Cook Island MPs vote to decriminalise same sex relations

Years of battling for legal equality in the Cook Islands is finally over for the country’s LGBTQI community.

In Parliament this afternoon, MP’s voted to decriminalise same sex relations by passing the Cook Islands Crimes (Sexual Offences) Amendment Bill.

While it’s never been enforced, indecent acts between men could have resulted in a five-year jail term.

The road to this point has been a rocky one with some churches vehemently against decriminalisation.

Today in Parliament, Cook Islands Prime Minister, Mark Brown said there has been much debate about the bill but while they respect differing opinions: “as lawmakers we cannot pass laws that knowingly discriminate against members of our own community”.

He said his Cook Islands Party MP’s had chosen to vote as a block to support the bill which brings into the 21st century laws which were passed more than 50 years ago.

“It is not the Government’s role to interfere in the private lives of individuals when activity is consensual and has not caused harm to anyone…the purpose of criminal offences is not to dictate the morality of people’s life choices but protect them from criminal harm,” he said.

Opposition Leader Tina Pupuke Browne, who was wearing a Pride Cook Islands t-shirt during today’s parliamentary sitting, said the bible teaches people to be kind, respect others, have honesty and integrity and promote peace and goodwill.

“I think these principles reflect very strongly the identity and way of life of our people, Cook Islands people…when looked at it this way these Christian principles run against criminalisation of these acts,” she said.

When the bill was passed there were tears and applause from Cook Islands Pride members and supporters in the public gallery.

As well as decriminalising same sex relations, the amendment also gives greater protection to victims of sexual crime including removing marriage as a defence against rape and allowing the court to prosecute anyone accused of sexual crimes against children regardless whether it happened overseas or in the Cook Islands.