Labour endorses rights of gays

Press, 12 May 1981, Page 6

Labour endorses rights of gays

p Th« T k r, Wel lington The Labour Party conference yesterday endorsed the right of homosexuals to complain against discrimination on the ground ■of sexual orientation under the Human K 1^ ts Commission Act, 1975. The endorsement came on a split vote, revealing that the party was split about two-thirds to one-third on the issue.

This issue, and argument over the need for independent observers at police stations to ensure that suspects were not manhandled and were made aware of their rights under law, dominated debate over justice issues at the final session of the conference yesterday. Amid cries of "No, no.” homosexuals were termed “deviants” during the debate and Labour’s shadow Minister of Justice (Mr F. D. O’Flynn, member of Parliament, for Island Bay) called homosexual conduct “unnatural and immoral.”

: He swayed the conference towards rejection of the remit, but at the recommendation of Mr Gauntlett; of Elden j; and Mr R. Davies, of Grey Lynn, the meeting rejected putting the issue aside in this election year. Mrs Connie Purdue, of Auckland, argued against the move on the basis that she wanted to protect the right of a child to grow up in the heterosexual-oriented home.

Mr O’Flynn said that he had voted in favour of no criminal offence being attached to homosexuality between consenting adults in private, but he thought it was wrong for the Labour Party to put the proposed remit into policy. He found it ludicrous that some people should even suggest that a form of marriage between homosexuals could be legal. The conference was also asked to endorse a proposal that social welfare scrutineers be posted at all times in police stations to monitor and report on police activities and ensure fair and lawful treatment to all people.

Mr O’Flynn termed this impracticable. A number of delegates voiced concern about the police handling of suspects.

The conference endorsed an amendment from him that all practicable steps should be taken to ensure that people being questioned were told of their rights, and also calling on the police to respect the rights of such people.

He also accepted that lay observers should be attached to police disciplinary boards with power to report publicly on proceedings. Mr D. Ddggan. Labour’s candidate for New Plymouth, said the call for a 24-hour watch on police stations was “crazy.”

He said he had been a policeman for 24 years. “I can tell you it is nonsense when I hear people talk of getting beaten up,” he saM. “The ones who do beat up people don’t last long because friends see they don’t stay on.”