Equality Tasmania says prohibiting conversion practices is an urgent priority for the state and is seeking an election commitment from all parties to enact the overdue reform before the end of the year.
Spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said only Tasmania and Western Australia lacked legislation in this area.
“With conversion bans enacted in all states except Tasmania and WA, Tasmania is at risk of becoming a haven for these cruel, harmful and widely condemned practices.”
“All three parties are committed to banning conversion practices so there’s no excuse for failing to protect vulnerable LGBTIQA+ people.”
“We will be asking all parties and independents to commit to passing a ban on conversion practices by the end of 2025.”
Croome said other reforms with Liberal, Labor and Green support that must be enacted before year’s end include harsher penalties for hate crime against LGBTIQA+ people, and financial redress for historic gay and cross-dressing convictions.
“There is growing frustration in the LGBTIQA+ community about delays to important reforms, so Equality Tasmania we will use the opportunity of this election to ensure the log jam is broken.”
A ban on conversion practices was recommended by the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute in May 2022. Premier Jeremy Rockliff committed to implementing the TLRI’s recommendations, but a subsequent Government bill was widely condemned for continuing to allow conversion practices. Alternate legislation is yet to be tabled.
An amendment to the Sentencing Act allowing harsher penalties for hate-motivated crimes, including hate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics, was recommended by the Sentencing Advisory Council in February last year and introduced by the Government earlier this year, but has not been debated.
Financial redress for victims of Tasmania’s former laws against homosexuality and cross-dressing was supported by the Lower House of Parliament last year and earlier this year an Upper House committee recommended the amounts involved, but no further debate has occurred.
Other reforms and initiatives Equality Tasmania will seek commitments on include banning medical interventions on infants with innate variations of sex characteristics, a Government LGBTIQA+ strategy and action plan, and funding for LGBTIQA+ mental health and legal services.
Tasmanian will head to the polls again on 19th July after a vote of no confidence in Premier Jeremy Rockliff was passed in parliament. The Liberal government was only returned in March 2024 for a three year term.
