Greens release new legislation to ban conversion therapy in Tasmania

The Tasmanian Greens have today shared draft legislation to ban sexual and gender orientation conversion practices — otherwise known as conversion therapy — in Tasmania.

The legislation was announced in a media release today by Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP, the leader of the Tasmanian Greens. Per the ABC, the Greens are hoping to put the proposed bill to a vote in September this year.

Per Amnesty, conversion therapy includes “formal therapeutic and informal practices that target LGBTQA+ people with the false ideology that their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender and sexual expression can be changed or suppressed”.

Historically one of Australia’s most discriminatory states in relation to LGBTQIA+ rights, Tasmania is now one of the most progressive. However, all states and territories in Australia bar Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania have now banned conversion therapy, making advocates in the southernmost state concerned they will be on the back foot of progress once again.

Related content:

• Conversion therapy and turning gay shame into pride on ABC’s Compass
• International Day to End Conversion Therapy
• It’s time to end conversion practices

Tasmania: From discriminatory to progressive

Tasmania has been one of Australia’s least progressive states in regards to LGBTQIA+ rights. It was condemned by the United Nations in 1994 for its homophobic laws, which finally led to homosexuality being decriminalised in the state in 1997. It was the last Australian state to do so.

Now, advocates and politicians are working hard to counteract the state’s shameful past.

In 2019, Tasmania became the first Australian state or territory to make gender on birth certificates optional. They also were the first state to offer financial compensation and redress to people with historical homosexuality and cross-dressing convictions. And in the midst of rising anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment, Tasmania set tougher penalties for hate crimes in late 2025.

“Tasmania has come such a long way in protecting the rights of LGBTIQA+ people since homosexuality was finally decriminalised in 1999,” Dr Woodruff said in the Greens’ media release. “However, there is still more important work to be done. One of the glaring major areas where reform is needed is that conversion practices remain legal.”

A decade in the making

Tasmania was actually one of the first jurisdictions in the country to raise concerns about conversion practices in 2016. But ten years later, there hasn’t been any headway to date on actually banning it.

In 2022, the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute released a report on conversion practices in Tasmania, finding that they cause “severe harm” to participants and therefore recommending that they should be banned. At the end of 2023, the Rockliff Government drafted legislation for a ban, but advocates argued the bill contained too many loopholes, and it was ultimately scrapped.

At the 2024 state election, the Tasmanian Greens promised to work on conversion therapy ban legislation if the state government itself did not do so. Since then, Dr Woodruff says they have “worked with legal experts, LGBTIQA+ advocates, and people with lived experience to develop our own bill”.

Banning conversion therapy isn’t enough

“The priority of this bill is to stop conversion practices and the harm they cause from happening in the first place by establishing a prevention framework overseen by the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner. However, we recognise this alone isn’t enough,” Dr Woodruff said in the release.

In addition to banning conversion practices, the bill also seeks to cut out loopholes included in previous draft legislation — for instance, making it illegal to take a person to another state for conversion therapy.

“Like in other areas of law, there needs to be consequences for people who disregard the rules and who cause harm to others. As such, the legislation creates a range of criminal offences relating to the actions of undertaking and promoting conversion practices.”

 

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The Greens plan to take the bill to a vote in September of this year — but before they do that, they are inviting members of the community to have their say on the bill, “to ensure it is as robust and widely supported as possible”.

Major party leaders and many independents support a ban on conversion practices, which proves hopeful for the Greens’ new bill.

“We look forward to hearing perspectives from the community, stakeholders, and other MPs on this important legislation, and are committed to working collaboratively to progress it through the Parliament,” Dr Woodruff said.

1 in 20 young Tasmanians have been through conversion practices

“Conversion practices are cruel and futile quackery that inflict deep damage,” Equality Tasmania spokesperson Rodney Croome said.

“National and Tasmanian research shows one in twenty LGBTIQA+ young people have been through conversion practices, and they are three to four times more likely to have PTSD and attempt suicide than other LGBTIQA+ young people who already have elevated levels of mental health risk.”

“This is why conversion practices are condemned by all reputable health organisations in Tasmania and nationally. Although we have been calling for reform since 2016, Tasmania has now fallen behind other states and risks becoming a haven for conversion practices unless we act quickly.”

“We have worked closely with the Greens on this bill and believe it is the nation’s most comprehensive and effective conversion legislation. The bill builds on the recommendations of the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute and draws on best practice from other states to create the nation’s most comprehensive and effective legislation.”

“We urge interested parties to submit their views on the bill during the consultation period ahead of parliamentary debate later this year.”