the areas of employment, accommodation and the supply of goods and services.
In the Law Reform Bill Fran Wilde argued that homosexuality needed to be legalised so that AIDS could be diagnosed and then there could be prevention of the disease spreading.
Gay and lesbian groups had been assured that the campaign would be short, political and carried out in Parliament. This completely underestimated the depth of public and political opposition to the proposed legislation. The bill's opponents mounted a strong and organised public campaign, virtually from the moment the bill was introduced. Supporters of the bill reacted to rather than led the debate, which became acrimonious and nasty.
final vote was held on 9 July 1986, and the bill was passed by 49 votes to 44. The governor-general gave assent to the legislation two days later, and it came into effect on 8 August that year. Gays, lesbians and their supporters partied; opponents predicted doom and gloom. For the first time in New Zealand legal history, homosexual men could enter into sexual relationships without fear of prosecution. Of the forty nine parliamentarians that supported the law reform at its final reading in 1986 forty six of them were Labour.
The Homosexual Law Reform Act, which was signed by the governor-general on 11 July 1986 and came into effect on 8 August that year, decriminalised sexual relations between men aged 16 and over. No longer would men having consensual sex with each other be liable to prosecution and a term of imprisonment. Sex between women was not illegal, but many lesbians suffered the same social discrimination as gay men and were staunch supporters of the reform movement.
Articles from New Zealand Herald after Law Reform was passed
Article from New Zealand Herald about how parliamentarians voted for the law reform
Article from New Zealand Herald, many people were relieved and happy that there was finally a homosexual law reform