By Tony Iltis
HOBART — Tasmania's Legislative Council has finally agreed, in principle, to repeal the state's notorious laws which make homosexuality an imprisonable offence. At the time of writing, however, the upper house was still debating whether to amend the repeal bill with provisions that make it illegal to promote homosexuality.
The vote came after a week of mobilisations and sometimes heated confrontations.
On April 11, the homophobic, religious fundamentalist group, Tasalert, staged an anti-gay law reform rally on parliament lawns. However, the 50-100 bigots, carrying banners saying, "Gay is not OK" and "Remember Sodom", were soon outnumbered by lesbian and gay rights supporters.
The counter-demonstration was spontaneous — people at the nearby Salamanca Markets were angered by the display of bigotry and decided to make their opinions heard.
In a scene worthy of Monty Python, Tasalert speakers yelled fire-and-brimstone tirades into the microphone about people who give themselves up to "unnatural lusts", while the crowd chanted, "Gay rights now!". Tasalert organisers complained to the local media that there were youth among the counter-demonstrators and demanded a police investigation into paedophilia!
The widespread community support for law reform was shown by the broad range of speakers at a 500-strong April 15 rally. Even deputy premier Sue Napier was on the platform although her government withdrew its plans to defend the anti-gay laws in the High Court only a few days earlier.
Speakers from Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays received loud applause when they described themselves "representatives of all parents who love their children".
Nick Toonan of the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group (TGLRG), presenting a petition for law reform, reminded the audience of how 130 people were arrested for collecting signatures in Salamanca Markets in 1988. More than 25,000 signatures have been collected since then.
Greens Senator Bob Brown compared the Tasmanian laws and Taleban-ruled Afghanistan. Describing himself as a "happy member of the gay community of Tasmania", he noted that he sometimes had to put up with abuse, mainly from "immature males". "Some of them never get past that, some of them go on to be legislative councillors."
Michaela, representing the lesbian community, referred to a survey of young lesbians in Hobart which showed that 100% had suffered verbal abuse, 30% discrimination in education and 42% physical violence.
Rodney Croome of the TGLRG said gay law reform was about "a future where universal human rights are respected by governments ... in which committed people can change society for better by hard work, courage and faith in one's fellow human beings, a future where all people, regardless of sexuality, can live together with mutual respect."