TELL THE TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT YOU WANT LGBTIQA+ CONVERSION PRACTICES BANNED
Conversion practices (aka “gay conversion therapies”) are still legal in Tasmania.
Sign the Open Letter calling for a ban and opposing the Government’s ineffective conversion bill.
Scroll down to read the Open Letter. It will be presented to the Government and Parliament.
OPEN LETTER
The Tasmanian Government must draft a new conversion bill, one that works.
The Tasmanian Government’s conversion bill was meant to ban conversion practices but it will actually encourage them. It should be scrapped and a new bill written.
We want the Tasmanian Government to prevent practices that aim to change, suppress or eradicate a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Conversion practices have been inflicted on at least 5% of LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians according to research commissioned by the State Government.
Research also shows conversion survivors are up to four times more likely than other LGBTIQA+ people to suffer complex trauma and attempt suicide.
Tasmanian survivors and the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute (TLRI) recommended gold-standard laws to end conversion practices.
The Tasmanian Government bill ignores them by adopting none of the TLRI’s 16 recommendations.
The Government’s bill will allow conversion practices to continue because it:
- 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 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.
- Gives more protection to conversion practitioners than victims of conversion.
The bill will give a green light to most conversion practices including the most common and harmful practices.
It will encourage conversion practitioners in states with better legislation to set up shop in Tasmania.
It is a slap in the face to Tasmanian survivor advocates who bared their souls but have been ignored.
It sets a terrible precedent for other states that don’t yet have conversion legislation.
We are deeply concerned about the Government’s bill and by the obvious influence of pro-conversion groups over this legislation.
We call for the Government to scrap this bill and draft a new one that will stop conversion practices.