*Age Of Consent & Legal Sexual Activity for the State of
June 2007 a DVD-Video/CD-ROM package entitled “6 Statements of Support for Equal Age Of
Consent Reform in
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
(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
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
Featuring statements of
support for urgent reform by:
·
·
Parents and Friends of
Lesbians And Gays President Shelley
Argent
·
Qld Association for
Healthy Communities Manager Paul Martin
·
Action Reform Change
·
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
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
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
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 |
(2) Paul Martin, |
(3) Shelley Argent, President, |
(4) Rodney Goodbun, Representative, Action Reform Change |
(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. |