Hi everyone!

So many things have been happening since we sent the petition and the SOCE Survivor Statement off to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and other MP’s! Here are just a few of them:

Amnesty International Australia

In August I had the opportunity to present at Amnesty International Australia on a live webinar from their HQ in Sydney. I spoke a little about my story and discussed the gay conversion movement in Australia and how it manifests in 2018 and my thoughts about the importance of a multi-faceted approach in order to effectively respond to the problem.

HRLC Report launch

A joint report by the Human Rights Law Centre, Gay & Lesbian Health Victoria and La Trobe University has been launched over the weekend. It is the first research into the gay conversion movement in Australia, confirming that it remains a problem in our country. 

The  report, 'Preventing Harm, Promoting Justice', also provides recommendations for action, calling not only for specific legislation to prohibit ‘gay conversion therapy’ practices in health and therapeutic settings (this is what you have been calling for by signing this petition), but makes clear that legislation alone will not be effective, and outlines other recommendations for action. 

It was my honour to be invited to speak on a panel at the launch of the report in Melbourne alongside Anna Brown (HRLC), Dr Tim Jones (La Trobe) and Nathan Despott (Brave Network).

As a survivor of the gay conversion movement it feels amazing to know that our experiences are being heard nationally and that there is finally research that confirms the prevalence and damage of the gay conversion movement in Australia.

It is wonderful to know that the recommendations for action that the report puts forward align with what survivors of gay conversion have also recommended in the SOCE Survivor Statement published last month. It’s fantastic that survivors and our allies at HRLC and La Trobe are on the same page when it comes to  the discussion about how to move forward.

You can read the report here: https://www.hrlc.org.au/reports/preventing-harm

(Please be aware that it does contain stories that some may find triggering and difficult to read).

Equal Voices Conference

I was privileged to also be invited to speak as part of another panel at the Equal Voices conference whilst in Melbourne, discussing the the conversion movement with Dr Time Jones, Nathan Despott and Matt Glover.

Again, thank you for your continued support for this petition and campaign. It is so important that we keep on sharing the petition, the SOCE Survivor Statement, and that we continue to listen to the stories and opinions of survivors.

If you haven’t yet, I ask that you please go to www.SOCEsurvivors.com.au and affirm the statement. It has been written by survivors and has been endorsed by an impressive list of organisations and individuals.