The Greens’ bill to ban sexual orientation and gender identity conversion practices in Tasmania has been tabled in Parliament. It is the culmination of years of advocacy from LGBTIQA+ community and victim survivors, and widespread consultation. The passing of this legislation would see Tasmania finally joining the majority of other states in ending harmful and sometimes deadly conversion practices.
Tasmania has come a long way in protecting the rights of LGBTIQA+ people since being the last state to decriminalise homosexuality. However, conversion practices that aim to change, suppress or eradicate a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity remain legal. Conversion practices occur in Tasmania and cause devastating long-term impacts for LGBTIQA+ people.
At the 2024 state election, the Greens committed to progress our own legislation to ban conversion practices. Over the last two years, we have worked with legal experts, LGBTIQA+ advocates and people with lived experience, to develop this bill.
We have undertaken an extensive stakeholder and wider public consultation process for the bill, receiving submissions over a period of six weeks. We’ve worked hard to incorporate feedback from advocates, experts and the community.
The bill establishes a framework to prevent conversion practices, overseen by a Conversion Practices Commissioner. Recognising that alone is not an adequate response in cases where people disregard the law and continue to harm others, this legislation also establishes criminal offences for undertaking conversion practices.
We’re proud of the final bill we have tabled, and thank all those who have contributed their voices in its making. Conversion practices should have been banned a long time ago, and this bill is an essential step in Tasmania joining other states to become a safer, kinder and more inclusive place for LGBTIQA+ people.
We look forward to speaking with MPs on the bill over the coming weeks, and hope to debate it in Parliament this year. Given the Premier, Opposition Leader and other members of the Parliament have been champions for equality, we hope this will be a unifying moment and a powerful demonstration of support for LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians.
