Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader
In the latest in their long line of scare campaigns, the Australian Christian Lobby has attempted to scare MPs into not supporting a ban on conversion practices by sharing the results of a dodgy ‘survey’.
The Australian Christian Lobby have reached new lows, sending false information to Tasmanians that claims “The Tasmanian government is considering new laws to make it illegal for parents or grandparents to question their child’s intention to change gender.”
This is not true. It is not a subjective interpretation. It is a lie.
What has been recommended by the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute, and broadly supported by the Premier, is banning SOGI conversion practices, which are practices that aim to change, suppress or eradicate people’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
This means, for example, subjecting a person to ‘therapy’, ‘counselling’, or ‘treatment’ to change who they are attracted to, or how they feel about or express their gender to others.
This would not make it illegal to talk to or question your child.
In their report, the TLRI makes it clear that parents “expressing views about sexuality and gender identity, or disapproving of certain sexualities or gender identities, is not, of itself, a conversion practice”.
We are not talking about family discussions – we are talking about forceful or manipulating settings where attempts are made to suppress or eradicate sexual orientation or gender identity.
The evidence is clear that conversion practices not only do not – and cannot – work, but they are also deeply harmful and traumatising.
Parents will not be able to send their children to quacks who purport to be able to change sexuality or gender identities – just like parents cannot send their child to a quack for trepanning or bloodletting.
These are not health practices that work, and they in fact cause harm.
If the Australian Christian Lobby truly believe their position has public support this raises the question, why do they feel the need to lean on such a manifest lie?
We are witnessing the hysterical death throes of an increasingly irrelevant ACL, which is intent on causing as much destruction as it can while it staggers gracelessly into hateful obscurity.