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WA: Defending the freedom to change identity

For several months our campaign to educate the Christian public about the draconian Victorian ‘gay conversion’ law flew below the radar. But not anymore.

LGBTQ activists spotted an invitation on the Albany Baptist Church’s Facebook page, sparking a minor media frenzy. When the media realised that this was probably our 20th presentation, they falsely labelled it as our ‘gay conversion therapy roadshow’!

It all began in the lead up to the March state election. Labor said it was committed to banning ‘gay conversion’ therapy. LGBTQ activists were lobbying Labor to introduce legislation similar to the Victorian Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act 2021.

I wrote to Labor Premier, Mark McGowan in December, seeking a commitment to rule out introducing Victorian style ‘gay conversion’ laws. He refused.

The Queensland, ACT and Victorian ‘anti conversion’ laws are built on the lie that it is impossible for gender dysphoric and same-sex attracted persons to ever change from that identity.

The Victorian law is the most draconian: It makes you a criminal if you pray for someone – even at their request – that God might help them overcome their same sex attraction or their gender dysphoria!

Parents who won’t go along with their 5-year-old transitioning to a non-biological gender face losing their child to the foster care system, because they are deemed to be engaging in domestic violence. It prohibits anyone helping a person to move away from their LGBTQ identity.

The Victorian Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act 2021 is the most freedom-destroying piece of legislation ever to come before an Australian parliament.

So, ACL partnered with James Parker – a former gay activist and founder of True Identity International – and set about offering churches a public presentation on the implications of the Victorian law. Many churches invited us.

I usually presented an explanation of the history, the content, and the dishonest foundations of the Victorian legislation. James always shared his own journey of transformation. Several others who had left behind their LGBTQ identity and had found new hope and direction, shared their testimonies.

Those testimonies are powerful! Everyone who hears them is confronted afresh with the reality that God is still about the business of restoring lives! They powerfully demonstrate that it is a lie that “it is always harmful” to help a person who no longer wants to identify as LGBTQ to achieve the gender identity or sexual orientation of their choice.

Their stories echo the stories of hundreds of former LGBTQ people which can be found on websites such as truelove.is and Freetochange and many others.

What struck me about all of the testimonies was that no one pressured these people to change. They all came to the realisation that their mental health had spiralled downward, their life was in a mess, and that they wanted to leave their LGBTQ identity behind. They made that decision without any pressure from anyone. Once they had made that decision, they sought out help. The help they received was critically important to them regaining mental health and new hope and direction.

We are committed to fighting for the rights of people who no longer want to identify as LGBTQ to continue to be allowed to access whatever help they believe will help them achieve the sexual orientation or gender identity that they desire.

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