They tried to "cure" me of being gay, shouting at altar calls in church "come out, you unclean, foul spirit from the pits of hell" – but despite destroying countless lives with their "ex-gay" therapies, Liberty Inc still operates in Brisbane today.

On the websites for Liberty Inc and Triumphant Ministries, they're promoting $80/hour counselling for "unwanted same sex attraction", and say "yes, you will change." These are the programs that made me believe I was going to hell for being who I am.

It sickens me knowing that these 'gay conversion' programs are still allowed by law in Australia. In my early twenties, my local pastor coerced me into attending saying homosexuality was a sin and although God loves me, He would have to banish me to hell because of my sin of homosexuality. Then in my thirties, I was told by my pastor when I finally accepted myself as gay that he couldn't have an openly gay person serving in his church. As a result of this, I had to leave my church, my church was more than a Sunday thing to do, it was my Christian family, it was my friends and it was my community, I was devastated by this as I knew no one in the gay world.

For years this mental torture meant I hid my homosexuality. It's been reported in media that for some people it led to them taking their own lives – I too contemplated suicide many times and still need anti-depressants.

The practice is condemned by doctors, health and psychologist organisations around the world – with the Australian Medical Association say they "oppose use of "conversion" therapy that is based upon the assumption that homosexuality is a mental disorder".

But still these organisations are allowed to openly operate and promote their homophobic 'conversion' programs that destroys lives.

I would love to see Queensland Labor ban this practice. There’s NO place for this in our society in 2015, this is based on the idea that homosexuality is a mental illness that can be changed – it's a belief of the 1960’s not today.

Please Premier – ban "gay conversion" programs from operating immediately.