VICTORIA'S CONVERSION THERAPY LAW EXTENDS BEYOND ABUSE, SAYS INSTITUTE

Victoria's Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act 2021 reaches beyond prohibiting abusive practices into family life, pastoral ministry and personal conversations, according to analysis by The Christian Institute. The law makes it illegal not to affirm a person's declared gender identity, the Institute states. Official state guidance on avoiding prosecution under Victoria's legislation advises parents that supporting a child questioning their gender identity involves asking what pronouns they would like to use, and previously indicated that parents discouraging a child from pursuing puberty blockers could constitute unlawful conversion therapy.

Religious leaders from Anglican, Roman Catholic, Sikh, Hindu and Muslim traditions jointly urged the Victorian Government earlier this year to roll back the law, warning it had produced a "chilling effect" on pastoral care. The Institute notes that guidance issued to religious groups discusses which forms of prayer could risk breaching the legislation, including prayers about sin and repentance. Assault, harassment and child cruelty are already criminal offences under existing law, The Institute observes.

The Government's draft Bill to ban conversion practices in Britain arrives with assurances from supporters that it targets solely abusive conduct against LGBTQ+ people. The Institute argues the substantive question concerns what additional conduct beyond existing criminal offences the Government intends to criminalise. The previous Government spent years attempting to produce a workable Bill before ultimately concluding existing law provided robust protections against abuse and abandoned its conversion therapy ban commitment.