NSW – backroom deals and dirty politics

The NSW Labor government passed its Conversion Practices Ban Bill on 22nd March after forcing MPs to debate through the night. The Bill includes prison sentence and large fines for anyone engaging in ‘conversion practices’ to change or suppress someone’s sexual orientation or ‘gender identity’.

We know only too well how this goes. This legislation aims to promote gender identity while hiding behind the idea that gays and lesbians are at risk from ‘conversion’ practices. These practices are outlawed under other legislation and there is little evidence this is happening in Australia. Instead, the Bill seeks to cement the medical affirmation model as the default for young people and to close down anyone who recommends more of a ‘watchful waiting’ approach for children and young people who are gender confused. LGBA are deeply disturbed by the artificial time constraints imposed on the passage of the Bill as well as the back room deals that went on to ram this Bill through. Given the NHS’s recent decision to ban puberty blockers and the whistleblower expose of the WPATH files, it’s clear that many NSW politicians are ignoring mounting evidence that medicalising young people is harmful and unsafe. While children in the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Finland are being further protected from medical harm, Australian children, many of who will grow up to be gay are facing heterosexualising conversion therapy.