Tasmanian Law Reform Institute Report on Conversion Practices

A report by the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute includes 16 recommendations to ban sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) conversion practices in Tasmania. AACS is supportive of laws which prevent coercive and harmful practices occurring in health and religious settings where these have been proven to occur.  Our concern is about the far-reaching implications of the Report’s recommendations which could impact freedom of speech, religion and parental rights. 

In our submission to the review we stated that "AACS is concerned that new SOGI conversion practice laws could infringe upon the rights of parents to provide guidance to children in their social, emotional, moral and spiritual development, including the areas of sexuality and gender. Students in our schools must be able to discuss their sexuality or gender identity withschool staff, and staff must be freeto respond to those questions without fear of breaking the law."

If enacted, these proposed reforms would limit:

- the freedom of parents, religious schools and churches to teach their beliefs about gender and sexualiity.

- the freedom of parents and health practitioners’ to provide the best care options for their children and patients options

AACS urges the Tasmanian Government to guarantee that the freedom of thought, conscience and religious beliefis protected so that parents and teachers can continue to teach children a Biblical sexual ethic and a biological view of gender.

You can sign a petition on the Tasmanian Parliament website HERE

You can also send a message to your political representatives at our Campaigns page HERE