Old Victorian laws criminalising homosexuality 'profoundly wrong', Premier says in apology
Updated
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has formally apologised in State Parliament for old laws that treated people as criminals for being gay.
Key points: Apology delivered in front of men who were jailed for being gay
Never too late to say sorry, Premier says
Past treatment of gays "shameful" says Matthew Guy
Mr Andrews delivered the apology in Parliament in front of a number of men, some of whom were jailed for being gay.
"It is never too late to put things right," he said.
"It is never too late to say sorry and mean it.
"There was a time in our history when we turned thousands of young men into criminals ... this was profoundly wrong."
Until 1981, thousands of men were charged with homosexual offences and faced penalties of up to 15 years' jail.
Mr Andrews said the Parliament introduced laws that sanctioned homophobia, and it had a responsibility to apologise.
"I can't possibly explain why we made these laws and clung to them and fought for them," he said.
"It is the first responsibility of a government to keep people safe. But the Government didn't keep LGBTI people safe. The Government invalidated their humanity and cast them into a nightmare."
Mr Andrews said everyone had the right to equal treatment.
"If you're a member of the LGBTI community, and there's someone in your life that you love, a partner or a friend, then do me a favour: next time you're on a tram in Melbourne, hold their hand," he said.
"Do it with pride. And defiance."
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy joined the apology and said the past treatment of the state's gay community was shameful.
"We now, as a Parliament, apologise to the victims of policies of intolerance [and] oppression that resulted in outcasting, depression and sadly even suicide," he said.
"I offer my formal apologies for any past policies, for past practices that led to the disgraceful treatment of those in our gay community.
"This apology is long overdue. It is about time and it is right."
Since September, gays and lesbians have been able to apply to have their convictions expunged under legislation proposed by the Napthine Government.
Anna Brown from the Human Rights Law Centre said the apology was a step forward by recognising the harm the laws caused.
"They can now apply to have these convictions removed, and really the apology is the last symbolic act of acceptance and acknowledgement," she said.
The rainbow flag will fly at State Parliament today.
Topics: gays-and-lesbians, government-and-politics, state-parliament, melbourne-3000
First posted
Premiê de Victoria, Austrália, Daniel Andrews, ao falar no Parlamento ontem, pediu desculpas à história do estado de leis 'abomináveis' em que o homossexualismo poderia ser punido com pena de prisão.

"Durante décadas, fomos obcecados com os mistérios particulares dos homens. E assim nós preso-los, nós lesados, e por sua vez, eles próprios prejudicados", disse Andrews.

Ele observou que, embora essas leis ainda não estão em vigor desde a década de 1980, muitos ainda têm antecedentes criminais por causa deles. Muitos estão tentando limpar seus registros; Até agora, seis concluíram o processo.

De acordo com a Comissão Australiana de Direitos Humanos, 11 em 100 australianos identificam como sendo uma parte da comunidade de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Trans e Intersex. Eles têm tripla taxa da população geral de depressão, e seis em cada dez admitem que foram agredidos verbalmente.

O líder da oposição victoriano Matthew Guy disse anteriormente, "Austrália pós-guerra foi um lugar muito, muito intolerantes com as pessoas homossexuais, homens particularmente gay e hoje vamos pedir desculpas por isso."

Seu pedido de desculpas segue uma no início deste ano pelo parlamento Nova Gales do Sul para os primeiros manifestantes Sydney Gay e Lésbico Mardi Gras em 1978, esse pedido de desculpas liderado pelo membro de Coogee, Bruce Notley-Smith.