Council urged to support gay arrest apology

This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 12.6.08.

Tasmanian gay activists have urged the Hobart City Council to say "sorry" for closing down a gay law reform stall at Salamanca Market 20 years ago and ordering the arrest of over 100 stall supporters.

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said an apology would sent a clear message that Tasmania is now a far more open and inclusive society than it was when gay activists began campaigning for the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1988.

"It was a traumatic time for everyone involved, and an apology will allow there to reconciliation between those who were arrested and those who did the arresting", Mr Croome said.

"It's easy to look back and say the arrests put gay law reform on the political agenda, but at the time it looked just as likely that we would all end up in gaol simply for supporting gay human rights."

The Hobart City Council's Community Development Committee last night recommended that the Council offer an apology to mark the anniversary of the stall ban and arrests in late 1988.

The Committee has also recommended a civic reception and a public art display to commemorate the anniversary.

The Committee's recommendations will be considered at a full Council meeting on June 23rd.

The recommendations were submitted to the Committee by the Hobart City Council's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Liaison Committee.

~ Background

In August 1988, the newly-formed Tasmanian Gay Law Reform Group (now the Tas Gay & Lesbian Rights Group) established a stall to gather petition signatures and distribute information about decriminalising homosexuality, but a single complaint to then Lord Mayor, Doone Kennedy, saw the stall closed.

When the Group defied the ban, the Council ordered police to arrest anyone staffing or supporting the stall, or found in possession of a gay law reform petition or a poster, sparking large-scale protests at the Market and across the nation.

Over 7 consecutive Saturday mornings, from the end of October, 130 arrests were made until the Council backed down and allowed the stall on December 9th.

The arrests were the largest act of gay rights civil obedience in Australian history.

Tasmania decriminalised homosexuality in 1997 and has since adopted Australia's most progressive anti-discrimination and relationship laws.

For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.

For more on the Community Development Committee decision visit
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/12/2272161.htm

For a PDF copy of the recommendations visit
www.hobartcity.com.au/hccwr/_assets/main/lib60133/110608_open_cdc_agenda.pdf