*Age Of
Consent & Legal Sexual Activity for the State of
26th October 2007 Email to Premier
Anna Bligh re her ABC Radio 612 declaration, earlier this day,
that her Government is not even considering the issue of Equal Age Of
Consent Reform.
On 26th October 2007 Premier Anna Bligh
spent just seven seconds on ABC612’s “Madonna King” program dismissing a
19 year old gay
Peter of Taringa was told by the show’s producer that he had to keep
his question to the Premier succinct, so he asked:
“I was wondering
when the Queensland Government was going to change the age of consent laws
between differing sexual activities from 18 for anal intercourse to 16 to be in
line with vaginal intercourse?
Premier Anna Bligh’s
response was:
“Peter, our
Government has no plans to consider that issue. So I guess that the answer to
your question is that there is no time frame because we have no plans in
relation to that.”
When I heard this I
immediately phoned the ABC in the hope of asking Premier Bligh for exact
reasons why her Government is not considering this reform, but I was told that
they do not allow callers to ask questions on matters which had “already been
dealt with”. I then sent this email to Premier Bligh expressing my
disappointment at her display of indifference, and also posing the 2 questions
that she needs to answer in detail.
----- Original Message -----
From: John Frame
Cc: Peter
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 12:19 PM
Subject: Anna Bligh answer on Madonna King show 26th Oct '07
To: Premier Anna
Bligh ThePremier@premiers.qld.gov.au
C.c. to: Peter
Dear Ms Bligh,
I listened with hope to your session on today's
Madonna King program on ABC612. The reason for that hope was that I knew that
19 year old Taringa resident Peter R****** would
be phoning in to ask you a question regarding reform of
Peter had sent me a copy of the 24th September 2007
email which he sent to yourself and to the
Attorney-General.
So you ought to be aware that Peter is
a 19 year old gay man in a 2 year relationship with an 18 year old
man. Peter has advised you that he has personally experienced some of the
severe negative consequences of the current law.
I was therefore horrified to hear you instantly
dismiss his question, when - in just one line - you quoted the "no
plans for reform" line which has been repeated - without any qualification
- over the last few years by former Premier Peter Beattie and by the last four
Attorneys-General.
You might as well
have reached through the phone line and slapped Pete R******'s face. Our state's youth deserve more respect than this - they also deserve to
be valued enough to be treated with equity.
The two Equal Age Of Consent questions which needs
to be answered with urgency are:
1. "Exactly what are the specific reasons for the
Queensland Government's failure to enact a truly equal age of consent,
especially in light of the specific July 2005 recommendation (as
repeated in full further below) by its Anti-Discrimination Commissioner
that urgent action was necessary.
2. "Considering that it has been at least three
years since every other Australian state and territory enacted a truly
equal age of consent, by which year will Queensland finally allow
that same vital act of equal support and protection for youth?
I still hold some hope that you will answer these
questions in sufficient detail, and I welcome your reply.
Yours sincerely,
John Frame
jvframe@ozemail.com.au
Ph: 07 3350 1562 / mobile: 0409 501 561
Post:
----"There is no substitute for equality"----
as per: http://www.queerradio.org/AOC150705_ADCQ.htm
15th July 2005 Letter from
The Commissioner concludes by stating that “It is now imperative that
ADCQ
Anti Discrimination Commission
Our Ref: E/0009
15 July 2005
The Honourable Rod Welford MP
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice
GPO
Dear Attorney-General
DISCRIMINATION ON THE
BASIS OF SEXUALITY -
I write in support of various community organisations and individuals who are seeking the repeal of
The provisions of the Criminal Code which impose
different minimum ages at which persons can lawfully participate in sexual
intercourse are inconsistent with the objects of the Anti-Discrimination Act
1991.
The real effect of the Code that makes vaginal
intercourse unlawful for a person aged under 16 years,
and anal intercourse unlawful for a person aged under 18 years is to treat
homosexual males differently to heterosexual males and females. It therefore
discriminates on the basis of sexuality.
These provisions of the Criminal Code are inconsistent
with the object of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 to promote equality
for everyone and protect them from unfair discrimination, and the premise upon
which the legislation was enacted, namely, that everyone should be equal before
and under the law and have the right to equal protection and equal benefit of
the law without discrimination.
In 1994 in the case of Toonen
V Australia, the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled that the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Riqhts
prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The older age
limit for lawful sodomy in section 208 of the Criminal Code therefore
constitutes a discriminatory provision which breaches Article 26 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Other States and
Territories have, since the decision in Toonen,
repealed similar discriminatory and homophobic laws.
As well, the
statistics recently released by Queensland Health and the research of
Melbourne's La Trobe University indicate that homosexual males under the age of
18 are sexually active, many are not practicing safe sex, with an increased
incidence of HIV infection.
The research provides a clear message. It is now
imperative that
These legislative changes will ensure that
Yours sincerely
SUSAN BOOTH
Anti-Discrimination
Commissioner Queensland
Cc The Honourable Peter Beattie MP
Premier and
Minister for Trade
P0
CITY
Cc Mr John Frame
WAVELL HEIGHTS
QLD 4012
Cc. Action Reform Change