*Age Of Consent & Legal Sexual Activity for the State of
29th May 2004
Email to the Editor of the
Courier Mail. Seeking
mainstream press support in raising public awareness of the need to reform the
Queensland Criminal Code by removal of the Sodomy Law.
From: John
Frame
To: cmletters@qnp.newsltd.com.au
Sent:
Subject: Action from CM re Qld's "Sodomy Law"
To
The Editor,
Re:
Seeking Courier Mail support for equity in treatment of youth
through encouraging Beattie Gov't to
enactment reform of
My name is
John Frame and since 1994 I have been the presenter of the community radio
support program Queer Radio www.queerradio.org
on 4ZZZ fm102.1.
I have made
efforts over the past 4 years to get the Courier Mail to investigate or
publish material regarding
Last July I
spoke with Sandra McLean, who was very supportive regarding an article I
had contributed for consideration in the Perspectives page. However I
was advised that senior editors had declined publication. My submission
included contact details for relevant authorities who could confirm the
validity of this issue (persons from Queensland AIDS Council, Family Planning
It is
important to note that Premier Peter Beattie himself strongly recommended
against any "Sodomy Law" in his official statement as Chair of
the 1990 PCJC Committee on Homosexual Law Reform. He accepted the evidence
of expert testimonies which defined the negative consequences of such laws -
especially in that they severely impede the equitable support and
acceptance of gay and bisexual youth and do damage to their self-esteem.
In that
PCJC Report statement Mr Beattie said that he
wanted his children to grow up in a system which enabled adequate safe sex
education and support for all youth. However Parliament chose to ignore
the Report's majority recommendation and enacted a "Sodomy Law" and
since then adequate safe sex education has ONLY been directly
toward heterosexual youth. Mr Beattie might
be relieved if his sons have happened to be neither gay nor
bisexual, but he should be very concerned about the numerous youth placed
directly at risk in the last 14 years and who continue to be at risk through
his Government's unwillingness to reform the Criminal Code.
Below is
the most recent of 4 years worth of correspondence I've had with the Beattie
Government. I welcome any opportunity to offer information and support
to the Courier Mail on this issue.
For the
last 4 years my own website www.queerradio.org/AgeOfConsent.htm
has been the major source of accurate information regarding age of consent and
lawful sexual activity in
I know that
I am too small a voice (even with my community radio audience) and I
believe that this is a major public issue, NOT a gay rights issue. I am
concerned that without pressure from mainstream press the Beattie Government
will simply continue to stonewall on reform of the Criminal Code by removal of
Sections 208 and 209 and I urge you to act.
I look
forward to hearing from you
John Frame
presenter of Queer Radio www.queerradio.org
on 4ZZZ fm102.1
Post:
Ph: 07 3350 1562 / 0409 501 561
more details: www.queerradio.org/JohnFrame.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
as per http://www.queerradio.org/AOC270504.htm :
27th May 2004 Letter to Premier Peter Beattie, Attorney General Rod Welford and Neil Roberts MP (my local MP). I request
a clear timeframe for removal of the Sodomy Law. With their renewed
massive majority in the current (February 2004) Parliamentary term this should
present no political risk. I remind that
From: John Frame
(Queer Radio
Presenter / Coordinator)
Ph: 3350
1562 /
0409 501 561
jvframe@bigpond.net.au www.queerradio.org
Date:
To: Neil
Roberts MP for Nudgee
Hon.
Premier Peter Beattie MP
Attorney
General Rod Welford MP
Re:
Ongoing unresolved reform of
Dear
Sirs,
I
am writing to you all to request a clear statement about a timeframe for reform
of
You will be aware that I have been
in correspondence with each of you, or with your departments, since March 2000
regarding the vital social justice aspects which impact especially on gay and
bisexual male youth, and which will continue to do so until these sections are
removed.
As you are all informed and
reasonable persons, I must believe that you also personally agree that this law
must be reformed. Mr Beattie’s official statement as Chair of the 1990 PCJC
Committee on Homosexual Law Reform was in clear opposition to the enactment of
any Sodomy Law. Therefore I must conclude that, as a Government, you perceive a
political advantage in continuing to delay reform. I believe however that
I welcome an early and positive
reply.
As previously advised, all of the
correspondence regarding my efforts toward this reform, since February 2000, is
on public record via my website at www.queerradio.org/AgeOfConsent.htm.
I believe this site has been the major source of accurate public information on
age of consent and lawful sexual activity in
Yours sincerely,
John Frame.