Feminine Viewpoint (11 July 1973)

Broadcast on National Radio on 11 July 1973, this Feminine Viewpoint episode explores attitudes toward homosexuality and the growing call for law reform in New Zealand. Host Lindsay Perigo presents a wide range of voices including Rev. Troy Perry, Prof. Jim Robb, Dr Anthony Taylor, Detective Chief Inspector John Stevenson, Rev. Charles Harrison, Father Bernard Tottman, Very Rev. Walter Hurst, and three young gay men named Michael, Paul, and Laurie. Together they provide a snapshot of the tensions between religion, law, psychology, policing, and lived experience during the early 1970s.

Perigo opens with an excerpt from American minister Rev. Troy Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, who recounts being attacked while handing out leaflets at a gay rights demonstration. Perry’s humour and resilience highlight both the hostility faced by gay men and his Christian conviction that love and acceptance should prevail. Perigo then sets the scene, tracing homosexuality through ancient cultures and British history, noting how repressive laws have never eradicated same-sex attraction. He outlines the severe penalties under New Zealand’s 1893 Criminal Code, which once included flogging and life imprisonment, and the gradual reforms leading up to the 1961 Crimes Act.

Professor Jim Robb, former president of the New Zealand Homosexual Law Reform Society, explains the group’s goal of decriminalising consensual sexual relations between adult men. Robb argues that homosexuality is an innate condition, not a choice, and that criminalisation only adds unnecessary fear and anxiety. He believes law reform would allow gay men to contribute openly to society and live without the constant threat of prosecution.

Dr Anthony Taylor, a psychology professor at Victoria University, dismisses claims of genetic or hormonal causes, suggesting instead that family dynamics—particularly inadequate parental models—play a major role. He cautions against over-generalising, saying that public prejudice often comes from fear of one’s own sexual uncertainties. Taylor recalls that even a decade earlier the NZBC would not allow the word “homosexual” on air, a sign of how taboo the topic remained.

Detective Chief Inspector John Stevenson presents the police view, expressing strong bias by linking homosexuality with crime, robbery, and prostitution. He insists that the police do not entrap men in public toilets but that homosexuals themselves provoke encounters. His comments reveal widespread institutional prejudice and moral judgment within the justice system.

Religious leaders then weigh in. Rev. Troy Perry returns to challenge literal readings of scripture, pointing out inconsistencies in how Christian communities apply biblical prohibitions. He insists salvation comes through Christ’s love, not through rigid adherence to Paul or Moses. Anglican priest Rev. Charles Harrison states that Christ taught principles rather than rules. He believes compassion must be central to Christian response but warns that reform could be misread as approval of homosexuality. For him, heterosexuality remains the norm, though love and understanding must guide any moral stance.

Father Bernard Tottman, speaking for the Catholic viewpoint, agrees that homosexuality is an abnormality but argues that imprisonment is an unhelpful response. Instead, he advocates treatment and rehabilitation, viewing homosexuality as something to be cured or managed through patience and moral discipline.

Very Rev. Walter Hurst, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral and a Samaritan counsellor, supports reform more openly. He condemns cruelty toward homosexuals, describing the prejudice he observes among the “so-called normal” population. Hurst regards hostility as rooted in fear and hypocrisy, believing that those seen as abnormal deserve compassion and help rather than punishment. He compares the situation to the treatment of alcoholics or drug users, insisting that understanding, not rejection, is the way forward.

The programme concludes with a candid discussion among three young gay men—Michael, Paul, and Laurie—who reject both the medical and moral pathologising of their sexuality. They dismiss Stevenson’s claim that homosexuals have a criminal tendency and challenge stereotypes of “bitchiness” popularised by films like The Boys in the Band. Each describes a different view of how sexuality develops: one sees it as acquired through life experiences, another as a mix of genetics and environment. All agree that society focuses too narrowly on sexual acts rather than on emotional connection and love. They emphasise that sexuality is only a small part of who they are and express anger that the public sees them merely as sexual categories rather than whole people.

When asked whether they would become heterosexual if it were possible, all three reply firmly no. They see nothing sick or shameful in being gay and refuse to be defined by prejudice or pity. Their words capture a quiet self-confidence emerging in New Zealand’s pre-reform era—a determination to live authentically despite social hostility.

Perigo closes by noting political movement: both the Labour and National Party conferences have passed remits supporting law reform, and Justice Minister Dr Martin Finlay is willing to back a private member’s bill. Though no sponsor has yet come forward, momentum is clearly building.

The 1973 Feminine Viewpoint broadcast stands as one of the earliest examples of national media in Aotearoa tackling homosexuality with a degree of seriousness and breadth. It captures the competing voices shaping public opinion just over a decade before reform was finally achieved in 1986.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Anthony Taylor Bernard Tottman Charles Harrison Jim Robb John Stevenson Lindsay Perigo Troy Perry Walter Hurst

1970s, anthony taylor, aotearoa new zealand, bernard tottman, boys in the band (play/film), broadcasting, charles harrison, classical greek and roman culture, crime, crimes act (1961), criminal code act (1893), egypt, entrapment, gay, homosexual, homosexual law reform society, jim robb, john stevenson, lindsay perigo, metropolitan community church, mexico, new zealand broadcasting corporation (nzbc), oscar wilde, perversion, plain reasons for the growth of sodomy (1731), plato, public toilet, radio, robbery, sex work, the odd couple (film), transgender, troy perry, walter hurst, wellington, wolfenden report

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