Women Speak Tasmania has lodged a formal submission on the Tasmanian Greens’ Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill 2026 and provided copies to every Member of the Tasmanian Parliament.
The organisation supports a targeted prohibition on conversion practices directed at sexual orientation but strongly opposes the inclusion of gender identity within the same legislative framework.
The submission argues that coercive attempts to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation have caused genuine harm and should be prohibited. However, it warns that applying the same legal framework to gender identity would create significant unintended consequences for clinical care, parents and vulnerable young people.
Dr Elizabeth Caballero, President of Women Speak Tasmania and a retired General Practitioner, said the Bill should distinguish between sexual orientation and gender identity.
“We support a clear ban on practices that try to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation. Those practices are harmful and have no place in Tasmania.
“What we cannot support is extending the same law to gender identity. Doing so will restrict legitimate clinical care, put parents and health professionals at legal risk, and risk medicalising same-sex attracted young people—especially girls.”
Dr Caballero said the Bill’s gender identity provisions went far beyond what was necessary and ignored emerging clinical evidence.
“The Victorian experience has already shown a chilling effect. Clinicians are refusing to provide exploratory therapy because they fear being accused of conversion practices.
“The Cass Review and health authorities in several European countries have moved away from routine medicalisation of gender-distressed children in favour of comprehensive psychological assessment. Tasmania should not repeat Victoria’s mistakes.”
Women Speak Tasmania’s submission calls on Parliament to remove gender identity from the Bill while retaining protections against genuine conversion practices directed at sexual orientation.
“This is not about denying anyone’s distress. It is about ensuring that children and adolescents experiencing gender-related distress receive comprehensive assessment rather than being funnelled towards a single treatment pathway.
“A good law protects same-sex attracted people from coercive conversion practices without restricting evidence-based clinical care or harming gender-distressed children.”
Women Speak Tasmania has provided its submission to every Member of the House of Assembly and Legislative Council ahead of the August parliamentary sittings and is calling on Parliament to amend the Bill by removing the gender identity provisions.
ENDS
Media Contact:
Dr Elizabeth Caballero
President, Women Speak Tasmania