2nd September
2003 Letter
from Attorney General Rod Welford, in
response to my 27th June 2003 email, which had
been forwarded from the Premier’s Office. Mr. Welford acknowledges my comments
in that email which included: Today the USA
Supreme Court has made a landmark final decision which strikes down similar
Sodomy Laws across the entire United
States. Queensland is the only
state in Australia with a Sodomy law - and with the recent "across the
board" equalisation of age of consent in New South Wales, that situation
seems all the more embarrassing. Not only has Queensland's
Sodomy Law effectively prevented the proper education of at-risk youth
regarding safe sexual practices, but it has also denied tens of thousands of
youth the possibility of being accepted by their peers as honest and good
individuals - inclusive of their sexuality. You can't replace those lost opportunities,
but you can act now, as a matter of urgency, to ensure that Queensland does
not continue to be seen as the backward laughing-stock of Australia,
in regard to age of consent.
Mr. Welford confirms the Premier’s statement
that the Government has no plans to change the existing law. However he adds two significant words “THIS TERM”.
Text as scanned
from original letter stored as a jpg image HERE.
Queensland Government Attorney-General
Minister for Justice
The Honourable Rod Welford MP
In reply please quote: 2003/06621
Your reference:
2 SEP 2003
Mr J Frame
82 Main Avenue
WAVELL HEIGHTS QLD 4012
Dear Mr Frame
Your email dated 27
June 2003
about law reform has been forwarded to me, from the Honourable Peter Beattie
MP, Premier and Minister for Trade.
The age of consent for
anal intercourse in Queensland, for both males and females, is
eighteen years. For all other forms of sexual activity the age of consent is
sixteen years. I note your comments about the Queensland law. However, as the Premier has
indicated, the Government has no plans to change the existing law this term.
Rod
Welford MP
18th
floor State Law Building
50 Ann Street Brisbane
GPO Box 149 Brisbane
Queensland 4001 Australia
Telephone
+61 7 3239 3478
Facsimile
+61 7 3220 2475
Email
Attorney@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Website
www.justice.qld.gov.au
