In 1986 New Zealand decriminalised homosexuality
On this day in 1986 a bill decriminalising homosexuality had its final reading in the New Zealand parliament. The bill would be given royal ascent just two days later on 11th July passing it into law.
Legislation proposing removing the laws was first introduced in 1974 but proposed setting the age of consent at 21 for homosexual acts, while the age of consent for heterosexual acts was set at 16 years of age. A second bill was introduced in 1979 but was gain criticised for its age disparity.
The successful bill was introduced in 1985 by Labour MP Fran Wilde who had consulted widely with gay rights groups. The bill was publicly debated over 14 months until it was finally passed.
In 2017 the New Zealand parliament introduced a bill that allowed men who had convictions under the previous laws to have their records wiped clean of the offenses, and the parliament made a formal apology for the previous laws and convictions.
Remembering Kelvin Coe
Australian ballet dancer Kelvin Coe died on this day in 1992. Coe became one of the first stars of The Australian Ballet and performed around the globe, he died of an AIDS related illness.
Coe was discovered by Dame Peggy van Praagh when she was recruiting for the newly formed Australian Ballet. He was just 16 when he began his career, and within four years was a soloist with the company. He became a principal dancer in 1968 and achieved the ultimate position of premier danseur in 1974.
During his long career Coe partnered with many famous ballerinas including Maina Gielguid, Margot Fonteyn, Marilyn Jones and Marilyn Rowe. He is remembered for his performances in Giselle, Les Sylphides, The Prodigal Son and Don Quixote.
He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1980.
In his later career he joined the Sydney Dance Company and also taught at the Australian Ballet School. The Australian Ballet now award a scholarship to promising young artists in his name. He is also remembered by a panel in the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
Artist David Hockney was born on this day
One of the world’s most acclaimed artists David Hockney was born on this day in 1937. In 2018 his work Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) was sold at auction for $USD 90 million.
It was the highest price ever paid for the work of an artist who is still alive. He held the record until 2019 when a work by artist Jeff Koons sold for $91 million.
He was part of the British pop art movement in the 1960’s and later moved to America where he taught an universities, his breakthrough swimming pool works painted in acrylics began being created in the mid 1960’s.
Throughout his career Hockney has painted a wide range of subjects from landscapes to still life, print making and portraits. He has created over 300 self-portraits too.
He came out as gay when he was 23, seven years before homosexuality was decriminalised in Britain. He has explored same sex relationships in his work but it has not been the primary focus of his subject choices.
OIP Staff, this post was first published in 2022 and has been updated.
