A man holds up a sign that reads “Vote against the change or suppression (conversion) bill” during a protest on 30 January 2021 against legislation to ban gay conversion therapy in Victoria, Australia. (YouTube/7NEWS Australia)
Protestors in Australia have gathered on the steps of Victoria’s parliament to rally against the government’s bill to ban conversion therapy.
The Victorian government introduced legislation to outlaw conversion therapy in November 2020. The bill, approved by the lower house on 10 December, 2020, will impose fines of close to $10,000 or up to 10 years in jail. It now just needs to be passed in the council before it can become law.
Time for humility and a leadership change
February 2, 2021 10.00pm
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The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number.
COLLINGWOOD REPORT
Time for humility and a leadership change
It is deeply shameful that Australia has lost Heritier Lumumba. He represents the Australia we could have: a society where brave, intelligent, articulate deep thinkers with integrity are valued, regardless of their cultural identity.
It is deeply shameful that Eddie McGuire just can’t seem to say “sorry”. But unfortunately he represents the kind of leadership we have at the helm of most sporting, political and business institutions in this country: over-entitled, monocultural human anachronisms. Show some humility, Eddie. Just resign.
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A bill banning gay conversion therapy is all but guaranteed to pass Victorian parliament s upper house after three crossbench MPs indicated they will support it.
Reason Party MP Fiona Patten, Samantha Ratnam of the Greens and Andy Meddick from the Animal Justice Party confirmed on Tuesday they would back the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill in the Legislative Council.
The bill outlaws any therapy that attempts to change or suppress a person s sexual orientation or gender identity and empowers the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission to investigate reports of conversion practices.
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For me, my vote on the conversion practice bill is personal
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By Andy Meddick
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Over 20 years ago, my wife and I welcomed our two wonderful children into the world. We were ecstatic and overwhelmed as new parents. We had a son and a daughter, our little family was finally complete, and we couldnât be happier.
Now, all these years later, who we thought was our son is now our daughter, and who we thought was our daughter is now our son.
The Victorian government will soon be debating a “conversion therapy” bill. It has been introduced in response to reports by people of practices they experienced as harmful and traumatic (at the time or later) which were intended to change their sexual orientation or sexual behaviour from same-sex attracted to opposite sex attracted or suppress the expression of same-sex orientation or behaviour.
Historical practices included invasive and non-consensual medical and psychiatric aversion therapies which were abusive and are no longer practised. According to Attorney-General Jill Hennessy, contemporary change or suppression practices include counselling or psychology, formal behaviour-change programs, residential camps, support groups, and religious-based approaches like prayer and deliverance. These contemporary practices are usually sought and consented to by a person who, at the time, wishes to change or manage their sexual desires.