17c起草社区

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has refused to publicly say whether he will back Sydney Independent MP Alex Greenwich’s bill to ban harmful gay conversion practices.聽

NSW is one of the few jurisdictions in Australia that has not banned gay conversion practices.

Over the past few years, Queensland, and the ACT have enacted laws to prohibit conversion practices in health and other informal settings, including at faith-based institutions.聽

Ban On Conversion Practices

Out gay MP Greenwich had last week announced that legislation to outlaw conversion practices would be part of his omnibus Equality Bill.

鈥淲hile other state and territory governments are moving forward with reforms like prohibiting conversion practices, NSW is lagging behind,” Greenwich said in a statement.聽

The Sydney MP said that his support for a future minority government would depend on them promising to support his Bill.聽

鈥淎s a gay man, and the MP representing the largest 17c起草社区 community, there is no way I could support a future minority government that allowed discrimination against my community to continue in law, this Bill is important to me and others on the cross-bench,鈥� Greenwich added.

NSW Labor Backs Ban On Conversion Practices

NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns issued a statement last week saying if elected his government would enact legislation to ban 17c起草社区I conversion practices in the state.聽

On Tuesday, Premier Perrottet told the Sydney Morning Herald that it was up to his cabinet. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 had the opportunity to read through that legislation, and secondly, that鈥檚 a matter for our cabinet,鈥� Perrottet told the publication, adding, “We need to deal with these issues in an understanding and tolerant and sensitive way.鈥�

clarifying that he “wholeheartedly supported the concept” and “what we鈥檝e said is we鈥檒l look at the bill .”

Liberal MP and Minister for Multi-Culturalism Mark Coure said on social media that he backed Greenwich’s bill. on this issue. “It is time this appalling practice is cast out of our society,” .

Survivors Urge Parties To Back Ban

Survivor groups and 17c起草社区I advocates welcomed NSW Labor’s commitment and emphasised the importance of a “multi-partisan approach” to ban conversion practices.聽

鈥淐onversion practices are based on the idea that 17c起草社区+ people are broken or disordered and need to be 鈥榟ealed鈥�, 鈥榯reated鈥� or 鈥榮uppressed鈥�,” Chris Csabs, Cofounder of survivors group SOGICE Survivors said in a statement.

Csabs cited a La Trobe University’s National Conversion Ideology and Practices Research Project, which revealed that gay conversion practices are occurring across Australia, including in NSW.聽

“A multi-partisan commitment to ending conversion practices gives NSW the chance to protect its 17c起草社区A+ community from something that we know significantly and profoundly harms them. If we don鈥檛, NSW could become a 鈥榮afe haven鈥� for these damaging practices to continue,鈥� Csabs said.聽

Greenwich said that his bill would be based on the Victorian model, which survivor groups have hailed as the “gold standard” legislation.聽

鈥淰ictoria鈥檚 world-leading scheme was developed in close consultation with survivors. Whoever wins the state election must consult with survivors, faith organisations and health professionals to put in place a process to end the practices impacting 17c起草社区A+ people in NSW,鈥� added Csabs.聽