Conversion therapies to end in NSW soon!
LGBTQ+ community have respect in Australia but the conversion therapies and suppression techniques used could have far-reaching implications. These practices can be brutal, dangerous and damaging. Hence the Minns’ government has decided to ban conversion therapies. These practices would henceforth be illegal in NSW.
Bill to ban conversion therapies
Conversion therapies are harmful and dangerous. They could have far-reaching implications on the health and well-being of the person. Hence, it is best to avoid them.
These practices could get outdated thanks to a new bill that the Minns’ government introduced in the Parliament. They want to ban the conversion practices and make them illegal.
Anyone doing these practices would be punished. This new move is in line with the present government’s promise to its citizens that the government made in February 2023 during the election campaign. After coming to power, they want to fulfill their promises and are working in that direction.
What are conversion practices?
Conversion practices are the formal or informal practices that are directed towards the LGBTQ+ community. These include conversion therapies and suppression practices that are based on the assumptions that the LGBTQ+ clan has some major disorder that requires treatment. These could include hormonal treatment and even surgical interventions to ‘correct’ the disorder.
There is no evidence to show that such therapies help. In fact, these could damage the health and well-being of the person and may even be fatal. Penny Sharpe, the leader of the government in the Legislative Council said:
“LGBTQ+ people are fine just the way they are,”
“There is no place in NSW for harmful conversion and suppression practices.”
“Thank you to advocates from the LGBTQ+ community, in particular victim survivors who have told their stories so that others will no longer be harmed.”
The ground work before the bill
The vital role prior to this bill was carried out by The Department of Communities and Justice and NSW Ministry of Health. These two departments led a working group and consulted many stakeholders before reaching the conclusion that there is no place for these therapies in the lives of the LGBTQ+ people.
Read here: A new Gallup study reveals that number of LGBTQ+ adults in the US has more than doubled since 2012!
The stakeholders were senior members from the sectors of health, education, law and government, faith organizations, multicultural organizations, advocates and activists of the LGBTQ+ community, victim-survivors, academicians, researchers, and others. Others consulted include experts from the regions where these practices are illegal already such as Victoria, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, Canada, and New Zealand.
Chris Minns, the premier of NSW stated:
“Every person in NSW deserves to be respected for who they are and that’s exactly what these new laws will do,”
“It is intolerable that we have a situation in NSW where children can be told something is wrong with them and that they need to be fixed.”
“I’ve personally met with survivors of conversion practices and know how important it is that we put an end to this.”
Let’s hope that this reform protects LGBTQ+ people.
