A groundbreaking study of gay history in New Zealand, this book explores the period of intense lobbying and opposition leading up to the passing of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill in 1986, which decriminalized sexual acts between males. Based on 22 interviews with important participants in the debates as well as extensive archival research, this is a major contribution not only to the international literature on the history of homosexuality but also to the understanding of New Zealand society in the later 20th century.