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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 18. 26th July 1973

Police Harrassment

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Police Harrassment

The air was growing yet thinner. Paul Kells of the NZUSA rose to speak on the topics of oppression and discrimination. Both go further than the legal aspect: we gays are subject to police harrassment, discrimination from employers, landlords, medical and religious sources, assault even blackmail. For this there is no logical page 7 basis. Some gays fearful of their homosexual tendencies seek to suppress them, frequently resulting in severe psychological conflict. "Oppression," he continued, "is merely a political and economic expedient. To end oppression not only is a law reform necessary but also a total change in society's attitudes."

Here the president of the Wellington Gay Liberation Front spoke briefly on the functions of this organisation. The Wellington Gay Liberation Front, founded last year, has three basic areas of activity: functions, such as dances, parties very informal; Sunday afternoon discussion; wine and cheese evenings which are held to provide a meeting ground for homsexuals and often the invitation is extended to others as well; the welfare cell is responsible for the Gay Aid telephone service which has been extensively used since its inauguration; finally there is a publicity/education cell working to keep Gay Lib members informed as to what is happening within the movement and along with the university movement seeking to "infiltrate society".

Finally, just before the lack of oxygen became critical, Mr C.J.F. Parkm, another representative of the NZHLRS, spoke on the religious origins of the prejudice we gays must endure. The Judaeo—Christian religions have been strong in influencing this prejudice and hostility in Western societies. The high level of hostility can be explained by four factors:
1)The Old Testament stories such as that of Sodom and Gomorrah led to early beliefs that homosexual practices have led to disastrous consequences Current experts doubt the importance of the homosexual component of such tales or place it in a context which sheds new lights on the matter. For instance some hold that these strictures were aimed generally at purifying the Jewish people and religion from other hostile societies.
2)Until quite recent times the Church placed women in a very inferior status. Hence male homosexuals were regarded with derision for "abdicating" their male status.
3)The establishment of Christianity in the Roman Empire coincided with its downfall. Homosexuals were blamed for causing earthquakes and similar disasters, i.e. homosexuals were 'undermining' the whole status of society.
4)All condemnation of homosexuals centres around the belief that she/he is actually a heterosexual who by choice practices homosexuality.... this, despite medical research to the contrary.

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