Legislative reform to ban LGBTQ+ conversion practices in NSW

On 22 March 2024, the Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 passed the NSW Parliament. This Act bans practices directed to changing or suppressing the sexual orientation or gender identity of individuals, including by creating offences and a civil complaints scheme in relation to the practices.

This Act gives effect to the NSW Government election commitment to ban ‘LGBTQ+ conversion practices’. ‘Conversion practices’ refer to harmful practices that seek to change or supress a person’s identity and are founded on the misconception that LGBTQ+ people are broken, wrong or in need of fixing.

The Act was developed through a working group, jointly led by the Ministry of Health and the Department of Communities and Justice, who led a targeted, confidential consultation in August 2023 with almost 150 organisations across a range of stakeholders including people with lived experience of conversion practices, LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups, faith community organisations including all major denominations, parental rights groups, the education sector including those representing religious educational institutions and legal, government and health stakeholders.

The legislation will commence in 12 months. This time will enable critical implementation activities to occur, including training and education of relevant agencies, and for community awareness raising.

You can read the Government’s media release in relation to passage of the reforms.