Conversion therapy still legal in WA despite promises to ban it, drawing concerns for the LGBTQIA+ community

ABC NEWS (Australia)

It has been more than a year since the WA government promised to outlaw conversion therapy. But the practice, often led by religious organisations, remains legal.

Transcript

00:00 Tiger Bird wears the rainbow flag in their hometown with pride.

00:07 I officially came out probably when I left Albany, because you just, just no one came out in Albany.

00:13 Tiger is back in Albany after moving to Perth before coming out.

00:17 Hate speech on social media and pride banners going missing here are seen as evidence of homophobia.

00:24 And Tiger still feels the effects of a conversion therapy roadshow held here a few years ago.

00:30 It just became this really big thing and it was sort of like, you know, we had protests

00:37 and there was lots of people who went to these protests, but there was just as many people who were

00:41 for this weird sort of conversion therapy roadshow.

00:46 Conversion therapy is based on the idea sexual orientation or gender identity can be changed

00:52 through practices ranging from psychiatric treatments to spiritual intervention.

00:58 The WA government promised to ban it in 2022, but it remains legal in this state.

01:04 Well, we continue to look at how we can legislate to make sure that gay conversion therapies

01:09 practices are outlawed in Western Australia.

01:12 It's very difficult to define in a statutory sense because you have to actually define

01:16 what a therapeutic activity is.

01:18 Despite that statutory difficulty, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT have passed legislation

01:24 banning conversion practices.

01:26 The fact that it's still not illegal astounds me, astounds me.

01:31 The issue will be a big topic at Albany's Pride Festival this month.

01:35 Got lots of drag stuff as well because that's always popular, a few sporting events and

01:41 of course a good old party as well.

01:43 Tiger and their friends will be using the celebration to urge the government to follow

01:47 the example set in other jurisdictions.

01:49 restrictions.

01:49 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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