LGBTIQ+ conversion therapy promotion appears in Hobart

LGBTIQ+ advocates in Tasmania have raised concerns over a newspaper promoting harmful LGBTIQ+ ‘conversion therapy’ being delivered to residents of Hobart.

Hobart resident and court journalist for The Mercury posted an image of the Challenge Good News Paper to Twitter on Tuesday 27th November.

Wow. What the actual f*** is the Challenge Good News Paper? It arrived in my (Hobart) letterbox today and it is truly offensive. Here is an article about a gay man who prayed the gay away and married to a “former” lesbian. I think I need to write a letter to the editor… pic.twitter.com/eSmHzprtbR

— Amber Wilson (@ambervwilson) October 27, 2020

The newspaper features a gay man and a lesbian who claim they have been “cured” of their same-sex attraction and are now married to one another.

The ideology that says same-sex attraction is flawed and can be fixed has been long discredited, and it is deeply damaging for those LGBTIQ people coming to terms with who they are,” says Equality Tasmania spokesperson Rodney Croome.

“Young LGBTIQ Tasmanians need support and affirmation, not these false and damaging claims dressed up as piety.”

“Tasmania should follow the lead of Queensland and the ACT by passing laws dealing with conversion practices and their promotion.”

The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute is expected to launch an inquiry into conversion practices before the end of the year.

The ACT and Queensland have recently legislated for bans on conversion practices in their regions, while survivors of conversion attempts are calling for stronger legislation across Australia.

In September, WA Labor spokesperson Alanna Clohesy said the McGowan Government was not looking at banning conversion practices, and if they were it could only focus on medical practitioners, not religious organisations.

OIP Staff

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