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Gay conversion protest

By on September 21, 2009

About 20 people staged a protest outside a ‘gay conversion’ conference in Mitcham, a suburb in Melbourne’s east, on Saturday.
They waved placards that read “Hands off queer kids” and “You can’t straighten me out”, and had a heated debate with organisers about whether it’s possible to become straight.
Former lesbian Shirley Baskett, one of the speakers, told the Herald Sun she wanted to help the 25 conference participants choose the right path.
“It can be very confusing to have these feelings,” she said.
“We are giving troubled church members a place to speak about what they are going through. It’s about choosing Jesus and combating same-sex attraction.”
But gay rights campaigner and protest organiser Tim Wright said the conference was destructive.
“Teaching young people to suppress their sexuality and pretend to be straight is detrimental to their well-being. It creates false hopes and encourages further self-loathing. If their church won’t accept them for who they are, they should find a church that does,” he said.
“The idea that you can convert gays to heterosexuality belongs in the past. It has been completely discredited by science, yet a small handful of fanatics continue to advance it.
“It’s not likely that the conversion movement will ever gain traction in Australia as it has in the United States, but this event is a reminder that we must remain vigilant.”

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10 Comments

  1. Ronson (Katoomba)

    September 21, 2009 at 10:57 am


    Thank you to the 20 or so people who the time to protest.

  2. Bertha

    September 21, 2009 at 1:24 pm


    These churches need to focus on the sexual abuse of people from within their own ranks and properly compensating the people that they have sexually abused in the past.

  3. Dave

    September 21, 2009 at 5:10 pm


    Thanks guys you all saved lives!

  4. Damien

    September 21, 2009 at 10:33 pm


    I find it scary that this sort of claptrap is still going on – we’re living in 2009 for heaven’s sake!

    Thanks to Tim Wright and those who protested this noxious, clandestine & ill informed rat pack.

  5. Ross

    September 22, 2009 at 11:06 am


    This is absolutely ridiculous!

    Choose Jesus and combat same sex attraction?

    HOMOSEXUALITY IS NOT A CHOICE! We are born gay, we will be gay until we die.

    If we weren’t gay, why would we go to so much trouble, Being a hetrosexual is much easier, but it doesn’t work!

    They should consider all their homosexual priests that have abused kids over the decades before they open their mouths about changing us! They chose Jesus, and still they are gay.

    SAME SEX ATTRACTION IS NOT A CHOICE IT’S WHO WE ARE. YOU BIGOTED, HOMOPHOBIC WASTE OF SPACE!

  6. Ben

    September 22, 2009 at 12:19 pm


    Even if homosexuality is a choice, you cannot impose your own personal views on another individual if they are causing no harm. Why do we need to constrain peoples choices, why is society so hung up on conformity?

    Tim wright “If their church won’t accept them for who they are, they should find a church that does”
    Perhaps the out date view points fostered by outdated beliefs systems need to stop, perhaps church is the problem.

  7. Paul

    September 22, 2009 at 12:33 pm


    Ross,

    Agreed except that homosexual priests don’t abuse children. Those priests are paedophiles.

  8. Brendan of Wollongong NSW

    September 22, 2009 at 3:17 pm


    Flanders “Re-Neducation” hits Melbourne – serenity now!

    Attempts to re-program the sexuality of emotionally vulnerable people are a perversion of original Christianity and a psychological malpractice fraught with risk.

    Typical religious claptrap. Use paternalism to exploit human frailty. Give unqualified opinions as “solutions” even when evidence shows this can make lives worse.

  9. Chillisauce100

    September 24, 2009 at 12:17 pm


    Ross said;

    “They should consider all their homosexual priests that have abused kids over the decades before they open their mouths about changing us”

    They have changed you Ross – they have made you believe that homosexuals abuse kids – kids includes both sexes.

    Are you a homosexual Ross? Do you abuse kids?

    Most child abuse occurs in the context of incest.

    That fact is ignored by the religious organisations, governments and the media.

    We should not ignore it.

  10. Johnatsydney

    September 26, 2009 at 5:34 pm


    Another example of how irrelevant and out of touch ALL religions are when it comes to G&L issues. Anyone who chooses to continue to support religions which clearly hate and despise us as a group are only contributing to this type of clap trap and nonsense. Why not accept the reality of our existance and lead a good life without beleif in a god/gods?

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