Australia: Victoria to erase historic consensual gay sex convictions
Gay citizens of the Australian state of Victoria convicted for consensual homosexual acts will soon have their criminal records erased.
New legislation is being brought before the state parliament this week, and will allow the convictions to be expunged.
Gay sex was decriminalised in Victoria back in 1981 by the Liberal Hamer government.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said some were still affected by the impacts of the convictions, which would not considered a crime since 1981.
“Consensual acts between two adult men should never have been a crime,” he said on Tuesday.
“We are legislating for the law to recognise this.”
