Should the government enact the Draft Conversion Practices Bill?
The government published the Draft Conversion Practices Bill in June 2026. It creates criminal offences for abusive acts intended to change a person's sexual orientation or transgender identity that cause serious harm, alarm or distress. The bill also introduces civil protection orders and an offence for encouraging such practices abroad. It is currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny before potential introduction to Parliament.
16 Opinions
Conversion therapy is bunkum. Absolute quackery. But this bill is badly in need of review. So no.
All the practices that are harmful or abusive are already illegal under other statutes. Moreover this takes choice away from same sex attracted/gender dysphoric people, the number of detransitioners coming out now should kill this legislation dead.
Some of the comments on this topic reveal just why it is necessary to protect people from half baked notions and concepts of what “makes” people gay. As a gay person I simply am gay - end of discussion and no one should have the right to try and force me to be anything else just because they believe something or have ridiculous notions that you can de-gay people. What business is it of one individual to think they should have any say in someone else’s sexual orientation?
The Bill as it stands currently is too broad and includes conflicting situations. Talking therapy for children struggling with puberty would be included, which is not the same as gay teens being pressured into hiding their sexuality.
You cannot change sex/gender. All you can do is chop bits off or add bits on. The bill is not for the LGB community it's for the mentally ill trans people who don't want to be told they cannot change their sex. Wear a dress and makeup if you want but you are not a woman anymore than me in greasy overalls or work boots makes me a man. Trans people need therapy to help them understand they cannot change sex/gender.
This awful bill makes conversation and exploration basically illegal.
Yet again silly theories are reaching into the private affairs of individuals and legislation suggested as the only mechanism to achieve compliance. This would be a gross overstep in an area that deserves little state involvement when much more pressing issues should absorb government time and attention.
The mentally ill need protection from this insidious ideology.
The majority of gay people will tell you that there are many in the gay scene, not because they are gay, but because of some kind of trauma, often sexual abuse or a bad breakup in a relationship. The idea that people are born gay is a myth. Yes, some are, but many have been groomed at a time when they were confused about their sexuality, a stage many teenagers go through.
It’s pretty Draconian and unnecessary. Btw, conversion practices also Act. (2) “Conversion practice” means (subject to subsection (3)) any conduct carried out by a person towards an individual with the intention of— (b) causing the individual— (ii) to believe that they have a transgender identity. Should scare the **** out of anyone trying to indoctrinate a child into denying biological reality!!! Sterilisation of the clinically insane ended nearly 100 years ago.