Youth Forum - on
Age Of Consent Equality in Queensland:
The Youth Forum on age of consent
equality which was held on Saturday afternoon, 28th June 2003, at the
lovely and spacious NASH Theatre drew a total of eight attendees:- James Kellett, Scott Grimmett, Kalven and myself from Queer Radio, Tireka
and Dominic from radical youth activist group Resistance,
Peter from SYAC (Qld State Youth Advisory Council) and Peter's
friend, Tracey.
Six of the eight are bona-fide
youth.
Though the attendance was small, the results were good - especially in establishing
an effective connection between the three represented groups.
We recorded a very good "round-table" discussion on the issues
surrounding our state's 1990 Sodomy Law with all youth present speaking of
their own experiences, observations and opinions. The edited recording should
be aired on Queer Radio within the next month.
Hopefully now that the first official steps are being taken by youth to demand
reform, the Government will also start to take heed, and stop
pretending that their "non-discriminatory" Sodomy Law doesn't have
any inherent and truly damaging problems.
I warmly encourage other youths to be prepared to be proactive and ensure that
future actions toward law reform are fully supported - reform will only occur on
this issue if youth themselves demand that it happen.
Contact Peter
Ryan (Qld State Youth
Advisory Council) at sanman@microed.com.au and Dominic of Resistance
via brisbane@greenleft.org.au
To contact Queer Radio please email jvframe@bigpond.net.au or phone 0409 501 561
What the forum was about:
A peer forum
for youth to openly discuss the issues surrounding
The age of
consent is stated as being 16, but in 1990 laws prohibiting all sex between men
were removed and a new law installed which prohibits the act of anal
intercourse (sodomy) to anyone under 18.
The state
government has never explained the law to it’s own agencies, let alone to the
public and consequently most people believe that all “male to male” sex for
those under 18 is illegal (rather than just that one activity) – and they treat
16 and 17 year old male youths accordingly.
These young
men need to know they are OK just as they are. They are just as legal, just as
acceptable, just as good and right-thinking as their heterosexual friends and
associates. The only way to ensure our society will be empowered to give them
that knowledge and to accept them as they are, is to change the law NOW.
Our Premier,
Peter Beattie, actually chaired the 1990 Parliamentary Committee which accepted
expert advice and recommended there be no differing legal age for any gender or
for any sexual activity. Mr. Beattie
knows we’ve had an inferior law for the last 13 years – he needs to hear you
demand a truly equal age of consent.
Print an accurate brochure on the current age of
consent law (Word file 38k): www.queerradio.org/AOCpamphlet.doc
(for
full background information on our age of consent inequities see www.queerradio.org/AgeOfConsent.htm)
You’re welcome to contact
John Frame of Queer Radio by email or by phone on 0409 501 561