Hi supporters!
Fantastic news today! The Victorian Government’s Change and Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020 has been released, and has been welcomed by survivors as the most comprehensive response to conversion practices in the world.
It outlines prohibitions for any person who delivers conversion practices to another person, along with other measures to protect Victorians. The Bill reinforces that conversion practices are deceptive and harmful, and that the ideology which underpins these practices is flawed and wrong.
The laws will empower the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) to consider and respond to reports of change or suppression practices from any person, as well as launch investigations where there is evidence of serious or systemic change or suppression practices.
The Victorian Government consulted very closely with survivors of conversion practices, LGBTIQ+ support and advocacy organisations, and faith organisations in order to develop the Bill. Importantly, responses to reports will be survivor-led and trauma informed, focusing on community education and facilitation.
Attorney-General Jill Hennessy said, “We’re sending a clear message: no one is ‘broken’ because of their sexuality or gender identity. These views won’t be tolerated in Victoria, and neither will these abhorrent practices.”
The Outcomes Report on the Legislative options to implement a ban on conversion practices consultation was also released today.
The report, which can be accessed here, showed that survivors “supported a definition of conversion practices that referenced underpinning ideology and a ban that would prohibit conversion practices provided by all people and in all settings.”
LGBT+ support and advocacy organisations “generally supported a ban that would capture all conversion practices, and did not support a definition or ban that would allow for ‘consensual’ conversion practices.”
Religious organisations who responded “generally expressed concerns with banning conversion practices” whilst “some did not support a ban at all.”
Asked whether protection should be limited to children and people experiencing vulnerability, just 21.58% of respondents agreed. 75.59% felt that protection should be available to all members of the community. 73.22% indicated that ‘everyone’ should be banned from providing conversion practices.
I’m so happy to be sharing this news with you! Please find below a media release from Brave Network and SOGICE Survivors.
- Chris Csabs
Brave Network and SOGICE Survivors media release:
Survivors Welcome Victorian Conversion Practices Bill
Advocates urge bipartisan cooperation
Survivors of LGBTQA+ conversion practices have welcomed the announcement of the Victorian Government’s Change and Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill.
The long-awaited bill outlines prohibitions for any person who delivers conversion practices to another person, with criminal penalties applied to anyone who advertises such practices.
Nathan Despott from survivor-led advocacy group Brave Network said the Victorian Bill accurately defines conversion practices and is deeply grounded in research.
“LGBTQA+ people should be able to live freely, practice their faith, and participate in community life without being treated as though their sexual orientation or gender identity is a disorder. This legislation finally acknowledges that conversion practices and the false and misleading claims that underpin them are harmful and unscientific,” he said.
Queensland was the first jurisdiction to pass legislation, but survivor groups were strongly critical of the Queensland law, noting that it did not cover informal or religious settings.
“The Victorian Bill is vastly better than any bill developed in Australia to date. It covers informal settings, focuses on the intent of the practitioner, protects adults and children, and gives adequate investigative powers to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission,” Mr Despott said.
“The Victorian Government has listened respectfully to survivors’ deep analysis of this complex problem over the past five years and has consulted with a range of faith communities and leaders. As a result, it has introduced a powerful bill.”
Chris Csabs from Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts (SOGICE) Survivors welcomed the Victorian Bill, saying that it is set to be the most comprehensive conversion practices legislation in the world.
“The Victorian Government has put forward a Bill that could genuinely make a big difference to the lives of LGBTQA+ Victorians who are vulnerable to conversion practices and ideology,” Mr Csabs said.
The Trevor Project’s 2020 National Survey indicated that 10% of LGBTQA+ youth in America had undergone conversion practices. The 2019 Canadian Sex Now survey found that 20% of gay, bi, trans and queer men had experienced conversion practices, with 8% having experienced formal practices. The 2018 Ozanne Foundation survey similarly found a figure of 11% among lesbian, gay and bi people of faith in the UK. A 2015 Australian survey of more than 3,000 14-21 year old LGBTQA+ Australians found that 7% had been exposed to the message that ‘gay people should become straight’ at school, a key message of what researchers and survivors call ‘conversion ideology’.
Global research has found that conversion practices cause significant trauma to participants, with increased suicidality, decreased vocational success, and increased risk of homelessness.
SOGICE Survivors asserts that conversion practices are far more prevalent in Australian faith communities than has previously been understood, particularly when including informal conversion practices that occur in pastoral care contexts.
“We are pleased that the Bill addresses both formal and informal practices, since we know that the majority of recent survivors report being exposed to conversion practices in unpaid, informal settings.” said Mr. Csabs. “The main priority when it comes to legislation is to stop the harm from occurring. We believe that this Bill is a big step in that direction.”