Australia's most respected LGBTI news source
Friday 17 January 2014 | Issue 1209 | starobserver.com.au
Past gay sex charges to be expunged
Victoria
Benjamin Riley
VICTORIANPremierDenisNapthine...
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Australia's most respected LGBTI news source
Friday 17 January 2014 | Issue 1209 | starobserver.com.au
Past gay sex charges to be expunged
Victoria
Benjamin Riley
VICTORIANPremierDenisNapthine
announcedonSundaythathisCoalitionGovernmentplannedtointroduce
legislationintostateparliamentthisyear
toallowpeopleconvictedofhomosexual
sexbeforeitwasdecriminalisedin1981
tohavetheirconvictionsexpunged.
Thosewithconvictionswillhavetoapplytohavethemexpunged,withthenew
lawapplyingonlytooffencesnolonger
consideredillegalunderpresentlaws.
LGBTI community and rights
organisations have welcomed the announcement, with community leaders
saying expunging historical gay sex
convictions will help redress the shame,
stigma and practical impediments to
work and travel faced by many samesex attracted men.
PremierNapthinemadetheannouncementatMidsummaCarnivalin
frontofMelbourne’sLGBTIcommunity,
andsincethencallsforsimilarlegislationshavebeenmadebyLGBTIlobby
groupsinNSWandTasmania.
Politic
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