Conversion therapy ban by early next year, Govt says

WELLINGTON: The Government has revealed its plans to ban conversion therapy by early 2022 ‘‘at the latest’’.

The legislation is almost certain to pass because it has the support of Labour, the Greens and National.

The Green Party is claiming yesterday’s announcement by the Government as a win, as rainbow spokeswoman Elizabeth Kerekere said the timeline was due to the pressure of a 150,000strong petition, calling for urgency in banning the harmful practice.

Justice Minister Kris Faafoi said yesterday the Government planned to bring legislation to Parliament by the middle of the year, which would result in conversion therapy being outlawed by the end of this year, or by February 2022.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had said earlier this month that the legislation would be before Parliament this year, but she provided no timeline.

Ms Kerekere said it was the petition that had put pressure on the Government to bring forward the process of banning conversion therapy.

‘‘Waiting until the end of the year to introduce legislation was never acceptable.’’

She said the Greens were still being contacted by people who believed the process should begin even sooner, but the party was ‘‘very, very happy’’ to see the process brought forward by six months.

‘‘In the time it takes to pass law, that timeline would have meant the practice was legal right up until late 2022 . . . two more years of torture for our rainbow community that was entirely avoidable.’’

Conversion therapy is based on a belief that people with sexual orientations or gender identities outside heteronormative standards are abnormal and should be changed so they fit within those standards.

Ms Kerekere said conversion therapies were also practised within other communities, such as in the disabled community, and she was hoping to work with the disability sector to ensure their voices were also heard.

Mr Faafoi said the Government dealing with conversion therapy in its first year clearly showed it was a priority.

It had also been in Labour’s election manifesto last year.

Mr Faafoi described conversion therapy as ‘‘cruel and damaging practices’’ which could lead to ‘‘coercion and mental abuse’’ in the misguided view that a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity needed to be ‘‘cured’’.

He said there was no medical basis for conversion practices and, on the contrary, they could cause ‘‘real and lasting damage’’.

The Ministry of Justice was working to draw up law creating a new offence prohibiting the practice, which would involve defining conversion therapy and determining whether it would be regulated by civil law as well as criminal law.

There would be opportunities for public submission and scrutiny throughout the committee process.