Labour promises to ban conversion therapy

WELLINGTON: Labour will ban conversion therapy, work with schools to provide gender neutral bathrooms and make sure healthcare is responsive to the needs of trans, intersex and genderdiverse people if it is elected.

In addition, it will invest $4 million in existing Rainbow youth mental health services and review adoption and surrogacy policies with a view to removing discriminatory practices.

Labour Rainbow spokesman Tamati Coffey said yesterday the party was ‘‘relentlessly proud to support Rainbow communities’’ and had a plan to keep moving towards a more inclusive New Zealand.

‘‘Labour has a proud track record on advancing equal rights.

‘‘We’ve also made good progress this term by wiping historic homosexual convictions, providing additional funding for targeted mental health support and HIV research, and lifting the cap on gender confirmation surgeries.

‘‘We will pass a law to ban the harmful practice of conversion therapy.

He said conversion therapy was based on the misguided idea that people were wrong or broken because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and this was ‘‘fundamentally wrong’’.

‘‘Conversion therapy has been linked to severe adverse mental health issues, including depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.

‘‘That’s why it will be banned under a reelected Labour government.

Green Party rainbow issues