Advocates Ask For Anti-Gay Conversion Therapy Ban In South Australia

Queer advocates in South Australia are again calling for their state government to ban conversion therapy practices, following recent laws passed by the NSW Parliament.

Premier of South Australia Peter Malinauskas has continuously affirmed his support for the banning of conversion therapy practices since his election in 2022. However, groups like the SA Rainbow Advocacy Alliance (SARAA) are continuing to ask the South Australian government to formally ban the practice in Parliament.

In 2021, a survey conducted by SARAA showed that outlawing practices that attempt to change gender identities and sexuality was the most important issue for members of the LGBTQIA+ community in South Australia, with 85% of respondents labelling the issue as “very important.” 

In a statement to the Star Observer, SARAA said: “SARAA is calling for the South Australian Government to bring an end to conversion practices in South Australia in 2024, with formal public consultation to be undertaken prior to the development of proposed legislation.

“The legislation needs to ensure that there are no loopholes that would allow these practices to continue to negatively impact LGBTIQA+ people.

“We have been raising the matter with decision makers and expressing the need to listen to survivors’ lived experience. SARAA has been educating the broader community that these practices still occur, what it looks like and the devastating impacts it can have on our community. 

An anonymous testimony on SARAA’s website from a lesbian woman in South Australia on speaks powerfully to the need for a ban. She said: “I grew up in the church [where I] tried and failed to repress my sexuality. 

“The teachings made me hate myself. No matter how much I prayed, I couldn’t change.” 

SARAA strongly believes that these laws need to be changed urgently, and that ongoing support for survivors and investigations into conversion therapy are necessary for the ban to be fully effective. They encourage South Australian residents to stay informed through their website and mailing list, as well as to sign the petition to bring the matter to Parliament. 

Conversion therapy recently banned in NSW

NSW Premier Chris Minns announced on the morning of March 22nd that the NSW Government had banned all conversion therapy practices. 

The Conversion Practices Ban Bill 2024 makes all practices that target individuals on the basis of their sexuality or gender identity in an attempt to change them completely illegal in the state.  

Conversion therapy has already been banned in two prior states. Queensland outlawed the practices in August 2020, while Victoria banned them in February 2021.

Meanwhile, the governments of Western Australia and Tasmania have made commitments to outlaw conversion therapy practices.