The WA Government has yet to act on banning practices that seek to change or suppress a person’s gender identity or sexual identity.

Despite committing to passing legislation if re-elected in 2025, the Cook Labor Government has not followed through, seven months in.

According to research published in the Sexuality Research and Social Policy Journal, individuals subjected to conversion practices are almost four times more likely to attempt suicide than individuals who were not. 

In 2022, Labor promised legislation after an Inquiry into the Esther Foundation heard conversion practices and other forms of abuse and assault had occurred, however nearly three years later, this remains on the back burner.

While a spokesperson for the Department of Justice said work is underway on drafting legislation that will make the practices illegal under both criminal and civil law, they remained tight lipped about the deadline and timeframe.

Rainbow Futures chief executive Misty Farquhar said: “Symbolism is not enough, inclusion must be structural, intersectional, and sustained.”

Rainbow Futures has called for the WA Government to be held to account on promises of legislation and to be transparent about progress.

Dr Farquhar said that while more is being invested in the community with the commencement of the LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Strategy in 2024, this investment has taken far too long. 

A spokesperson for Equity Australia said this lack of progress is concerning as WA now lags behind other states, denying survivors the real, meaningful action they deserve.

La Trobe University lecturer and researcher Timothy Jones said conversion practices are not a thing of the past, but a “serious and current problem.”

Having worked on Victoria’s legislation, Dr Jones said legislation needs to contain a strong civil strategy that identifies and acknowledges the “complex nature of harm” conversion practices cause, to facilitate genuine change.

To do this, Dr Jones identified the need for pastoral care guides, to provide resources showing a way forward that isn’t inconsistent with religious beliefs and doesn’t harm people.

Research by Jennifer Power, Timothy Jones, Tiffany Jones and colleagues published in the Medical Journal of Australia found survivors struggle to reconcile sexual and gender diversity with spirituality and religion, while not undermining connection to community and themselves.

Dr Farquhar further addressed the need to elevate voices of people of faith who are allies or members of the LGBTQIA+ community to enable this healthy connection.

They identified concerns with WA’s lack of support services with people specifically trained to identify and help heal the trauma associated with conversion practices.

Many people assume conversion practices only involve formal therapy, such as structured faith‐based programs, the report in the Medical Journal of Australia found.

Informal practices however are much more prevalent. These include friends, family or faith leaders repeatedly telling a member of the LGBTQIA+ community they are damaged and need to be fixed or saved.

This means survivors and mental health practitioners alike may not be able to recognise when conversions practices have occurred, or identify this as a valid cause of trauma.

Dr Farquhar said this would be an essential part of legislation, as a study by Tiffany Jones and colleagues published in the Sexuality Research and Social Policy Journal found people subjected to conversion practices are three and a half times more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder than those who haven’t been.  

As a spokesperson for Equity Australia said, it is essential for the WA Government to follow through on delayed promises to produce real, meaningful action by implementing civil and criminal legislation.

If you or someone you know is struggling, support can be reached at:

Support for LGBTQIA+ people: QLife 1800 184 527 / https://qlife.org.au/ 

Crisis Support: Lifeline 13 11 14 / https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: 13Yarn 13 92 76 /https://www.13yarn.org.au/contact-us-13yarn 

Survivors can get in contact with SOGICE Survivors, a network of survivors and advocates, at https://sogicesurvivors.com.au/get-in-touch/