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The Dorian Society (1962–1988) was the first
New Zealand organisation for
gay men
Gay men are male homosexuals. Some bisexual and homoromantic men may also dually identify as gay, and a number of young gay men also identify as queer. Historically, gay men have been referred to by a number of different terms, including ' ...
. It was founded on 27 May 1962 by a group of men including Cees Kooge, John McKay, Brett Rawnsley, and Claude Tanner, the latter of whom would be elected the Society's first President-Chairman. It was primarily a social club that avoided political action. In 1963, it took the first steps towards
law reform by forming a legal subcommittee that collected books and other resources.
[ LAGANZ-MS-Papers-403, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ ] It also provided
legal advice to its members. By 1967 it sought advice from the English
Homosexual Law Reform Society
The Homosexual Law Reform Society was an organisation that campaigned in the United Kingdom for changes to the set of laws which criminalised homosexuality at the time.
History
In 1954 the Conservative government set up a Departmental Committe ...
and
Albany Trust
The Albany Trust was founded in the United Kingdom as a registered charity in May 1958 to complement the Homosexual Law Reform Society (HLRS). It takes its name from The Albany, in Piccadilly, London, where J.B. Priestley and his wife Jacquetta Haw ...
on the legislative changes occurring there. This led to a New Zealand society dedicated to law reform. Its first project was a petition, signed by 75 prominent citizens, that was presented to (and rejected by) Parliament in 1968.
[Setting the scene - homosexual law reform]
/ref>
The name Dorian Society was used in 1965 by an organization in Seattle Washington that was a politically active group of gay men who were originally contacted by Rev. Mineo Katagiri to talk with religious leaders in the city. The first radio interview with openly gay men was broadcast on KRAB radio by members of that group. The Dorian Society was formed and soon split into two factions. The book ''Gay Seattle'' goes into detail about this group.
The Wolfenden Association
About 150 people attended a public meeting in Wellington on 17 April 1967 to form a society to work for homosexual law reform. It called itself the Wolfenden Association, but it soon became the New Zealand Homosexual Law Reform Society. Lord Cobham, a former governor-general
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
, was invited to become its patron. His letter to the society secretary, Jack Goodwin, declining patronage was blunt and expressed a common attitude:
See also
* LGBT in New Zealand
* Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform
* Dorian Society, founded in 1967 in Seattle, Washington in the United States
References
External links
AIM25
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023034225/http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search2?coll_id=3213&inst_id=1 , date=23 October 2007
"Mates and Lovers" - BookTim Mayhew Collection on Gay Rights
1964-1999. 9.15 cubic ft. (21 boxes, 1 vertical file and 1 oversize folder) at th
University of Washington Libraries Special Collections
Gay men's organizations
LGBT organisations in New Zealand
Men's organisations in New Zealand