Just twenty years ago, homosexual acts between consenting adults were still illegal in Western Australia and while ‘sodomy’ laws were rarely enforced, they encouraged an atmosphere of general harassment and intimidation against homosexuals.
In October 1989 a controversial bill was put before the West Australian parliament which would decriminalise homosexual acts and on October 22, approximately 300 people gathered outside Parliament House to show their support for the bill.
While demonstrators came armed with banners, balloons and lay a wreath in the form of a pink triangle, inside the parliament debate over the bill was fierce.
Introduced to the parliament by the Honourable John Halden, the bill was passed in the lower house in December 1989 with a vote of 29 to 24 and then preceded to the upper house.
Despite support from the Dowding Labor government at the time, more votes were needed to pass the bill through the upper house and two members crossed the floor to vote with the government.
The vote of Liberal Party member, the Honourable Peter Foss however, came at a price. He would back the bill but only if it included a controversial preamble to the legislation and the age of consent for male to male sex to be set at 21 years- the highest in the western world.
‘The trade-off was the addition of the preamble, which was obviously highly offensive, but it appeased the rabid conservatives,’ says Greens MP Giz Watson.
The preamble includes statements such as ‘the parliament disapproves of sexual relations between persons of the same sex’ and ‘the parliament does not by its action in removing any criminal penalty for sexual acts in private between persons of the same sex wish to create a change in community attitude to homosexual behaviour’.
The Decriminalisation of Homosexuality Bill 1989 was eventually passed in the upper house in March 1990 with a vote of 18 to 15. Both the preamble and the age of consent legislation remained in place until the gay and lesbian law reforms of 2001.
As a result of the demonstration outside Parliament House in October 1989, a group of 30 people from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organisations in Perth united to form the Pride Collective WA.
In October 1990, the collective organised a street march that attracted over 200 people and this event slowly grew into what we know today as Pride WA.
To celebrate 20 years since the decriminalisation of homosexuality in our state, Pride WA is looking for participants who were involved in the 1989 demonstration outside Parliament House. Organisers say it would be a fitting tribute to have those involved in the 1989 action lead this year’s Homecoming-themed parade.
If you or anyone you know was involved in the 1989 demonstration, please contact Pride WA on 9427 0828 or pride@pridewa.asn.au
Photos courtesy of John and Margaret Pugh- PFLAG
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