Conversion Therapy forum staged in Hobart

Forum convener Isla MacGregor of the Tasmanian Free Speech Alliance. Picture by Ben Seeder

A forum in parliament to discuss a proposed ban on gender identity conversion therapy has heard that Tasmanians should be free to seek therapy, while a Sydney psychologist questioned the wisdom of allowing children to make their own choices in gender transition.

The forum, which had been lambasted by Greens leader Cassy O’Connor as a meeting of “transphobes”, was organised by the Tasmanian Free Speech Alliance in response to a May report of the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute that recommended a ban on conversion practices.

Speaking at the event was University of Sydney psychologist, Dr Dianna Kenny, who said it was critical that practitioners made sure that those with gender identity issues fully understood the consequences of gender transition that was often irreversible.

“Even very intelligent and well-informed minors are not mature enough in their cognitive and emotional and social development to fully comprehend the meaning and consequences of gender transition,” she said.

Some of those consequences included “infertility, sexual disfunction, complications of hormone treatments and lifelong patienthood,” she said.

One young Tasmanian man, thirty year-old Samuel Matuszek, said he experienced gender dysphoria in his teens.

“I actually hated the fact that I was born a male,” he told the audience.

He said therapy and counseling later helped answer many questions about himself and gave him hope for the future.

“It amazes me that we live in an age of body positivity and acceptance but suddenly on this topic [of discussion about gender identity issues] we see the exact opposite,” he said.

The forum also discussed issues of free speech, and heard that issues of gender identity are becoming much harder to debate in Australian society.

Forum convener Isla MacGregor said debate was urgently needed in situations where the rights of different groups clashed – but instead, debate is being shut down by “cancel culture” and “no platforming”.

“People in Tasmania are not free to discuss these issues, there is a high level of level of fear and intimidation, even from within families,” she said.

“When you ask people like Cassy O’Connor questions about things like this, she just blithely responds ‘oh you’re transphobic’ – so we’ve had public debate reduced to slurs and slogans and threats of intimidation and cancellation,” Ms MacGregor said.

She pointed out that she has been “uninvited” on two separate occasions from speaking on gender identity issues in Hobart in recent years.

Another participant at the forum was Jess Hoyle, who said her attempts to organise monthly meetings for gay and lesbian Launcestonians had run afoul of the state’s 2019 sex self identification legislation.

“The self-ID laws are harmful to the rights of gays and lesbians – I could have a man come to the meeting and demand to enter because he says he self-identifies as a woman and as a lesbian,” she said.

Attending the forum were a number of Liberal Party MPs, but none from either opposition party attended, said Member for Bass, Lara Alexander, who helped organise the forum.

Source: The Examiner

https://www.examiner.com.au/story/7993693/conversion-therapy-forum-staged-in-hobart