IT’S been a “painful” and “traumatic” path towards closure, but Wodonga’s Tom Anderson is hoping that’s what he will find on Tuesday when the Victorian government apologises to men convicted of gay sex crimes.
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Laws against male homosexuality were abolished in 1981, but it wasn’t until 2014 when the state moved to abolish the criminal records of those convicted under this legislation.
This week, Premier Daniel Andrews will say sorry that it had ever been a crime at all.
Mr Anderson, 53, was the victim of a sexual predator more than twice his age when he was just 14.
He was charged and made to apologise to the court for having gay sex
Mr Anderson released a statement about his journey.
“After almost 40 years I am glad to be able to attempt to finally put to rest this event in my life,” he stated.
“This event has caused me untold anguish, anxiety, stress and trauma throughout my life and the formal state apology goes a long way to to hopefully easing that in my future.
“It has been a long and at times very painful and traumatic campaign leading up to this apology and only time will tell the true effect and closure it will bring me.
“That being said, it is with a sense of gratitude and great joy that I accept the apology and wish to thank family, friends and others for all the support and love that they have given me in getting this far.”
Mr Anderson approached Melbourne-based human rights lawyer Anna Brown in 2012, who said she was “moved” by his story.
That was when she began the fight for reform to erase homosexual convictions.
“I'm a human rights lawyer, but also gay myself,” she said.
“Tuesday will be incredibly profound moment in Victoria’s history.
“That public, formal recognition, that what was done to these men was wrong and should never have happened, is of incredible significance. ”It’s stories likes Tom’s and other men who have been brave enough to come forward that have really given life to the issue.”
Wodonga’s Cameron Mackrell, 43, who is a member of Hume Phoenix and SWAG, was never personally affected by the laws, but said growing up during that time was difficult for most LGBTI people.
“I'm rapt they are apologising and that they are going to vindicate the people who lived through those years where it was illegal to love who they loved,” he said.
“I just hope their reasoning is fair and they are doing it because they realised what they did to people leading up to the 80s made them feel they were wrong in how they felt – that is cruel.
“Hopefully it's heartfelt.”
