The New Zealand Government has just introduced the proposed ban on "conversion therapy".

GOVT TO JAIL PARENTS FOR AFFIRMING DAUGHTER AS GIRL, SON AS BOY
Media Release 30 July 2021
Family First NZ says that the proposed ‘conversion therapy’ ban will be yet another attack on parents’ rights, is fundamentally flawed and unfair, and has been opposed by the Ministry of Health, a government select committee, and by the general public.

A ban would criminalise parents who wish to protect their child from the physical, emotional, and psychological harm caused by gender dysphoria. Shockingly, parents would be criminalised and potentially liable up to five years in jail simply for affirming that their sons are boys and their daughters are girls. These bans will lock children into transgenderism.

The government want to criminalise the discussion and practice of alternatives to hormones, surgery and confusion.


A parent who promotes biological sex will be criminalised. Numerous reviews show the majority of children who are confused about their gender also suffer from diagnosed mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

It will also be dangerous for a therapist to counsel someone with gender dysphoria in a way that affirms their biology. Islamic and Christian schools could be breaking the law for teaching their students that Allah/God made us male and female. Church leaders, youth workers and imams could become criminals for reading and explaining the Quran or the Bible – that is, for doing their job.

If a person wanted to align their sexuality with the teachings and values of their particular faith – be it Muslim or Christian, Jewish or Sikh – and sought help to do so from a minister, imam or other faith leader, a ban would make it virtually impossible to access the support they wanted. Furthermore, if they were able to find someone prepared to provide counselling of that kind, they could well cause that person to become implicated in a criminal offence. According to the government bill, consent is not relevant.

The right of self-determination is a founding principle of the mental health profession, and for children, the wider whanau / family is part of this important value and support base.