Equality Tasmania has welcomed a Tasmanian Greens’ bill to prohibit conversion practices that was unveiled for consultation this week.
The LGBTIQA+ advocacy group says the reform will improve mental health outcomes, and warned Tasmania risks being the last state to act if the ban is not passed soon.
Conversion practices are attempts to change, suppress or eliminate an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said the practices caused significant damage to those exposed.
“Conversion practices are cruel and futile quackery that inflict deep damage.”
“National and Tasmanian research shows one in twenty LGBTIQA+ young people have been through conversion practices and they are three to four times more likely to have PTSD and attempt suicide than other LGBTIQA+ young people who already have elevated levels of mental health risk.”
“This is why conversion practices are condemned by all reputable health organisations in Tasmania and nationally”
“Although we have been calling for reform since 2016, Tasmania has now fallen behind other states and risks becoming a haven for conversion practices unless we act quickly.” Coome said.
“We have worked closely with the Greens on this bill and believe it is the nation’s most comprehensive and effective conversion legislation.”
“The bill builds on the recommendations of the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute and draws on best practice from other states to create the nation’s most comprehensive and effective legislation.”
“We urge interested parties to submit their views on the bill during the consultation period ahead of parliamentary debate later this year.”
Conversion prohibitions have been passed in Victoria, the ACT, NSW, Queensland, South Australia, with only Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory remaining. Western Australia’s Attorney-General has promised that he will introduce legislation into the parliament this year.
The Tasmanian bill, which has been through fourteen drafts, draws substantially from the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute’s recommendations which had the support of Premier Jeremy Rockliff when released in May 2022.
The bill also draws on the subsequent experience in other states by allocating education and prevention to a single government authority, the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, and by having clearly defined exemptions to eliminate confusion.
Consultation on the Tasmanian Greens’ bill, unveiled today by Greens’ leader, Rosalie Woodruff, will continue until 31 July.
Submissions to the consultation can be made here: https://cppbilltas.org/
More information can be found on Equality Tasmania’s campaign page here: https://equalitytasmania.org.au/home/endconversion/
