Gay conversion survivor warns unless Tasmania bans it outright, ‘treatment’ could take off – ABC News

When Chris Csabs was around 12 years old, he overheard a conversation between two men at his church, recalling a time when a gay man came in off the street for prayer.

The churchgoers were discussing how “seven homosexual demons came out of that man”. 

“I overheard that and thought, ‘maybe I’ve got demons in me’,” Mr Csabs said.

Around 13 years ago, Mr Csabs went through formal and informal conversion practices in Tasmania, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. 

Conversion practices are based on the idea that a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity can be changed, suppressed, or eradicated through practices ranging from psychiatric treatments to spiritual intervention.

Mr Csabs said he was “desperate to fix what was wrong with me, or what I saw as being wrong”.

“The longer I spent in this conversion practices space, the more sick I got, I became very withdrawn, and suffered depression.” 

Three states and territories have passed legislation banning conversion practices — Victoria, Queensland, and the ACT — and legislation has been proposed in other states.

The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute (TLRI) has suggested reforms to Tasmania’s laws around conversion practices. 

Earlier this week, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the government was going to join other states in banning the practice, but legislation is yet to be tabled in parliament. 

Mr Csabs also believes that conversion practices should be banned. 

“As someone who did travel interstate in order to participate in different practices associated with the conversion movement, I do worry about states that seem to be lagging behind with commitment to banning conversion practices, he said. 

“There is a risk for states that are left behind, that they will become places that allow these things to keep going and that it may attract people to these areas if they want to do those sorts of things.”

Catholic leader warns of threat to ‘freedom of speech’ 

In a statement, Hobart Archbishop Julian Porteous expressed “grave concerns” about the scope and reach of the proposed changes in the TLRI report. 

“While the Church is absolutely opposed to any treatments or practices being forced on those experiencing same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria, the definition of a ‘conversion practice’ in the report is so broad and expansive that it would make unlawful, medical and psychological treatments considered by many to be best practice,” Archbishop Porteous said.

Archbishop Porteous said it was also concerning that the report dismissed the idea that “sexuality and gender are rooted in the biological reality of the human person as binary, either male or female”.

“This could lead to legislative changes making it unlawful to express beliefs such as that there is a normative, archetypal sexual orientation and gender identity for each human biological sex,” he said.

“Such a change in the law would have widespread negative consequences for freedom of speech and freedom of religion in our society, but even more importantly would cause harm to the vulnerable seeking help from parents or others.” 

“The Christian understanding of the human person, created male and female in the image and likeness of God, corresponds with biological reality, and therefore is necessary for the flourishing and proper care of individuals, and of society as a whole,” Archbishop Porteous said.

According to the Catholic Church in Tasmania, aiming to prohibit conversion practices could also “ban medical professionals and psychologists from treating vulnerable young people suffering from gender dysphoria”.

“Under the proposed changes, medical professionals and psychologists would be forced to affirm gender dysphoria as normal and healthy, increasing the likelihood a patient would pursue irreversible procedures to ‘transition’ to the opposite sex,” Archbishop Porteous said.

The TLRI report notes that conversion practices were once part of mainstream medicine but are now “firmly rejected by mainstream science and medicine”.

“The United Nations Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination reported that conversion practices are ‘by their very nature, degrading, inhuman and cruel and create a significant risk of torture,” the report stated.

The institute also stated that “LGBTQIA+ attributes are not faults or dysfunctions, conversion practices lack efficacy, and conversion practices involve serious risk of causing serious and lasting harm to those subject to them”.

The vice-president of the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Annette Barratt, welcomed the report and said all recommendations should be implemented. 

“There is absolutely no medical evidence to show that there is any benefit in conversion practices because you’re attempting to medically treat something that isn’t an abnormality.”

Dr Barratt said the suggested changes to legislation would not discourage doctors from treating children with gender dysphoria. 

“A doctor presented with a child with gender dysphoria will explore all of the issues involved in a non-judgemental, open method. As long as the doctor is aware that gender dysphoria and gender identity are not necessarily the same thing.

“And people need to be able to explore the issues related such as a child with gender dysphoria is often depressed or is often anxious, and those areas need to be treated.” 

Tasmania at risk of becoming a ‘dumping ground’ 

Advocates for a ban on gay conversion practices in Tasmania have launched a new petition following the recent release of a TLRI report recommending the government take action.

The petition has been signed by almost 1,000 people since it was listed on the Tasmanian parliament website and is sponsored by Kristie Johnston MHA, independent member for the Hobart seat of Clark.

Equality Tasmania president Rodney Croome said he is hopeful that new legislation will “be in parliament and possibly passed by the end of 2022”. 

“Now that Jeremy Rockliff has committed to a ban on conversion practices in Tasmania, I urge the state government to act quickly.

“If we let this issue drag on into 2023 then we could find ourselves the dumping ground for a whole lot of people who are sent here from interstate to undertake conversion practices and we don’t want that.” 

The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Elise Archer, said the government wants Tasmania to be a place where “everyone feels valued, included, encouraged and supported to be the best they can be”.

“The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute report is very extensive and the premier and I have sought advice from our relevant agencies, as we do with all complex law reform proposals and recommendations,” Ms Archer said.

“We are looking at this as a priority and will release our response in due course.”