Cook Islands decriminalises homosexuality in ‘historic day for Pacific’
“It is not the job of government to tell people what their sexuality is," said Minister of Justice Hon. Mac Mokoroa
The parliament of the Cook Islands passed a bill to decriminalise homosexuality yesterday (Saturday 15 April 2023.)
A law from the Islands’ 1969 Crimes Act that applied only to men and was never enforced made ‘indecent acts between males’ punishable by up to five years in prison.
Under the Crimes (Sexual Offences) Amendment Bill, same-sex sexual activity between men will now be legal from 1 June 2023.
Addressing the news in a Facebook post, Prime Minister Mark Brown said: “A historical day in Parliament as my Party has fulfilled its pledge to stomp out discrimination of the LGBT community in our society and to uphold our Constitutional commitments to human rights.
“Today we have decriminalized consensual sexual activity that involves people over the age of consent.”
“A historic day for the Pacific”
In a tweet, journalist Shaneel Lal said yesterday: “BREAKING: The Cook Islands have decriminalised homosexuality. This is a historic day for the Pacific. This is decolonisation.”
The 15 Cook Islands form a self-governing island country in the South Pacific Ocean, in free association with New Zealand. Between 15,000 and 18,000 people live there.
The nation still does offer marriage equality, recognition of same-sex unions or adoption by same-sex couples.
“It is not the job of government to tell people what their sexuality is”
The New Zealand Herald furthermore quotes PM Brown as describing achieving consensus on the matter among colleagues “a lot of work.”
“As lawmakers, we cannot pass laws that knowingly discriminate against members of our community,” Brown said.
“Our team has agreed that while we acknowledge the beliefs of our individual members, the right thing for this government to do was to vote against discrimination and to vote for greater protection for victims of sexual crime. And that is what we have done.”
Minister of Justice Hon. Mac Mokoroa reportedly said during a speech supporting the bill: “It is not the job of government to tell people what their sexuality is. To absolve sin. To tell people how they can or cannot have sex.
“The government does not have a place in the bedrooms of our people.”