End of the prosecution of gay men
After a fierce dispute, the law decriminalising homosexuality comes into force in New Zealand in 1986.
On 8 August 1986, the Homosexual Law Reform Act came into force in New Zealand. The law ended the prosecution of consensual sexual acts between men aged 16 and over and created a uniform age of consent for all sexual relationships in the country.
The impetus came from the Labour MP Fran Wilde, who introduced the law in parliament as a private member's bill on 8 March 1985. She had previously worked closely with queer organisations. The bill consisted of two parts: the first provided for the decriminalisation of sexual acts between men, the second for a ban on discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in employment, housing and services.
The following months were marked by an exceptionally fierce social and political debate. Opponents claimed to have collected over 800,000 signatures against the reform, a large proportion of which later turned out to be invalid. The dispute was emotional and at times aggressive; among other things, there was an arson attack on an archive of the lesbian and gay movement.
On 9 July 1986, parliament voted by 49 votes to 44 for part one of the bill. Part two, the ban on discrimination, was however rejected, leaving queer people still without legal protection against discrimination. The Governor-General gave the law Royal Assent on 11 July 1986, and according to its text it came into force automatically 28 days later: on 8 August 1986.
Sexual acts between women had never been explicitly prohibited in New Zealand, yet lesbians experienced the same social stigma as gay men and firmly supported the reform movement. For gay men, 8 August 1986 meant for the first time in New Zealand's history being able to enter into consensual sexual relationships without fear of prosecution and prison.