WHY NEW ZEALAND?

Aotearoa New Zealand Historical Timeline

In Aotearoa New Zealand, our vibrant communities of people with diverse sexes, genders and sexualities follow on from Māori traditions dating back centuries. We have a proud history of supporting and organising at local, regional, national and legislative levels. As the Host Rōpū reflects, we have particular strengths in representation of takatāpui, trans and intersex peoples and young people.

• Pre-colonisation Acceptance of sexual and gender fluidity in Māori narratives and carving.
• 1642: Aotearoa ‘discovered’ and named New Zealand by the Dutch.
• 1769: Aotearoa ‘claimed’ by the British.
• 1840: Treaty of Waitangi signed between the British Crown and Māori leaders.
• 1867: Offences Against the Person Act incorporates UK reform of Buggery law (removing death penalty.)
• Mid-Late 1800s Increasing loss of land, language, culture and suppression of women, sexuality and fluidity.
• 1893: First country in the world for women to vote.

• 1972: First national Gay & Lesbian Conference held in Wellington.
• 1973: S.H.E (Sisters for Homophile Equality) formed in Canterbury and Wellington (by Alison Laurie.)
• 1974: First National Lesbian Conference held in Wellington.
• 1974: Crimes Amendment Bill introduced by Venn Young. It is defeated.
• 1975: First openly gay man stands for Parliament, Robyn Duff, in Wellington.
• 1977: National Gay Rights Coalition (NGRC) formed.
• 1977: Lesbian and Gay Rights Resource Centre (later LAGANZ - the Lesbian and Gay Archives of New Zealand) established by NGRC in Wellington.
• 1979: Crimes Amendment Bill introduced by Warren Freer. It is eventually abandoned.
• 1979: First out Lesbian Centre in the world opens in Wellington.

• 1989: Crimes Act incorporates Homosexual Law Reform Act amendments.
• 1989: RainbowYOUTH formed in Auckland.
• 1993: The Human Rights Commission Amendment Act removes discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation ("heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual or lesbian") or HIV status.
• 1993: First MP to come out as gay, Chris Carter, soon after his election in Auckland.
• 1994: High Court rules that post-operative transsexuals can marry in their adopted sex.
• 1994: First National Lesbian Studies conference in Wellington.
• 1995: First transsexual Mayor in the world, Georgina Beyer, is elected Mayor of Carterton.
• 1996: First lesbian television programme – the Topp Twins.
• 1996: First openly gay MP elected, Tim Barnett, in Christchurch.

• 2008: NZ Human Rights Commission releases “To Be Who I Am: Report of the Enquiry into Discrimination faced by Transgender People.”
• 2012: Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill introduced by Louisa Wall. Passed into law in 2013 by 77 votes to 44. First country in Oceania, 4th in the Southern Hemisphere, and 15th in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry.
• 2012: One of the first in the world to allow trans people to state their gender on their passport as male, female or "X" (indeterminate/unspecified), without the need to change their birth certificates or citizenship records.
• 2013: First same sex wedding at 30,000 ft in the world, by Air New Zealand.
• 2016: 30th Anniversary of Homosexual Law Reform.
• 2016: First ILGA Oceania conference held in Wellington.
• 2016: Intersex Roundtable hosted by NZ Human Rights Commission, ITANZ and Tīwhanawhana Trust.