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THE Australian Homosexual Histories Conference 2014, to be聽held in late November at the University of Technology, Sydney, will focus聽on the history of homosexual law reforms across聽Australia.

The conference also looks at how, in two generations since the beginnings of gay liberation in Australia, we have come to a point where lesbians and gays not only have legal protections but also聽fight for marriage equality.

One hundred and fifty years聽ago, the last judicial-sanctioned execution of a homosexual man took place in Australia. According to Pride History Group (PHG), the conference organiser, it was the last of 10聽now written out of our history 鈥� and mostly forgotten.

Meanwhile, only 30聽years ago in NSW men could be sent to jail for having sex with other men. Depending on what they did, it could be a sentence from six months up to 14聽years for 鈥渢he abominable crime of buggery鈥�.

Lesbians weren鈥檛 even recognised within the legal system.

“How is it then that in the space of two generations, Australia has moved so decisively against discrimination against lesbians and gay men 鈥� in the law, in employment, even in the military – and now we are debating marriage equality?” PHG’s Robert French said.

The answer to this 鈥斅燼nd to other related questions about the history of the lives lived by homosexuals in Australia 鈥� will be聽explored conference on聽November 28-29.

鈥楾hese Conferences, over the past decade, have proved to be of enormous benefit in expanding our understanding of the place of gays and聽lesbians in Australian history,” said French, who聽worked for the National Archives of Australia for over 30 years and was heavily involved in NSW’s homosexual law reform campaign in the early 1980s.

“I fully expect that this Sydney Conference will also contribute in important ways to that understanding.”

The conference will be聽dedicated to the memory of gay activist Alexander “Lex” Watson.

Registrations are still open. Visit:聽