Wednesday 29 July
Doors open 6.30pm, Event starts 7.30pm
Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum
Adults $59
Concession $25 – Concession tickets are available for students, seniors, unwaged people and Community Services Card holders.
Bookings are essential.
Forty years after the passing of the Homosexual Law Reform Act, Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum will open its archives for an evening of storytelling, taonga, music and performance reflecting on a crucial moment in Aotearoa New Zealand’s fight for equal rights.
LATE at the Museum | 1986: A Look Back at Homosexual Law Reform will take place on Wednesday 29 July, bringing together key figures involved in the campaign for reform, from Tāmaki Makaurau to the heart of Parliament.
On 9 July 1986, after 16 divisive months of nationwide protest and debate, the Homosexual Law Reform Act passed in Parliament, decriminalising consensual sexual activity between men. The Bill passed by a narrow margin, with 49 votes in support and 44 against.
Auckland Museum Manuscripts Curator Nina Finigan says the event will bring a significant moment in Aotearoa’s recent history into the room through archives, collection items and the voices of people who lived it.
“Museums are not only places for looking back; they are places where history that is still within living memory can be held, shared and understood through the people who experienced it,” says Finigan.
“Homosexual Law Reform is part of Aotearoa’s recent history, but it is also deeply personal history for many people. By bringing together archival material, collection objects and the voices of those who were there, this event allows us to reflect on what was won, what it took to get there, and the work that continued beyond 1986.”
Hosted by former MP and LGBTQIA+ rights advocate Louisa Wall, the evening will feature storytellers including Dame Fran Wilde, who introduced the Homosexual Law Reform Bill into Parliament in 1985, alongside Edward Cowley, Bruce Kilmister, Welby Ings and Ngāhuia Te Awekōtuku, who were each part of the wider movement for change. The programme will also include live performances from GALS choir and drag artist Adena Delights to mark this significant anniversary.
Louisa Wall says the 40th anniversary of the Homosexual Law Reform Act marks a defining moment in Aotearoa New Zealand’s history.
“It was more than a change to the law; it affirmed the dignity, humanity and equal worth of people who had lived under the burden of criminalisation. This anniversary is an opportunity to recognise the courage and determination of everyone who campaigned for reform and to remember those whose lives were profoundly affected by the law.”
“As we commemorate this milestone, we celebrate the progress that has been made while recognising that the pursuit of equality and inclusion continues. By sharing these stories and preserving this history, we pay tribute to those who came before us and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring all LGBTQIA+ and takatāpui people can live with dignity, safety and belonging,” says Wall.
Stories will include critical fundraising hijinks that countered the deep pockets of the opposition, the nurturing of drag as a form of advocacy at the inner-city nightclub Staircase, and the battles that would continue to be fought in the years to come.
The evening will also feature mini-talks from Auckland Museum curators Nina Finigan and Jane Groufsky, who will share rarely seen collection items and archival material from the period connected to queer life and creative expression in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Featured image: Gil Hanly (1985). [Demonstration against homophobia]. Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira PH-2015-2-GH1059-6A_001MM.
© Gil Hanly
