Hon Ian Hunter’s addressed the Legislative Council in the lead up to the 50th Anniversary of the passing of the Decriminalisation of Male Homosexuality Act (October 2025)
On October 30, 2024 he spoke about the history of the bill from its first introduction in September 1973 to its eventually passing on October 2, 1975.
He then spoke again on November 27th to the use of “ugly language” to dehumanise homosexuals in the debates between 1972-75 and drew parallels to the language we still see today in person and on social media, and how this “ugly language encourages ugly actions”.
In 2025 he continued to bring the work of many activists to the fore-front as he spoke in April about the classification of of homosexuality in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and American Psychiatric Association (APA).
In honour of the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in South Australian members of Parliament spoke in support of the commemoration. Those members were: the Hon Nat Cook (Labor Party), the Hon David Pisoni (Liberal Party), Ms Sarah Andrews (Labor Party), Mr Josh Teague (Liberal Party), Ms Nadia Clancy (Labor Party), Ms Lucy Hood (Labor Party) on August 20, additonally; the Hon Susan Close (Labor Party, Deputy Premier), the Hon Katrine Hildyard (Labor Party), Ms Dana Wortley (Labor Party) on September 4. Read what they had to say here:
The debate continued in October where the Legislative Council heard from the Hon Robert Simms (Greens), the Hon Tammy Franks (Greens), the Hon Jing Lee (Liberal Party) and the Hon Connie Bonaros (SA Best)