Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 30, No. 6. 1967.

Ministers view was uninformed -Peter Blizard

Ministers view was uninformed -Peter Blizard

The Minister of Justice's suggestion of a clinic in Dunedin for the treatment of Homosexuals is naive, uninformed and at variance with the facts, Mr. Peter Blizard told students at a recent discussion on Homosexuality and the Law.

He said the suggestion was based on the assumption, yet to be proved, that homosexuals can be "cured" and that they want to be "cured." He likened the "process" to asking a heterosexual male to adopt homosexuality, and suggested that the chances of success would probably be no better.

"The homosexual." he said, "is identified firstly as a homosexual, and only second-ly as a person with any other attributes." He pointed out that this was no more sensible than referring to Mr. Hanan as "the heterosexual Minister of Justice."

The one-time Labour Party candidate's co-speaker at the discussion sponsored by the National Club was Mr. Mathieson of the Law Department who outlined the law regarding homosexuality and the need for its reform.

"Homosexuality." said Mr. Mathieson. "is, in my opinion, not. a crime. Nor is it a sickness or disease, but an unfortunate condition."

"I would not want to alter the law in any way as regards minors," he said, "or in any way involving the 'seduction of youth." However, he added, "It becomes a matter of private morality and not a concern of the law in cases of homosexual acts between consenting adult males in private."

He cited the Wolfenden report's conclusion that there is a realm of morality that is "not the law's business" and said that the criterion of when the law should act is "when the conduct involved caused harm to others."

It follows, he said, that the law should not on this basis proscribe homosexual acts in private as no harm can be attributed to them.

He pointed out that adultery is grounds for divorce but not a crime despite that it can be shown to nave a considerable effect on the persons and families involved.

Neither is lesbianism a crime, and a bill introduced in 1921 to make Is so was "decisively defeated."

Prison sentence and social ostracism are the discouragement to homosexuality in New Zealand, said Mr Mathieson. but he suggested that "An enforced morality tends to be an empty morality" and asked "Is it a moral triumph if a homosexual desists from acting if this is only so be-cause of fear of the law"

Seen rehearsing for Unity Theatres recent production of "Life Of The Insects" are Michele Akoorie, Richard Russell and Colin McColl. The play, a satirical review written by the Brothers Capek, was originally presented at the Czeek National Theatre in 1922.

Seen rehearsing for Unity Theatres recent production of "Life Of The Insects" are Michele Akoorie, Richard Russell and Colin McColl. The play, a satirical review written by the Brothers Capek, was originally presented at the Czeek National Theatre in 1922.