Homosexual Law Reform Supported

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31092, 22 June 1966, Page 14

Homosexual Law Reform Supported

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 21. The clergy/doctor committee of the Anglican Synod has recommended reforms in the laws of homosexuality to legalise homosexual acts between consenting adults.

The committee, which has studied the problem extensively, also recommended that the present gaol system of dealing with offenders should be revised. Announcing the committee’s recommendation to the Synod last evening, the Bishop of Auckland (the Rt. Rev. A. E. Gowing) said that while the church condemned homosexuality, prison sentences were not the answer. “I desire to state most emphatically that such recommendations in no way involve the slightest mitigation of the Church’s condemnation of sin and moral evil,” he said. “The urgent question is: How best can the sinner be helped? The contention is that the answer is not by prison sentence.” The Attorney-General (Mr Hanan) said today he had no comment to make on the committee’s recommendation. Increased Promiscuity In his opening address to the Synod, Bishop Gowing attacked striptease dubs and expressed concern over increases in venereal disease and illegitimacy. Striptease clubs, he said, existed only “because of a desire to exploit sex.” Calling for stricter control 'of performers and audiences, ( he said it was the community’s responsibility to ensure that people under 21 were protected by the law. i Concerning venereal dis-i ease, he emphasised that in 1965, there was a one-third increase in Auckland, and cases had more than doubled in three years.

“People generally need to be aware of this situation,” he' said. “They also need to realise that a high percentage of those being treated are under 20 years old. The community needs to do ail it can to make the dangers of promiscuity known to our young people." He added that all Christians had a responsibility to make known the view that sexual intercourse was a “God-given way of expressing unity within marriage only,” On illegitimate berths, he

said that the current figure of one in nine took no account of those who had resorted to abortion. “It is a sad state of affairs,” he said. “We all need to remind ourselves that it is symptomatic of a malaise which affects the social and sexual life of society today.” Because of this, he said, it was up to society to do everything possible to help the unmarried mother and other young women to live in accordance with the highest standards.