Yeah, so you see how much I know, which is sad in a
lot of ways, but well move on and hope the future well change that, even if I
have to wait until I’m turning to dust in my grave.
Anyway, I’m
hoping to look into this a lot more, but I’m actually sick, and I have three
books to write, plus I’m looking into getting a eBook program (as well as Photoshop)
in the hopes that I can put out my ‘free’ reads as actual books, for you to get
free.
Still, what he said got me thinking, and so I looked
it up. This is the first search everyone does, so… here’s what I learnt from
Wikipedia. I’m not taking it all to heart, because you just don’t in that
place, but it’s a start…
By the way, just so we are clear. I’m shit at research
and even more so about turning what I’ve learnt into something different.
Australia’s early years
When Australia was first colonised, most—all, of our
laws came from Britain. Meaning the sodomy law was part of Australian law from
1788 through to 1944, which, in that time, the punishment for “buggery”
(sodomy) was reduced from execution to life in prison in 1899.
To me, it kinda makes sense that the punishment was
downgraded, considering that we were a country originally designed as one big
fucking prison until they decided the place was liveable, so it would seem odd that
they would kill off anyone that sodomised, how else would they get anything
built?
Francis Wilkinson was the first man to be charged
with buggery (but acquitted) in 1796.
The punishment for sodomy slowly came out of
Australia, state by state.
·
Male homosexuality was
decriminalised in the Australian Capital Territory in 1976, then Norfolk Island
in 1993, following South Australia in 1975 and Victoria in 1981. At the time of
legalization (for the above), the age of consent, rape, defences, etc. were all
set gender-neutral and equal. Western Australia legalised male homosexuality in
1989 – Under the Law Reform (Decriminalization of Sodomy) Act 1989, as did New
South Wales and the Northern Territory in 1984 with unequal ages of consent of
18 for New South Wales and the Northern Territory and 21 for Western Australia.
Then since 1997, the states and territories that retained different ages of
consent or other vestiges of sodomy laws have tended to repeal them later;
Western Australia did so in 2002, and New South Wales and the Northern
Territory did so in 2003.
It says that Tasmania was the last state/territory
to decriminalise it, and that was only because the Federal Government and the
United Nations Human Rights Committee forced them to repeal it in 1997.
And lastly, in 1951, NSW Crimes Act was amended to
ensure that ‘buggery’ remained a criminal act “with or without the consent of
the person”, removing the legal loophole.
The gay rights movement
The first line of this, talks about… well, something
in the sixties, but what has me grinning it this line:
·
Some historians have
attributed this to the ‘convict stain’ that tied erasure of white Australia’s
convict past to comparable amnesia about greater allowance for sex between men
than would exist after consolidated settlement and colonisation began.
Gay and lesbian rights movement groups weren’t
organised until the late 1960s. Which seemed to actually mean mid-1969. There
were a few others around the country, however, it was a Sydney organisation,
the Campaign Against Moral Persecution, C.A.M.P founded in 1970 that is
considered Australia’s first gay rights organisation.
Which took fast and country wide, supporting and
heading demonstrations.
And also help other organisations to follow
including the Gay Teachers Group, and The Homosexual Law Reform Coalition.
Which started in the late 70s.
·
In 1972, the Dunstan Labor
government introduced a consenting adults in private type defence in South
Australia. This defence was later introduced as a bill by Murray Hill, father
of former Defence Minister Robert Hill, In 1975, South Australia became the
first state or territory to legalise sexual conduct between males.
It goes on to tell about a rally in Martin Plaza in
1978 were an estimated 500 people marched down George St., which is impressive
amount of people especially when the population of Australia was roughly 14,192
people at that time.
·
In 1984, the Australian
Medical Association removed homosexuality from its list of illnesses and
disorders.
The last gay man arrested was on 14 December 1984
when he was caught having sex in his car on the side of the road. His sentence
was 8 months.
There is more, about when Australia past right that
allowed same sex couple granted a visa, and another about legalising sexual
activity between consenting adults (in private).
The John Howard years
And lastly, there’s this part (Howard was our second
last priminister) he’s a bigoted old man, and what is worse, now, we have
another one. And even though the world has grown up and accepted it (okay,
Western world, a little) there will be no way that a same sex marriage law
being past in the next four year. Hell, I’m worried that woman’s rights will plummet
with the man as our leader, since he’s a firm believer that a woman’s job is to
have babies and cook his meals.
I kinda feel sorry for his wife but more so for his daughters
as they have had to life with the added bonus of a father who thinks they
should be married off—most likely to the rickets suitor, honestly, he’s the
type of bully that would make a potential mate for his daughter by how big the
pig was. (I’m generalizing, this is probably not correct)
It’s sad and as you can see I’m not happy with the
situation we find ourselves in, but… we’ll, leave it there, and hope for the
best in our future. But let us all give thanks that it’s only a four hour
flight to a country that allows marriage, so we can increase their economy.
And that’s that, it’s all that there was here one
this site. I’m hoping I’ll have time threw the month to look into other things
in Australia’s LGBT community, but like I’m mentioned before, it’s looking like
a very busy month for me.
Hope you learnt something,
Till next time
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