‘Mocks the great emotional effort’: Conversion therapy survivors call on government to redraft bill
Equality Tasmania has launched a new campaign calling on the state government to scrap its gay conversion therapy legislation – and start from scratch.
Tasmania
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Equality Tasmania has launched a new campaign calling on the state government to scrap its gay conversion therapy legislation – and start from scratch.
On Thursday, spokesperson Rodney Croome said the new campaign aimed to dispel myths about a ban on conversion therapy, encouraging Tasmanians to sign an open letter to the government.
“The government’s bill has so many exemptions it will actually encourage conversion practices rather than stop them,” Mr Croome said.
“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.”
The state government has repeatedly promised changes to the law to ban conversion therapy – a discredited pseudo-medical practice of trying to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
But activists have robustly criticised the draft bill, which is open for public consultation until February 16.
Bronwyn Larkins, a person who was subjected to the practice, said the draft legislation offered more protection to practitioners than “those of us who suffered at their hands”.
“It mocks the great emotional effort we expended telling our personal stories,” she said.
Equality Tasmania’s open letter says the government’s bill inaccurately defines conversion practices as a “health service” and provides a number of exemptions.
The letter also says the bill relies on conversion survivors to make complaints and prove harm, rather than laying that onus on government officials, and also sets a bar for prosecution “so high it’s unlikely anyone will ever be held to account”.
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