Kevin's Guide to Nelson, New Zealand - Information on Homosexuality in New Zealand

Gay Information

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How legal is homosexuality in New Zealand?

Homosexuality in New Zealand was decriminalised on July 9th, 1986, with the passing of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill after a very long and bitter campaign both inside Parliament and out in the community, with the age of consent at 16, the same as it is for heterosexual sex. This brought gay male sex, and lesbian sex in line with heterosexual sex.

To commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the passing of this Law, a booklet covering the "battle" to get it through Parliament, as seen by those living in Nelson at the time, was published. The text of the Booklet can now be read on line. (Note the file size is approx 37Kb.)

In February 1994, the amended Human Rights Commission Act came into force (it was amended in mid 1993 by Parliament), once again after a fairly long campaign (which involved a lot of behind-the-scenes lobbying) to which the local gay community gave its support with submissions to Parliament in favour of the law being changed. This makes it illegal to discriminate in almost every way, including the provision of accommodation and goods and services, to any person regardless of gender, religion, sexual orientation and health status (including those who are living with HIV/AIDS), among other provisions. If you want to join the Police or Armed Forces, you cannot be refused admission solely because you are gay (mind you, the Military didn't have any opposition to the Act being changed to its present form anyway).

It is also now possible for homosexual couples to be legally recognised since the passing of the Civil Union legislation, often referred to as 'gay marriage'. The legislation gives heterosexual couples the right to have their relationship recognised legally without going through the process of marriage and gives everyone the same rights etc. as married people, especially when it comes to property ownership, listing of partners as spouses etc.

Special mention must be made here of Georgina Beyer, the world's first openly transexual Member of Parliament who won the Waiarapa Seat (in the lower North Island) for the Labour Pary in the November 1999 General Election. Georgina was also the world's first openly transsexual Mayor (of one of the smaller settlements within the Waiarapa), having been first elected to that position in 1995, and re-elected in 1998 - her sexuality was widely known throughout the country before the 1995 elections.
In the 2002 General Election, Georgina was re-elected, nearly doubling her majority. Georgina retired from Parliament to pesue other areas of interest and public life in February 2007

Today in New Zealand, we also have several other openly gay Members of Parliament - Tim Barnett who holds the Christchurch Central seat for Labour, and Chris Carter, a Labour list MP are two. I haven't had the chance to catch up on the others yet). There are believed to be one or two other gay/bisexual MPs, but closeted.
In the 2002 and 2005 General Elections, Tim was comfortably re-elected and Chris was again positioned high on the Labour List enabling him to serve another term. In New Zealand, the Labour Party Caucus Members elect from their Members in Parliament who they think will be good Cabinet Ministers, for the Prime Minister to allocate portfolios. Chris was elcected by his peers to hold a Cabinet post in his third term in Parliament, and is the Minister of Conservation, a position he still holds in his fourth term in office.

For photos of Georgina and Tim, see the page with a report on a reception in Wellington which I attended recently.

In the 1998 local body elections, Jackie Grant, another transexual person (who's sexuality was widely known beforehand) was elected to her local council (on the South Island's West Coast), and she also received the Queen's Service Medal for sevices to the community in the 1999 New Year's Honours List.
As far as I know, Jackie no longer serves on the Council she was elected to as she has moved to another centre on the West Coast and didn't stand in the 2001 Local Body Elections.