Date:         Tue, 23 Aug 1994 11:37:06 -0400

[ Send all responses to James.Butler@educ.utas.edu.au only. All responses
to the list or list owner will be returned! ]

As expected, the Australian Federal Government acted yesterday (Monday) to
overrule Tasmania's sodomy laws.  Since the situation is complicated,
perhaps comments organized by interest group would be clearest.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:  Legislation introduced in parliament will enshrine
the U.N. human rights committee right to privacy.  While this legislation
will not take the state law off the books, it will contravene it at a
higher level (sort of like trumps). 

STATE GOVERNMENT:  Unhappy.  Premier Ray Groom would like to fight the
ruling in the high court, but does not have the money allocated in this
year's budget (seems convenient, but given the way the state government
appears to operate here...).  It is possible that such a challenge may be
linked to the government of Western Australia's interest in preserving its
higher age of consent (21!) for gay sex.

LOCAL LGBT RIGHTS LEADERS: Pleased, but not ecstatic, as the new law does
not actually prevent police from investigating  or charging  gay men for
sexual activity--it just provides a defense in court.

FOOD BOYCOTT: Lifted at 7:00 P.M. Monday.

RADICAL AND RELIGIOUS RIGHT:  Rhetorically fired-up.  Mostly talking about
big time challenges to labour members at the next election.  Some among
them rumor divine displeasure as well, perhaps evidenced by this morning's
late winter snow storm on Mount Wellington here in Hobart. 

In many ways, this drama may seem like opera buffa on a small stage.  Yet
it is important in that it may encourage lgbt people, beyond the handful
of activists, to take the next step and move beyond this now-guarenteed
right to privacy into the creation of a more vibrant and visible gay
culture with more complex and varied institutions to support it.  And
that's a challenge which can make law reform look easy.