Re:sound #55: The Twenty Years Out! Show

This hour: a story about the bitter fight for gay rights in New Zealand, featuring a blend of rare archival tape of the speeches, rallies, and debates that marked the struggle and the personal stories of people affected by the fight.

Twenty Years Out!
by Gareth Watkins (Radio New Zealand, 2006)
Twenty years ago, a bill supporting homosexual law reform was introduced in the country's legislature. It aimed to decriminalize sexual acts between consenting men over the age of 16 and to make it illegal to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation. The struggle over the bill pitted vehement anti-reform politicians and crusaders against gay and lesbian activists in a vitriolic fight that lasted for months.

Interview with Gareth Watkins
Re:sound host Gwen Macsai talks with the producer of Twenty Years Out! about historical memory, archival footage, and how the cultural climate in New Zealand has changed in recent years.

This episode of Re:sound was produced by Roman Mars.