Update: SA Passes Ban On Conversion Therapy, Catholics Think It Restricts Religious Rights, Activists Say It’s Not Good Enough
South Australia has passed a law banning conversion therapy. This has sparked discussion, with some religious leaders saying the new rules affect parents’ rights and religious freedoms. But LGBTQIA+ activists say the bill doesn’t stop conversion therapy and will do more harm than good.
The Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill was introduced by SA’s Malinauskas Government to stop what they call an “ugly practice” across the state.”
However, religious think tank, Freedom For Faith, says the bill will limit parents’ rights, and stop faith-based schools from teaching their beliefs.
Mark Fowler, a law professor at Catholic University, Notre Dame, thinks state governments haven’t looked at these laws closely enough. He says, “People are starting to see how these laws can limit parents’ rights and affect religious groups and schools.”
But the government stands by its decision. They say the bill will “protect religious beliefs while stopping the harm of conversion practices.”
However, some religious groups support the ban. Sarah Moffat from Adelaide Archdiocese says, “The Church supports banning conversion practices.
Meanwhile, veteran LGBTQIA+ rights campaigner, Rodney Croome, has posted to X: “Why is Equality Australia welcoming low-quality LGBTIQA+ law reform when we should and could have better? For example, Equality Australia says the SA conversion bill is “a good start”, but survivor advocates say it “will do more harm than good”.
Survivor groups claim the South Australian bill is flawed and will fail to stop conversion practices. They say the South Australian Government ignored survivor’s voices. And this has led to dangerous loopholes in the law. Advocates demand the premier consult with key survivor advocates and amend the bill.
“The definition of conversion practises in the Bill tells us that the government does not understand how conversion practises works,” says Russell Hoile, an Adelaide conversion survivor advocate. “It will embolden people and groups who engage in conversion practises. It is not fair for the Government to ask us to welcome this bill,” he says.
National conversion survivor advocate Nathan Despott added: “This would not have happened if the South Australian government had listened to survivors and leading experts about what an effective prohibition against conversion practice looks like.”
