Campaign for Age Of Consent awareness & removal of The Sodomy Law in Queensland

*Age Of Consent & Legal Sexual Activity for the State of Queensland, Australia - A campaign to remove our Sodomy Law (which was enacted in 1990).

what the law means...an easy to read pamphlet...a brief story of the campaign so far...the need for community action...homosexual law reform history in Qld...Government legislation referencesCorrespondence Summary List...   RETURN to opening page

June 2007 a DVD-Video/CD-ROM package entitled “6 Statements of Support for Equal Age Of Consent Reform in Queensland was sent to every Member of Parliament during this month.

 

mini image of DVD cover art with link to detailed file 

 

Click the links below to choose either YouTube video or transcripts of the statements by:

Anti-Discrimination Commissioner of Queensland Susan Booth,

Queensland Association for Healthy Communities general manager Paul Martin,

Brisbane Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays president Shelley Argent,

Action Reform Change Queensland spokesperson Rodney Goodbun,

youth activist Felix Kellett and

youth specialist Psychologist Tim Klein. 

 

Since early 2000, when I started pursuing this reform, the Premier and his various Attorneys-General have all refused (or failed) to meet with a representative group in order to discuss the need for urgent reform. So I decided to bring the people to them via the medium of DVD-Video. Filmed between February and May 2007, the six contributors are Qld Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Susan Booth, QAHC General Manager Paul Martin, Brisbane PFLAG President Shelley Argent, ARCQ spokesperson Rod Goodbun, Queer Radio presenter Felix Kellett and psychologist/psychotherapist Tim Klein. I believe that the combined statements constitute a compelling argument for urgent reform.

 

Below is the covering letter which was personalised for each recipient and below that you’ll find the image of the cover art as well as all six statements as embedded YouTube videos – and links to each full transcript.     

 

NB: The June edition of Queensland Pride magazine opened with a page 3 feature article on this DVD project – written by QP’s Editor Iain Clacher:

 

mini image of QP article with link to detailed file(click the image for full text plus link to a full size jpg of the article) 


 

 

To:                  (Member’s name), Member for (Electorate)

 

From:              John Frame

                        82 Main Avenue, Wavell Heights 4012.

                        Ph: (07) 3350 1562

                        Email: jvframe@ozemail.com.au

                        Website: www.queerradio.org/AgeOfConsent.htm

 

Date:               20th June 2007

 

Re: The enclosed DVD-Video/CD-ROM information pack entitled:

“6 Statements of Support for Equal Age Of Consent Reform in Queensland

 

Featuring statements of support for urgent reform by:

 

·         Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Susan Booth

·         Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays President Shelley Argent

·         Qld Association for Healthy Communities Manager Paul Martin

·         Action Reform Change Queensland representative Rodney Goodbun

·         22 year old gay youth, community radio volunteer Felix Kellett

·         Psychologist / Psychotherapist Tim Klein

 

Dear (Member’s name),

 

On several occasions in recent years I have emailed every member of Queensland Parliament regarding this vital and long overdue reform, and I have received positive replies, in support of equity, from party members and from independents, but to date I have received no indication of any likely reform action from the Government.

 

Premier Peter Beattie and his Attorneys-General have refused requests to meet with community representatives to discuss the need for reform. So, in order to bring those persons’ opinions directly to the attention of each Member of Parliament, I have conducted these video interviews with eminent and reputable persons who all strongly support equal age of consent reform. Their combined statements make a very compelling argument for urgent action. I hope that you will be able to find the time to consider these opinions.

 

For your convenience, I have included a CD-ROM which contains full transcripts as Word files, as well as CD quality audio versions and also a selection of relevant documents – such as ADCQ Commissioner Susan Booth’s 15th July 2005 letter to then Attorney-General Hon. Rod Welford, and the October 1990 PCJC Report on “Reforms in Laws Relating to Homosexuality” (which was Chaired by Mr. Peter Beattie). 

 

I urge all Party aligned and Independent Members to be proactive in hastening this reform – for the sake of all Queensland youth. Since 2003 Queensland has been the only place in Australia where such damaging and unjustified inequity exists. We need to know that ALL youth are able to be EQUALLY supported and protected under the law.


Further background information:

 

My name is John Frame. I am a mature aged (51 year old) gay man who has been actively involved as a volunteer in lesbian and gay community media since 1993. I am also a long term Equal Rights Activist and I work as an Aged Carer, caring for my 78 year old mother.

 

Since early 2000 I have been corresponding with Premier Peter Beattie and several Attorneys-General regarding the serious matter of Queensland’s unequal age of consent – a law which actively discriminates against same sex attracted young men in particular, which taints them as potential criminals, and which denies them the same level of support and acceptance as is enjoyed by their heterosexual siblings and peers.

 

This discrimination impacts on same sex attracted youth by placing them at dramatically increased risk of self harm, drug abuse and suicide. It also places all of our state’s 16 and 17 year old youth at increased risk of contracting HIV – the virus which leads to AIDS.

 

The age of consent for vaginal intercourse is 16. However since November 1990, when sex between men was decriminalised in Queensland, there has been a higher minimum age for any person to consent to engage in anal intercourse. The current law sets a minimum age of 18 and a penalty of up to 14 years gaol.

 

This law impedes vital safe sex education to 16 and 17 year olds – including heterosexuals – on a sexual activity which is considered to be very high risk for HIV if practised without the proper use of condoms.

 

Premier Peter Beattie and his Attorneys-General have consistently refused to commit to reforming this law – despite Mr Beattie being well aware that an unequal age of consent should never have been enacted in the first place. He Chaired the 1990 Committee which reported to Parliament on Homosexual Law Reform. The Committee’s Recommendation 7 was:

 

“THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT THE AGE OF CONSENT FOR HOMOSEXUAL ACTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF SEXUAL EQUALITY AND ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BE THE SAME FOR MALES AS IT IS FOR FEMALES, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER THE SEXUAL ACT IS HETEROSEXUAL OR HOMOSEXUAL. “

 

On page 72 of that Report Mr. Beattie states that “I am in full support of almost all aspects of this Report and certainly the first eight recommendations. Those recommendations are the majority recommendations of the Committee and are put before the Government and the Parliament for Legislative consideration and debate.” Sadly, Hansard records prove that there has never been any debate on this particular issue.

 

I thank you for your time and I welcome any comments or queries.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

 

“6 Statements of Support for Equal Age Of Consent Reform in Queensland

Equal Age Of Consent DVD cover art

 

The DVD-Video offers six statements from highly reputable and relevant persons who all support urgent equal age of consent reform, and whose combined statements form a compelling argument.

 

The CD-ROM contains audio versions of the statements, transcripts and also selected relevant documents (including Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Susan Booth’s 15th July 2005 letter to Attorney-General Rod Welford).

 

The pack will be sent to every member of the Queensland Parliament. You are welcome to watch the YouTube copies of these videos as linked below. Transcripts for each speaker are also linked as htm files:

 

(1) Susan Booth, Commissioner, Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland. Recorded 27th April 2007. (1:00) Read transcript.

 

(2) Paul Martin, General Manager, Queensland Association for Healthy Communities. Recorded 21st February 2007.(5:30) Read transcript.

 

(3) Shelley Argent, President, Brisbane Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays. Recorded 22nd February 2007. (6:50) Read Transcript.

 

(4) Rodney Goodbun, Representative, Action Reform Change Queensland. Recorded 1st March 2007. (7:18) Read transcript.

 

(5) Felix Kellett, anchor presenter of Queer Radio on 4ZZZ fm 102.1. Recorded 10th March 2007. (9:41) Read transcript.

 

(6) Tim Klein, Psychologist and Psychotherapist. Recorded 17th April 2007. (9:18)   Read transcript.