Equality Tasmania says a NSW Government ban on conversion practices, introduced today, highlights flaws in the bill unveiled by the Tasmanian Liberal Government in December. 

Spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,

“The NSW legislation is a stark contrast to the weak and self-defeating legislation unveiled by the Tasmanian Liberal Government last year.”

“The NSW bill has none of the loopholes of the Tasmanian bill that will allow conversion practices to continue, and unlike the Tasmanian bill the NSW law makes provision for the kind of education programs that help stop those practices.”

“We urge the Liberal Party to redraft its bill in the light of NSW’s legislation, and we urge whichever party that forms government after the March 23rd Tasmanian election to introduce an effective ban as quickly as possible.”

“With other states moving ahead on this reform Tasmania risks becoming a haven for conversion practitioners from interstate.”

Labor and the Greens have both committed to introduce comprehensive legislation based on the expert recommendations of the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute as soon as possible after the election.

For more on the NSW bill: 

https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/nsw-government-introduces-laws-to-ban-harmful-lgbtq-conversion-practices

The Liberal, Labor and Greens’ responses to Equality Tasmania’s election survey can be found here: 

https://equalitytasmania.org.au/election2024/

For a copy of this statement on the web, click here

For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.

Equality Tasmania will seek commitments from all parties and independents to an effective ban on conversion practices in the lead up to the state election on March 23rd.

The commitment is one of many being sought in an LGBTIQA+ community survey sent to parties and independents.

Spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,

“Conversion practices continue to cause deep harm to LGBTIQA+ Tasmania two years after the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute called for them to be banned.”

“Local and national research shows that almost 5% of LGBTIQA+ young people have been through conversion practices in the last two years and that conversion survivors are three to four times more likely than other LGBTIQA+ people to have PTSD and attempt suicide.”

“Prohibiting conversion practices will save lives.”

“We will be seeking commitments from all parties and independents for an urgent and comprehensive ban on conversion practices that goes further than the weak and counterproductive bill put forward by the Government in December.”

Mr Croome said the group will also seek commitments to a range of other reforms and initiatives including
– a ban on medically unnecessary surgeries on children with variations of sex characteristics
– better hate crime protections for LGBTIQA+ people
– a dedicated LGBTIQA+ mental health service
– better health care for trans and gender diverse people
– financial redress for those convicted under the state’s former anti-LGBTIQA+ laws
– protection of Tasmania’s landmark anti-discrimination and gender recognition laws
– funding for the State Government’s LGBTIQA+ Action Plan and Framework
– an LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Act and the appointment of an LGBTIQA+ Commissioner

“We will publish the results of our election survey to better inform the LGBTIQA+ community and our friends and allies about where the parties and independents stand on our issues.”
 
More on conversion practices in Tasmania here:

https://equalitytasmania.org.au/home/endconversion/

Conversion practices still occurring in Tasmania:

https://www.examiner.com.au/story/7406885/launceston-church-makes-no-apologies-for-using-conversion-therapy/

Survivors tell their stories:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-17/conversion-therapy-in-australia-calls-for-ban/101041368

For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.

Equality Tasmania has launched a new campaign calling on the State Government to scrap its conversion practices bill and draft a new version.

The campaign will dispel myths about a ban on conversion practices and encourage Tasmanians to sign an Open Letter to the Government.

Equality Tasmania spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,

“The Government’s bill has so many exemptions it will actually encourage conversion practices rather than stop them.”

“Our campaign will reach tens of thousands of Tasmanians with the message that the Government’s bill is worse than useless, needs to be scrapped and a new one written.”

“Given the Government isn’t listening to survivors it’s time to take our message to the people.”

“I encourage everyone who opposes conversion practices to sign the Open Letter and share the videos on our campaign page.”

Survivors of Tasmanian conversion practices, Bronwyn Larkins, said,

“The bill offers more protection to conversion practitioners than to those of us who suffered at their hands.”

“It mocks the great emotional effort we expended telling our personal stories.”

“Tens of thousands of Tasmanians will now have access to my story and the stories of other survivors, which I hope will educate the community about the need for legislation that will actually work.”

Equality Tasmania’s campaign will promote a range of videos on social media in which survivors, doctors, researchers and people of faith explain why conversion practices must be comprehensively banned, not given a green light.

Facts explained by the videos include:

– conversion practices still occur in Tasmania and cause deep harm

– consent cannot be given to conversion practices

– treatment for young trans and gender diverse people will not be affected by effective conversion legislation 

– the State Government has not, as promised, implemented the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute’s recommendations for conversion legislation

The Government’s consultation on its draft bill ends on February 16th.

Campaign page: https://equalitytasmania.org.au/home/endconversion/

Open Letter: https://equalitytasmania.org.au/sign-the-open-letter/

See below for a list of problems with the Government bill.

For this statement on the web, click here

For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668 or Bronwyn Larkins on 0011 64 (0)27 214 3209.

Extract from the Open Letter listing problems with the Government bill

• Adopts a narrow, inaccurate definition of conversion practices that doesn’t address the role of the false, misleading and pseudo-scientific claims that underpin such practices.
• Defines conversion practices as “a health service”, and says not all are harmful.
• Exempts conversion practices by anyone who calls themselves a “health care provider”.
• Exempts “beliefs”, “guidance”, “assistance” and “support” that could include conversion practices. 
• Exempts conversion practices where there has been “consent”, even though informed consent is not possible due to the fraudulent nature of conversion practices and the life-long conditioning that most people who undergo conversion practices experience.
• Exempts conversion practices that insist on celibacy for LGBTIQA+ people.
• Allows the majority of conversion practices to go unchallenged by including all these exemptions.
• Doesn’t make provision for pro-active investigation or education – the two most important tools for addressing conversion practices.
• Relies on conversion survivors to make complaints and prove harm rather than government officials
• Sets the bar for prosecution so high it’s unlikely anyone will ever be held to account.

“It is really disappointing that after so much heart-felt advocacy by survivors, so much ground-breaking research and so many well-developed recommendations from the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute, the Government has come up with such useless legislation.” – Rodney Croome

Equality Tasmania has again slammed a State Government bill unveiled yesterday that purports to ban conversion practices.

Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,

“After in-depth consideration of the bill and discussions with survivor advocates, it’s clear this bill is irredeemable and should be scrapped.”

“The bill is full of loopholes that allow conversion practices and they harm they inflict to continue.”

For more information on some of these loopholes: http://tinyurl.com/ddhzfse6

“This is the kind of bill an anti-LGBTIQA+ group like the Australian Christian Lobby would draft.”

“This bill is a far cry from the promise Premier Jeremy Rockliff made to implement the gold-standard recommendations of the Tasmanian Law Reform Institue.”

“It is really disappointing that after so much heart-felt advocacy by survivors, so much ground-breaking research and so many well-developed recommendations from the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute, the Government has come up with such useless legislation.”

“We will use the current consultation period to urge the Government to scrap this bill, listen to the experts and the survivors, and draft something that will do the job.”

For a copy of this statement on the web, click here

For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.

“This is the kind of bill you would draft if you wanted to appear to ban conversion practices without actually banning them.”

– Rodney Croome

Equality Tasmania says a bill against conversion practices, released today by the Tasmanian Government, will allow such practices to continue.

The Government’s bill took eighteen months to draft following the release of a Tasmanian Law Reform Institute report recommending reform in May last year.

Equality Tasmania spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,

“We are concerned that the bill doesn’t go far enough and doesn’t meet the standards recommended by the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute.”

“The bill will allow conversion practices to continue, both in health and religious settings, under the guise of ill-defined terms like ‘support’, ‘assistance’, ‘care’ and ‘guidance’.”

“It will also allow conversion practices if there is ‘consent’, despite the fact that it is impossible to consent to a ‘treatment’ that doesn’t work for a ‘condition’ that doesn’t exist”.

“Another problem is that in the other states most conversion practices are caught under civil law, not criminal, but in this bill there are no civil penalties so it is less likely conversion practitioners will be held to account.”

“These are the holes conversion practitioners will crawl through so they can continue to inflict their cruel and discredited ‘therapies’.”

“We are also disappointed this won’t be a stand-alone act with a preamble against conversion practices like in the other states where legislation has sent a stronger message.”

“Another big concern is that there’s no mention of the kind of education programs undertaken in other states that are necessary to ensure the legislation actually works on the ground.”

“This is the kind of bill that you would draft if you wanted to appear to ban conversion practices without actually banning them.”

The Government has launched a consultation on the bill that will close on February 16th.

Mr Croome said he will encourage Tasmanian survivors to write to the Government to highlight how the new law would may not have provided them with the protection they required when they were vulnerable to conversion practices.

For a copy of this statement on the web, click here

For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.

Equality Tasmania has welcomed a commitment from Premier Jeremy Rockliff to unveil a ban on conversion practices in the next few days.

Mr Rockliff made the commitment while speaking to journalists this morning.

Equality Tasmania spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,

“A ban on conversion practices is urgent because we know these cruel and damaging practices are still occurring in Tasmania.”

“We are pleased the Government’s legislation is imminent and that there will be an opportunity for conversion survivors to comment on it over the Summer break.”

The Government has repeatedly promised to unveil a ban on conversion practices by year’s end.

Mr Croome also welcomed a motion from Labor Justice spokesperson, Ella Haddad, calling on the Government to release its draft legislation immediately.

The motion was tabled in Parliament today and emphasises the on-going harm inflicted by conversion practices in Tasmania.

For a copy of this statement on the web, click here

For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.