24 May 2016

Premier Daniel Andrews has apologised for ‘abominable’ historical laws that made homosexuality punishable with jail.

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For decades, we were obsessed with the private mysteries of men.
And so we jailed them.
We harmed them.
And, in turn, they harmed themselves.
Speaker, it is the first responsibility of a government to keep people safe.
But the government didn’t keep LGBTI people safe.
The government invalidated their humanity and cast them into a nightmare.
And those who live today are the survivors of nothing less than a campaign of destruction, led by the might of the state.
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A rainbow flag is seen above Parliament House in Victoria 24 May 2016

For the laws we passed.
And the lives we ruined.
And the standards we set.
… we are so sorry … humbly, deeply, sorry.”
The Honorable Daniel Andrews MP
Premier of Victoria

for Kirk
for Karen
and for David