The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has criminalised prayer, preaching or pastoral advice seeks to convince others to live according to biblical sexual ethics.
Under the Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024, which took effect on 4 April, anyone accused of “changing or suppressing” another’s gender identity or sexual orientation could be fined up to $100,000 as part of the civil complaints scheme.
If the person was deemed to cause “substantial” mental or physical harm, they could be sentenced up to five years in prison.
Prayer
In new guidance, the NSW Government confirmed that it could be illegal to advise a same-sex attracted Christian to remain celibate, or to pray for them at their request.
A video publicising the law, released by Anti-Discrimination NSW, states that ‘conversion practices’ could resemble “prayer or pastoral conversation that is intended to change or suppress someone’s gender or sexuality”.
Although the governmental body said it is not illegal “to state what a religion says about a particular topic”, this would not protect anyone who encouraged another to adhere to that belief.
Anti-Discrimination NSW also claims that “numerous faith communities actively support LGBTQA people”, displaying a symbol of the cross next to ‘transgender’ and ‘asexual’ flags.
‘State ideology’
Let Us Pray spokesman Simon Calvert warned: “The video is clear that opinions and conversations that do not conform to state-approved ideology about sex and gender are to be deemed ‘harmful’ and unlawful.
“Under New South Wales’ conversion therapy law, parents could face five years in prison for protecting their children from drugs that are so risky they are banned in the UK, and church leaders could be carted off by the police for praying with a gay person.
“This Easter, many will attend church services seeking prayer and pastoral guidance for all kinds of life questions. The idea that church leaders in Sydney could be prevented by law from encouraging people to embrace the orthodox Christian faith is deeply repressive.
“New South Wales should serve as a warning to the Government here. Some people thought their approach was ‘moderate’. It clearly is not. It shows there is no way to legislate for an activist-approved conversion therapy law without crushing the basic human rights of innocent people.”
‘Proving Tricky’
Last month, The Christian Institute published a report urging the Government to ditch its plans to introduce a new law banning ‘conversion practices’.
‘Proving Tricky’ highlights how a new law could criminalise parents, church leaders and medical professionals, and details how numerous attempts to introduce similar laws across the world have run into a “dead end”.
The Westminster Government has promised to publish its draft conversion practices Bill for England and Wales soon. Labour’s manifesto pledged to introduce “a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, while protecting the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity”.
‘Outrageous’ NI conversion therapy plan could jail parents for opposing child’s ‘sex change’
Scottish Greens push for new law on ‘conversion practices’
Labour MP: ‘Gender-critical groups behind conversion practices’