*Age Of Consent & Legal Sexual Activity for the State of Queensland, Australia - A campaign to remove our Sodomy Law (which was enacted in 1990).

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5th  May 2006 Email to Premier Peter Beattie (with C.c. to Attorney General Linda Lavarch and the Editor of the Courier Mail) referring to Mr. Beattie’s appearance on ABC Television’s evening news in which he stated that he had been asked to comment on the inaugural Civil Union of two women which was performed that day in the British Embassy, Brisbane. Mr. Beattie stated that he supported equal treatment for gays and lesbians, but did not support gay marriage. In my email I remind the Premier that his refusal to enact an equal age of consent in Queensland makes it impossible for gay and bisexual youth to be treated equally in Queensland. I refer again to his past public support for an equal age of consent and ask when action on reform  may be expected.  

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: John Frame

To: Premier Peter Beattie

Cc: cmletters@qnp.newsltd.com.au ; Attorney-SMTP

Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 7:53 PM

Subject: Premier Beattie says gays should be treated equally - let's start with youth.

 

To the Hon Premier Mr Peter Beattie

(C.C Attorney General Linda Lavarch, Editor of Courier Mail)

 

Dear Mr Beattie,

 

On the ABC Television News tonight, Friday 5th May 2006, you stated that you believed that gays and lesbians should be treated equally, but that you did not support same sex marriage.

 

I remind you that you persist in ensuring that gay and bisexual men CANNOT be treated with equity in Queensland because you refuse to enact reform of the Criminal Code to allow an equal age of consent. Queensland is the ONLY Australian state or territory which does not have a truly equal age of consent.

 

True social equity is only possible when the law allows it and all Queensland youth deserve to be equally protected and supported by the law - regardless of their gender or their sexual orientation. Parents can neither choose nor modify the sexuality of their children, they can only hope that all of their children will be treated with equity under the law.

 

I would like to know how you personally justify allowing gay and bisexual youth to remain at increased risk of HIV infection, assault, drug and alcohol abuse and suicide (all likely consequences of the current law) - especially when we know that you are on public record, as Chair of the 1990 PCJC Report on Homosexual Law reform, as being in favour of an equal age of consent (as per the Committee's "Recommendation 7"). 

 

In July 2005 Queensland AntiDiscrimination Commissioner Susan Booth wrote to you recommending that the law ought to be reformed as a matter of urgency - and surely that's the only moral thing to do.

 

When may we expect to see age of consent reform in action?

 

Yours sincerely,

 

John Frame
presenter of Queer Radio www.queerradio.org - full age of consent equity campaign details are at www.queerradio.org/AgeOfConsent.htm
on community radio 4ZZZ fm102.1 Brisbane, Australia
Ph: 07 3350 1562 / 0409 501 561
Post: 82 Main Avenue, Wavell Heights 4012, QLD, Australia.

 

----"There is no substitute for equality"----