'Gay Men, Lesbians & Friends' poster

item details

Name'Gay Men, Lesbians & Friends' poster

ProductionWellington Media Collective; printing firm; 1986; New Zealand
Lee Jensen; designer; 1986; New Zealand

Classificationpolitical posters

Materialspaper, ink

Materials SummaryTwo colour screenprint

Techniquesscreen printing

DimensionsOverall: 396mm (width), 635mm (height)

Registration NumberGH024622

Credit linePurchased 2015

Overview

This poster advertised a party celebrating the victory of the Homosexual Law Reform Act which was signed by the Governor-General on 11 July 1986 and came into effect on 8 August that year. The Act decriminalised sexual relations between men aged 16 and over.

The Act was preceded by a period of intense public and political debate throughout New Zealand.

The pink triangle is one of the symbols of the modern gay rights movement. It originated as a badge in Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War, identifying men convicted for sexual deviance, including homosexuality. It was reclaimed by the gay rights movement after the Stonewall riot in New York in 1969 as a symbol of empowerment, and for some, a symbol of remembrance for those who suffered during the war.