The Tasmanian Greens have released a consultation draft of the Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill 2026. The Bill proposes to ban practices that seek to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. It creates new criminal offences, gives significant powers to the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, and allows any person to make a report.
Our Position
Women’s Speak Tasmania supports a targeted ban on conversion practices directed at sexual orientation. These practices have a documented history of harm and have no place in Tasmania.
We strongly oppose the inclusion of gender identity in the same legislation.
Why the gender identity provisions are a problem
- The Bill treats gender identity as if it were the same as sexual orientation. It is not. Gender identity is a subjective and often fluid concept, while sexual orientation is a pattern of attraction.
- The Bill makes consent irrelevant. Even if an adult seeks help, or a parent seeks careful clinical exploration for a distressed child, the conduct can still be treated as unlawful.
- Anyone can report a suspected conversion practice. This creates serious risks for parents, teachers, pastors, and health professionals who question or explore a child’s asserted gender identity.
- The Victorian version of this law has already produced a chilling effect on clinicians. Many therapists are now unwilling to provide exploratory care for gender-distressed young people.
- The Bill uses the real historical harm done to same-sex attracted people as justification for adding gender identity provisions. This risks medicalising same-sex attracted youth — especially girls — under the banner of “affirmation.”
What we have done
We have lodged a formal submission with the Greens and circulated it to every Member of the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council. We have also issued a media release outlining our position.
Our primary recommendation is that gender identity be removed entirely from the Bill. If it is retained, strong legal safeguards are essential to protect exploratory clinical care, parental guidance, and support for young people who desist or detransition.