Gay Rights Political Platform and its Pyrrhic Victory in attempted ‘Hate Speech’ Put Down

On 15th January 1998 Craig Young, a gay-rights activist, had his news report entitled “Hate Propaganda Victory” published on-line by QNA – Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News. He boasted about a “victory” that “marks the culmination of a long-term political strategy” on the part of “lesbian and gay” activists like Wellington gay man Calum Bennachie (formerly known as Calum Sawyers). However, it proved to be a pyrrhic victory – well and truly negated and consigned to the trash can of history.

Why? Because in August 2000 the full bench of the Court of Appeal (five members), effectively overturned (in a unanimous decision) what Young was claiming as a “victory” – a decision of the Film and Literature Board of Review (the Board) that had banned two Christian videos that dealt with the insidious nature of the gay-rights political movement and the tragedy of the growing AIDS world-wide epidemic. That ban by the nine-member Board – now widely recognised by the legal community and the informed general public as a direct attack on free speech – driven by the liberal PC-gay-rights agenda – was put together by former law lecturer Bill Hastings, in his role as Deputy President of the Board (he later became Chief Censor, a position he now holds).

Calum Bennachie, representing an aggrieved gay-rights group Human Rights Action Group (HRAG), had earlier successfully applied to the Board to have the two Christian videos banned. In March 2000, gay activists as well as Mr Hastings, were delighted when the High Court upheld the Board’s banning order, following an unsuccessful appeal to the Court by the videos’ distributor – Hamilton-based Living Word Distributors.

Craig Young. who continues to write for a gay website, wrote in 1998:

“After a substantial period of time and diligent work, a long standing Wellington lesbian and gay community initiate finally paid off in late December 1997, when the Office of Film and Literature Classification [sic] ruled that two US Christian Right homophobic hate videos, “Gay Rights/Special Rights” and AIDS: What You Haven’t Been Told” were objectionable, and therefore should be prohibited.”

Young, got his facts wrong. It was the OFLC that classified both videos R18 in 1997 and then, following an appeal by HRAG against the OFLC decision, made to the Board, they were classified (by the Board) as “objectionable” (i.e. banned) in 1998.

Craig Young continued his boasting in 1998:

“The victory [the Board's banning order] marks the culmination of a long-term political strategy, which began with the passage of the Human Rights Act-inclusive clause into the Films, [Videos and] Publications Act 1993, and followed by a test case before the then-Indecent Publications Tribunal over Paul Cameron’s “Exposing the AIDS Scandal” in 1994. As a consequence of that precedent, the Wellington-based Human Rights Action Group [HRAG] brought a case before the Office of Film and Literature Classification over the aforementioned two US hate videos.

“HRAG hopes to have other US hate propaganda videos, such as the notorious “Gay Agenda” prohibited, following OFLC submissions from community organisations. At this point, a fortnight after the decision, no NZ Christian Right organisation has commented on their most significant defeat to date.”

Two years later……

As the Dominion reported on Thursday 31 August 2000 under the headline “Court quashes ban on anti-homosexual films”…..

“The Court of Appeal has issued a landmark decision defending free expression and the ‘free flow of information and ideas’ from censorship. The court has quashed a High Court ban of two fundamentalist, anti-homosexuality videos, saying the Film and Literature Board of Review and the High Court had misdirected themselves….in law as to the impact of the Bill of Rights in this case. A majority decision, delivered by Court of Appeal president Sir Ivor Richardson, in response to an appeal by Christian organisation Living Word Distributors, refers the issue to the board for reassessment.”

To the chagrin of gay activists who had boasted “victory”, and the biter disappointment of Bill Hastings, the Board of Review reclassified both videos as “unrestricted”. Any child, pre-teen, teen, young person or adult can now watch the videos and learn of the real agenda behind the extremist gay activist movement as it has presented itself in North America.

References: http://www.christian-apologetics.org/html/Reports_on_Court.htm

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0509/S00077.htm

Suicide toll surpasses road deaths – Approval by Board of pro-suicide book slammed by Society.

In the light of the release of new coroners’ figures on suicide rates, the Society is slamming a unanimous decision by the 8-member Film and Literature Board of Review to support the public availability of a sick book that provides step-by-step methods of how to commit suicide and assist others to do so. The book – The Peaceful Pill Handbook – now classified R18 by the Board, is authored by an elderly Australian zealot, obsessed with seeking notoriety for himself – via his his culture of death propaganda message and his exploitation of weak and vulnerable people who he convinces to fly to Mexico to obtain an illegal suicide drug he promotes in his book and at his fee-paying seminars.

The Dominion Post (25-26/10/08) reports:

“More people [in New Zealand] took their own lives than died in road crashes in the past year, new coroners’ figures show. In the year to the end of June, 511 suicides were reported to coroners – 1.4 self-inflicted deaths a day…. Chief coroner Judge Neil MacLean said … Raw data about suicides was ‘rather shocking’… [As a comparison] There were 422 road deaths last year.” (See link to full report below).

The Society wants New Zealanders to know the names of the Board members who, by their decision, have released a publication into circulation that advocates for and promotes suicide. The members involved in the decision were: Claudia Elliott (President), Dr Jo Baddeley (Deputy President), Judy Callingham, Judith Fyfe, Dr Ian Lambie, Mark Andersen, Andrea Haines, and Ani Waaka (All were recommended for appointment by the Labour-led government Minister of Internal Affairs). The Board upheld the R18 classification issued earlier by the Chief Censor’s Office.

Reference:

Dominion Post 25-26 October 2008

Suicide toll surpasses road deaths

by Lane Nichols

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4738796a20475.html

Society Granted Leave to have classification of Grand Theft Auto IV (unedited US version) reviewed

Press Release 21 July 2008

The Society was today granted leave by the Secretary of Internal Affairs, Mr Brendan Boyle, to apply to the Film and Literature Board of Review to review the classification of the computer game Grand Theft Auto IV (unedited US version). The game was classified R18 by the Chief Censor’s Office. Read more

Film “End of the Spear” R16 rating downgraded to R13 following Society’s successful appeal

Press Release 4 July 2008

The film “End of the Spear” has had its classification downgraded from R16 to R13 following a successful appeal by the Society against the classification decision issued by the Chief Censor’s Office. The Society contended in its written and oral submisssion to the Board that the nature of the depiction of violence in the film – medium level violence – could not possibly justify an R16 classification. The nine member Film and Literature Board of Review agreed and in a unanimous decision, issued to the Society on Wednesday this week, took the view that 13, 14 and 15 year old children would not be harmed by exposure to the violence which formed only a small part of a compelling Christian message of forgiveness and redemption that is told based on the “true story” of the missionary outreach in the 1950s, to the violent South American Waodani Indian tribe. A revised censor’s note from the Board, alerts viewers to the medium level violence involving tribal warfare that some might find “disturbing”.

This is the second successful appeal by the Society in recent years involving a major Christian film that has led to its classification rating – issued by the Chief Censor’s Office – being downgraded by the Board. The Society made both oral and written submissions to the Board to overturn the R16 classification of Mel Gibson’s blockbuster film “The Passion”, and this led it to being reclassified R15. The applicant in this case was the film’s distributor and the Society opted to take a role as an interested party.

The Society has as one of its six objectives: the promotion of freedom of expression, within the boundaries of good law that safeguards the public good from injury.

Society confident of ban on The Peaceful Pill Handbook

Media Release 13 June 2008

The Society is confident that The Peaceful Pill Handbook (New Revised International Edition) co-authored by Dr Phillip Nitschke (dubbed ‘Dr Death’ by the media) will be banned by early next week by the President of the Film and Literature Board of Review, Ms Claudia Elliott, in response to its application for an interim restriction order. The deadline for submissions from interested parties in respect to the Society’s application passed today Friday 13 June at 12.00 pm. (See below for Society’s latest submission).

Read more

Dr Philip Nitschke and SPCS Executive Director interviewed on Australian Current Affairs Programme – PM

Controversy in NZ over Australian euthanasia book [Full Interview Transcript & Audio Link]

PM – Tuesday, 13 May , 2008  18:46:00

Reporter: Kerri Ritchie

BRENDAN TREMBATH: In New Zealand, right to life groups are outraged at a decision allowing a pro-euthanasia book co-written by Philip Nitschke to be sold in the country.
The Peaceful Pill Handbook was banned in Australia last year, but an edited version has been cleared for sale to New Zealanders over the age of 18.
While opponents are demanding the decision be reviewed, Philip Nitschke is now vowing to make another attempt to get his book into Australian shops.
New Zealand correspondent Kerri Ritchie reports.
KERRI RITCHIE: There in black and white, The Peaceful Pill Handbook outlines ways people can commit suicide.
Philip Nitschke hopes his book will be in New Zealand shops within a fortnight.

You can also listen to the story in REAL AUDIO and WINDOWS MEDIA and MP3 formats.

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2243906.htm Read more

Review sought by Society over release of pro-euthanasia book

A review is being sought over the controversial release of a pro-euthanasia book by Australian Philip Nitschke.

The Society for Promotion of Community Standards [SPCS] has written to the Film and Literature Board of Review [see letter below] seeking a review of the decision [web-link below] to approve the book for R18 release. Read more

Submission to Secretary re film “End of the Spear”

Urgent Attention
Secretary of Internal Affairs
and copy for Mr Owen Davie
Secretary, Film & Lierature Board of Review

Additional Comments Relevant to Society’s Proposed Lower Classification of the DVD End of the Spear and Formal Application for Leave.

5 February 2008

Further to the information submitted earlier by fax by the Society to the Secretary of Internal Affairs re the Application for Leave, please add the following:

It has come the attention of the Society today that the Film and Video Labelling Body has now approved a new classification of the film End of the Spear (originally classified on 20/12/07 as R16 by the FVLB by [incorrectly] cross-classifying it with the American DVD version) following a submission for a revised classification from the film’s distributor Life Resources Ltd. Read more

Submission to Board Re film “End of the Spear”

Attention: Film & Literature Board of Review (FLBR)

Re: End of the Spear (DVD 113 min 30 sec in length. Classified R16 By Chief Censor’s Office – the Office of Film and Literature Classification [OFLC]).)

The Society contends that the DVD feature End of the Spear, which is virtually identical to the 35 mm cinema version of the film that is currently screening in a number of New Zealand cinemas, should be classified by the Board as an unrestricted publication with a rating “M – Recommended for mature audiences 16 years of age and over.” It should carry a censor’s descriptive note such as: “Contains medium level violence including depictions of tribal warefare”. Read more

Morals body seeks lower [End of the Spear] film rating

KELLY ANDREW – The Dominion Post Saturday, 05 April 2008
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominionpost/4464953a6479.html

A morals group is calling for a film’s rating to be lowered from R16 so that younger audiences can experience its Christian message.

End of the Spear tells the true story of a group of Christian missionaries speared to death by an Ecuadorian tribe in 1956. The wives and children of the murdered men moved in with the tribe to teach them about God. Read more