Untold Stories - Activists Reflect 40 Years On

Recorded at the National Library of New Zealand in Wellington on 8 July 2026, Untold Stories - Activists Reflect 40 Years On brought together generations of rainbow activists to mark the 40th anniversary of homosexual law reform in New Zealand. Organised by Kawe Mahara Queer Archives Aotearoa and the National Library, as part of Queer History Month, the event explored lesser-known histories behind the Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986, the campaigns that preceded it, and the continuing struggle for equality.

The gathering was opened by Tīwhanawhana and MC Lori Leigh who placed the event within a longer history of queer activism and archives. The Homosexual Law Reform Bill passed on 9 July 1986, but just two months later the Wellington premises of the Lesbian and Gay Rights Resource Centre were destroyed by fire in a hate crime. The Alexander Turnbull Library subsequently offered a home for the archives. Four decades later, the anniversary event returned to the National Library as a reminder that queer history has survived both political opposition and deliberate attempts at destruction.

Panel members Linda Evans, Gavin Young, De'Anne Jackson and Tile Vernon Tile Vamaua recalled their experiences of activism before and during the 1985-1986 homosexual law reform campaign. Evans described becoming involved in feminism and lesbian activism during the 1970s, working with Alison Laurie and using Wellington Lesbian Community Radio as an important communication channel during the campaign. Young traced involvement from Gay Liberation and the National Gay Rights Coalition through to the Campaign for Homosexual Equality and Pink Triangle. Both remembered the extraordinary amount of organising carried out alongside full-time employment.

Jackson reflected on a long history of protest, including Māori land marches, demonstrations against the Springbok Tour and activism supporting homosexual law reform. Jackson recalled taking petitions into Wellington pubs and encouraging people to sign in support of the bill. The discussion also highlighted the participation of queens and trans people in the campaign, while emphasising that this history is often less visible in accounts of homosexual law reform. Jackson connected the 1986 victory with later changes including prostitution law reform, civil unions, marriage equality and advances in transgender rights, while stressing that discrimination and threats to trans communities continue.

Vamaua focused strongly on overlooked regional and working-class activism. In 1985, Vamaua and fellow freezing worker Malcolm McAllister organised support for the Homosexual Law Reform Bill in the Manawatū. Rather than relying only on lobbying politicians, they approached trade unions, women’s organisations, Māori activists, Labour Party members and community groups to build a broad public coalition. A major meeting featuring Fran Wilde was held in Palmerston North in June 1985, demonstrating that substantial support could be organised outside the main centres. Vamaua argued that the Manawatū campaign helped show how a mass coalition model could work nationally.

The panel also examined why lesbians were deeply involved in homosexual law reform. Evans explained that although sexual activity between women was generally not criminalised, lesbians experienced widespread discrimination in employment, housing, the public service, the military, access to children and mental health treatment. Earlier law reform proposals also carried the risk that lesbians could become criminalised or face unequal ages of consent. Anti-discrimination protections therefore became an important part of lesbian engagement with the campaign. Lesbians also recognised many of the religious and conservative forces opposing homosexual law reform from earlier battles over feminism, abortion and women’s rights.

Young encouraged audiences to understand queer history as a kaleidoscope of different stories rather than a single narrative. Using the Dorian Society as an example, Young described the risks faced by homosexual men who established social organisations when sex between men was illegal and police persecution was a genuine threat. Founded in Wellington in 1962, the Dorian Society created an important social space and helped lay groundwork for the New Zealand Homosexual Law Reform Society. Young argued that activists from earlier decades can appear cautious when judged by contemporary standards, but their actions were often radical within the legal and social conditions of their time.

Political differences within the movement were also discussed. Activists debated public education versus confrontation, whether homosexuality was innate, whether hypocritical opponents should be publicly outed, and whether compromise should be accepted over the age of consent. Young recalled a critical moment when Fran Wilde told campaigners that Parliament might support an age of consent of 18 but not 16. Activists maintained the position of “16 or nothing”, and the equal age of consent ultimately remained in the legislation.

The event closed by acknowledging early campaigners Brett Rawnsley, John McKay and Chris Parkin. Rawnsley reflected on the pioneering Dorian Society and argued, based on personal research, that it may have been the second formal homosexual social club established anywhere in the world. Parkin emphasised that decriminalisation alone was always limited and that activists needed to think beyond law reform towards broader equality.

Across the evening, speakers repeatedly returned to the importance of recording untold stories, preserving archives and recognising the many people whose activism occurred outside official histories. Forty years after homosexual law reform, the event celebrated extraordinary progress while insisting that queer history remains unfinished and that collective action, community connection and historical memory continue to matter.

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.

Brett Rawnsley Chris Parkin De'Anne Jackson Gavin Young Linda Evans Lori Leigh Richard Tankersley Tīwhanawhana Vernon Tile Vamaua

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