Tasmania has taken the first step towards legislation that would ban LGBTIQ+ conversion practices.
The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute has announced it will conduct an inquiry into the issue.
LGBTIQ equality advocates have welcomed the move, with Equality Tasmania spokesperson, Rodney Croome, saying,
“Attempts to ‘cure’ or ‘heal’ LGBTIQ people are futile and damaging, so we welcome this important first step towards legislation banning the practice.”
“Our hope is that Tasmanians who have recently experienced conversion practices will tell their personal stories of the pain and trauma they have experienced.”
“We are particularly pleased to see the TLRI will look at the ideology behind conversion practices as well as the harm inflicted by the practices themselves.”
The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute has announced its acceptance of several references including LGBTIQ conversion practices and ideology, and re-examination of the case for a Tasmanian Human Rights Act.
Tasmania would follow Victoria and the ACT in banning the harmful practices, should the state government act following the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute inquiry.
Earlier this year, the Australian Christian Lobby rallied against the banning of conversion practices, arguing that it was ‘anti-Christian’ to stop attempting to force people to change or hide their sexuality.
ACL head Martyn Iles said a conversion was the “power of God for salvation to all who believe, it’s the change that God brings upon a life from death to life, from darkness to light, from sin to salvation, from self to Christ, it’s that radical change that comes about by the power of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life from outside of myself from God.”
OIP Staff
