The Australian Christian Lobby has condemned the Andrews government’s Change and Suppression (Conversion) Prohibition Bill, noting that it is built on lies.
“The biggest lie relates to the existence of coercion and abuse in this area. Those practices are not happening in Australia, as already noted by other state governments. The Bill digs up relics of the past as an excuse to ban innocent practices like the teaching of Scripture, friends praying for each other, and parents affirming their kids’ biology, to name a few,” said ACL managing director, Martyn Iles.
“The Bill lies about the existence of LGBT people who want to embrace their faith and live according to the standards of their faith. The Bill guarantees they cannot seek voluntary pastoral support, pretending these Australians do not exist.
“The Bill lies about who is converting who. A child may be introduced to the idea of gender fluidity and encouraged to explore transgender identity, but a parent cannot then affirm the same child in their biological sex. That parent risks becoming a family violence offender under this Bill.
“The growing phenomenon of ‘transgender regret’ demonstrates that changing gender is not a one-way street. This bill cultivates falsehoods around this legally fraught and very important social policy issue.
“The PR around this Bill lies about its true effect. Its main effect will be to ban such benign things as Scripture, prayer (which is specifically listed in the Bill), voluntary support groups, and a host of other things. The bill is an insult to the notions of tolerance and diversity.
“I wish this statement was satire or exaggerated, but it is not. This Bill would make the Soviets blush – it is by far the worst and most flagrant attack on basic freedom this country has ever seen,” said Mr Iles.
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