On Tuesday 24th September, SA Parliament passed legislation banning conversion practices that attempt to change or suppress a persons sexuality or gender identity.
This represents years of collective advocacy by survivors, LGBTIQA+ communities and allies to put an end to the pain and trauma caused by these harmful practices.
The law imposes criminal penalties for those who engage in conversion practices causing serious harm.
Survivors can also report conversion practices and seek civil redress through the SA Commissioner for Equal Opportunity.
This is a huge first step forward, but isn’t the end. We still need greater investment in counselling and therapeutic supports for survivors of conversion practices, along with increased community education about the damage these practices cause.
We also heard debate about the effectiveness of our existing Equal Opportunity laws, particularly in relation to the ability of 3rd party organisations to make a report of conversion practices or discrimination.
These laws are well overdue for review and we thank the Attorney-General for his commitment made last night to review these laws in the near future.
Big thank you to everyone who supported the passage of the Bill, most importantly local survivors who have worked tirelessly to share their experiences and protect our communities from further harm.
You can download the full transcript of the bill being debated in the Legislative Council (Upper House) by clicking on the image opposite:
For more information read our joint media release with Equality Australia: https://equalityaustralia.org.au/community-welcomes-new…/
