Gay Conversion Therapy Has Been Outlawed In Victoria After Mammoth Debate

Politicians have united to outlaw gay conversion therapy in Victoria.

After a mammoth debate, the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020 has passed the Upper House.

The piece of legislation passed through Victoria's parliament 27 votes to nine after a 12-hour sitting in the Legislative Council.

Liberal MPs Bev McArthur and Bernie Finn broke ranks with their party to cross the floor and vote against the government's legislation.

The law now carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in jail or fines of up to $10,000 for another found trying to suppress or change another person's sexuality or gender identity.

The caveat in the legislation is that the victim will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the therapy caused serious injury.

The bill also gives more powers to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) and will allow matters be referred to police.

After the bill passed through the Upper House, Victorian politicians said it was a brilliant step forward.

Leader of the Victorian Greens Samantha Ratnam wrote on Twitter: "So proud to support this reform and feeling so happy for LGBTQ+ people across Victoria tonight. This is one more step in the fight for full equality."

The Victorian Parliament's only openly gay MP, Harriet Shing, added: "It was hard, and it was full of pain and distress. But we did it. And we got there together. Thank you for making me brave. I hope I did you proud."

The legislation did face some backlash from legal experts and religious leaders who were worried the law could implicate parents or guardians.

Bishop Brad Billings of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne said in a statement to AAP: "[The bill] has some potentially serious unintended consequences in respect to fundamental human rights such as the freedom of speech, the protection of religious belief and freedom of conscience.

"It potentially criminalises the provision of pastoral care and may limit the ability of parents to guide their children."

The Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) supported the ban on conversion therapy, however president Tania Wolff and chief executive Adam Awty wrote in a letter to the Justice Department that there were some hangups about the wording.

"[We] understand that the Bill does not seek to preclude guidance, counselling or general parental conversations between children, their parents and other family members in relation to gender identity or sexual orientation," they wrote.

However, the majority of politicians supported the legislation as is.

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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