After a successful community campaign, the Victorian Parliament voted to ban LGBTQ+ conversion practices, once and for all. Now we need to end these damaging practices right across the country.
The historic win in Victoria has created undeniable momentum; in NSW, a cross-party group of MPs have announced they’ll work together to outlaw the practice, and the opposition has called on the NSW Government to introduce legislation as a matter of urgency. In both South Australia and Tasmania, changes to the law are being discussed too.
But we know what it will take to end conversion practices. Politicians in these states need to know that there is widespread community support for tackling the harm caused by LGBTQ+ conversion practices. That’s what got the win over the line in Victoria. Will you sign the petition now, calling on all premiers in each state and territory to take action on conversion practices?
We know that everyone deserves to live freely, no matter where they live, who they are, or whom they love. Yet, harmful “conversion” practices that attempt to change LGBTQ people are still taking place around Australia. These practices, underpinned by ideologies that see LGBTQ people as broken, instead of whole and human, cause great harm to LGBTQ people, especially LGBTQ people of faith.
Victoria, the ACT and Queensland have moved on reforms banning these practices, which find no support in the medical or psychological professional community. But there is still much to do in order to protect LGBTQ people from so-called “conversion therapy”.
We need a comprehensive response to the issue of conversion practices across Australia that includes:
- Redress and support for survivors
- Stronger laws to prohibit conversion practices
- Sustained measures to support cultural change, such as education and training informed by the experience of survivors
- Encouraging religious leaders and institutions to denounce conversion practices
Sign the petition and tell our leaders that LGBTQ+ people deserve to live their lives without harm or fear that they need to be “fixed”.