The New South Wales government has issued a historic apology to the LGTBQIA+ community for laws that criminalised homosexuality until 1984.
Premier Chris Minns “unreservedly” apologised to gay men and women in the state parliament this afternoon, whose lives he says were “damaged, diminished and destroyed” by the laws.
The “Unnatural Offences” legislation in the Crimes Act 1900 made it a crime to commit homosexual acts, with the consequence of five years in jail.
“I move that this house on behalf of the people of NSW, apologises unreservedly to those convicted under discriminatory laws that criminalised homosexual acts,” Minns said.
“[This house] recognises and regrets this parliament’s role in enacting laws and endorsing policies of successive governments decisions that criminalised, persecuted and harmed people based on their sexuality and gender.
“To those who survived those terrible years and to those who never made it through we are truly sorry, we’re sorry for every person convicted under legislation that should have never existed.
“As a state we told you you were wrong, but the truth is you were never wrong, these laws were wrong and today we can openly acknowledge that truth.”
The premier’s apology also referenced the “shameful” court-endorsed treatments for men who were convicted under the laws, which included electroshock therapy and forced vomiting with prescribed drugs.
”You can’t shock someone out of who they love and you can’t rewrite their basic humanity,” Minns said.
The state decriminalised homosexuality 40 years ago on May 18, 1984.
In 2014, the Baird government amended the law to have historic homosexual offences extinguished.
The only openly gay member of parliament Alex Greenwich called the apology “historic” and said he hopes it comes with more legislative reform.
“Forty years ago NSW decriminalised homosexuality, 40 years later we are still last in the nation when it comes to LGBTQ rights,” Greenwich said.
“In hearing the stories of those who were impacted by the criminalisation of homosexuality, they are eerily similar to the stories I have heard from my community today…just as gay men experienced that 40 years ago, the trans community in NSW experiences that today
“Today is an important moment in my community, it’s an important day for my colleagues, I ask them to back up this apology with real action.”
Greenwich is working on an LGBTQ+ “equality bill” which would make it illegal for religious schools to fire teachers who are gay and queer, and also stop students from being expelled due to their sexuality.
NSW is the last state to issue a formal apology for the laws.