The Greens are so proud our bill to ban harmful conversion practices has passed the Tasmanian House of Assembly. The passage of the bill means protections for LGBTIQA+ people from deliberate attempts to try and change someone’s sexual or gender identity is one step closer to being realised.
This is a result of years of campaigning from the LGBTIQA+ community. Central to the debate were victim survivors who’ve bravely told their stories, and advocates, families and allies of LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians who have spoken up against these devastatingly harmful practices.
Across the chamber, MPs shared personal stories from LGBTIQA+ people who’d been told they’re broken, and that they need to be “fixed”. It had destroyed their self-worth and belonging, led to self-harm and ongoing psychological affects decades later.
This moment has been many years in the making – and has only got this far thanks to the help of legal experts, victim survivors and LGBTIQA+ advocates. We thank all those in the community who have contributed to this bill with their feedback. We especially want to thank all those at Equality Tasmania, and in particular – Rodney Croome, Tasmania’s relentless advocate for inclusion and LGBTIQA+ justice.
We also want to thank the MPs across the political spectrum who engaged with us in good faith on this bill, and supported it to take Tasmania one step closer to becoming a safer, more inclusive place for LGBTIQA+ people.
We look forward to continuing to work in the same positive and collaborative manner with members of the Legislative Council on this bill over the coming weeks. Should this bill pass Tasmania’s Parliament, it will be a powerful demonstration that LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians are respected, supported and loved, just the way they are.
