ACT conversion ban given 7 out 10
Next Australian Bill must be stronger
National LGBTIQ lobby group Just-Equal has welcomed the banning of conversion practices in the Australian Capital Territory.
The ACT is now the second jurisdiction in Australia to address this issue.
Canberra resident and spokesperson for Just-Equal, Ivan Hinton-Teoh, said the legislation passed in the national capital was ‘far better’ than passed in Queensland recently, but still fell short of the optimum position sought by survivor groups.
“The ACT legislation covers religious and informal settings which the Queensland legislation does not.
“This is a vast improvement given that religious and informal conversion practices are the most common,” Mr Hinton-Teoh said.
"The ACT legislation also focuses on the intent of the practitioner and gives broad investigative powers to the ACT Human Rights Commission."
“On the downside, the ACT legislation doesn't properly address therapeutically false, damaging and misleading claims; referrals and advertising related to conversion practices; and attempts to suppress sexual orientation and gender identity
“Overall Just-Equal welcomes the ACT legislation as a step forward and rates it as 7 out of 10.”
“With Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania all now looking to ban conversion practices over the next couple of years, there is the opportunity for even better and more comprehensive legislation to evolve in the wake of Queensland and ACT experience.
“Just-Equal is calling on other states to build on the existing legal frameworks now in place and to lift the benchmark higher to thoroughly ban conversion and suppression practices,” Mr Hinton-Teoh said.
A copy of the media statement from conversion practices survivor groups is attached.
For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
For more information contact Ivan Hinton-Teoh on 0419 124 826.
