For the men who lived through the years before 1990 when it was against the law to have gay sex in Western Australia, Wednesday's historic apology by Premier Mark McGowan was a bittersweet moment.
While celebrating how far gay rights have come, they were reminded of the dark years when men killed themselves, lost their jobs, lived in a persistent state of fear and shame and even had electro-convulsive therapy, just for being gay.
For Perth man Gary Martin, he can now finally clear his late partner's criminal record and, he hopes, the shame.
"I'm really grateful for the apology and I'll be having his conviction expunged," Mr Martin said.
"I want his name cleared because he was a really well-respected man and he didn't deserve it."
Mr Martin did not wish to name his partner of 21 years, who died last year, but said he was a well-respected professional who was worried his conviction would hurt his job and family.
"As a consequence he was given electric shock aversion therapy," he said.
"He was shown gay pornography and given electric shocks."
'Wonderful' news came too late for some
Mandurah man Peter Keogh watched and toasted the Premier's speech with his partner of 30 years, Sacha Mahboub, and a glass of sparkling wine.
"To have an apology is wonderful. To have all those crimes removed, expunged, is wonderful," Mr Keogh said.
"But sadly some of those have passed on. But those of us who are still here, and their partners, it means a great deal."
Mr Keogh said he would never forget his friend who took his life after he was charged by the police.
His friend's mother blamed him when they phoned her.
"'How dare you phone me,' she said. 'It was your type who killed my son,'" Mr Keogh said.
While he was never convicted of any homosexual offences, Mr Keogh was hauled to Cottesloe police station by two plain-clothed police officers for allegedly "cruising" at a beach in 1963.
"I was given a warning, called a poof and other nasty names," he said.
With this matter out of the way, the pair now hopes the Australian Parliament will allow them to get married next year, at the ripe old ages of 73 and 76, if same-sex marriage gets passed into law.
Homosexual activity was outlawed in Western Australia until 1990 and convictions until that time remained on criminal records.
Even if someone applied for a spent conviction, they were still not able to fully participate in society, with barriers to being a teacher or police officer, or even voluntarily foster children.
It is believed between 200 and 300 men were convicted.
