Gay laws in australia
Marriage equality
Decriminalisation of homosexuality
From the 1960s the socially steady South Australian Labor government wanted to repeal laws criminalising homosexuality.
However, it was not until the May 1972 murder in Adelaide of Dr George Duncan, a law lecturer and gay man, that premier, Don Dunstan, assessed that the community mood was receptive to reform.
Dr Duncan’s murder led to revelations of how commonplace force and harassment against lgbtq+ people was.
South Australia’s Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Execute , was enacted on 2 October 1975. It was a landmark in LGBTQIA+ rights in Australia because it fully decriminalised lgbtq+ acts.
Equivalent law reform was passed by the Australian Capital Territory in 1976, Victoria in 1980, the Northern Territory in 1983, New South Wales in 1984, Western Australia in 1989, Queensland in 1990 and Tasmania in 1997.
LGBTQ+ Travel Guide to Australia
Interesting Cities to Visit in Australia
SYDNEY
Modern and sophisticated, Sydney is one of the best cities for tourists to visit. With gorgeous beaches and the Blue Mountains on the doorstep, there’s plenty to scout and discover. Highlights here include the Sydney Opera Property, the Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach and of course the city’s culinary scene.
MELBOURNE
With vintage shops and graffiti-covered backstreets, not to mention a superb coffee society, Melbourne has earned its rep as Australia’s hipster capital. Highlights not to miss in Melbourne include the National Gallery of Victoria, the country’s oldest art gallery; The Queen Victoria Market for the foodie inside of everyone; and of course the street art, for which the city is famous.
GOLD COAST
Fun seekers watch no further as Gold Coast is famous for surfing, rollercoasters and nightclubs. Be sure to also make hour for The Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre as well as Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, which is dwelling to native species including koalas, kangaroos and crocodiles.
BRISBANE
One of the oldest cities in Australia, place to indigenous peop
Timeline: 22 years between first and last Australian states decriminalising male homosexuality
The political manoeuvres over male lover law reform in Australia have been characterised by a series of defeats and setbacks before eventual success.
South Australia was the first state to decriminalise male homosexuality and it took the last remaining express, Tasmania, 22 years to follow suit.
First state decriminalises homosexuality
September 17, 1975
South Australia is the first state to decriminalise male homosexuality under reformist premier Don Dunstan and attorney-general Peter Duncan.
ACT prepares bill before SA
November 4, 1976
The Behave very nearly overcome SA to the punch, having prepared a decriminalisation bill before Dunstan.
Canberra did not contain self government at the time, relying on Federal Parliament to enact laws which were not passed until after SA.
Police harassment continues into 1980s
December 23, 1980
Until 1949 the death penalty was still on the books for sodomy in Victoria.
The Hamer Liberal government decriminalised male homosexuality in December 1980.
A loosely worded "soliciting for immoral purposes" clause, inserted by dissident Liberals, saw p
By Christoffer Aguilar
LGBTQI+ Australians continue to face obstacles to the packed realisation of their human rights. One major obstacle is the practice of ‘conversion therapy,’ which emerged in Australia in the 1950’s and continues to ruin the physical and mental health of LGTBQI+ Australians.
In August 2020, Queensland (‘Qld’) and Australian Capital Territory (‘ACT’) passed laws banning conversion therapy, offering long for to LGBTQI+ Australians in these states.
Then, in November 2020, after broad consultation, the Victorian Government introduced a Bill to outlaw LGBTQ+ conversion practices. Support groups welcomed the move, with Equality Australia describing the Bill’s mechanisms to prevent harm and penalise perpetrators as “world leading”.
It is worth understanding how these bans would impact the LGBTQI+ society and influence other states to ban the practice, which could lead to a national forbid. But first, what does conversion therapy encompass and what are the justifications behind its promotion and use?
Conversion therapy and its effects
Conversion therapy is a pseudoscientific practice whereby an LGBTQI+ person is subjected to methods of torture, cruel, inhuman