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Ashlyn Vice, ACL State Director for South Australia, issued a press release recently calling out the latest draconian move by the left and LGBTQI+ activists.

We need to pray and act (write to your local member etc.) on this critical issue. This bill is an attack on sanity, free speech, and being able to share the hope of the Gospel.

The press release is reproduced here in full, with [comments]:

The South Australian Labor Government tabled a Conversion Practices Bill in the House of Assembly to ban so-called “conversion therapy”.

A ban on “conversion practices” has long been pushed for by LGBTQI+ activists including the South Australian Rainbow Advocacy Alliance, with Victoria and NSW having introduced similar legislation in 2021 and 2024.

SA Director of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), Ashlyn Vice, says conversion therapy bans double down on an “affirmation-only” approach to conversations about gender and sexuality. [This is where free speech is being limited]

“We have seen in Victoria and NSW that conversion bans have nothing to do with extreme and obsolete practices such as electroshock therapy, which don’t happen in Australia. Instead, they seek to silence well-meaning Australians who would provide advice based on traditional views of gender and marriage,” Vice said.

Spurious Grounds

Announcing the Bill yesterday, Attorney General Kyam Maher labelled conversion therapy an “ugly practice”, but according to Vice, Maher has been “unable to demonstrate what these ugly practices are that are occurring in SA, nor why the Bill should limit speech when a person voluntarily seeks advice”.

“The ACL is disappointed to see the introduction of this Bill, particularly as it has a civil redress scheme and does not have consent as a defence — meaning conversations may later be the subject of complaint even if advice was voluntarily sought by that person at the time.” [Again, this is contrary to what actually happens and makes all Christian workers potentially liable for simply helping people]

Vice continued, “This Bill is preferable to its Victorian and NSW counterparts insofar as it offers some genuine protections for parents and for expressions of religious belief. This Bill bans conversations or actions which constitute a ‘sustained effort’ or occur more than once.”

“However, the ACL contends this Bill is unnecessary and puts religious communities in a tricky situation. For example, churches who wish to run courses on a Biblical sexual ethic are left questioning whether they can and what the consequences might be.”

The ACL is making submissions to the government, stressing the importance of everyday Australians’ freedom to offer advice and counsel in accordance with traditional views on sexuality and gender.

“More and more children are being taught confusing gender ideology these days. We cannot afford to stifle free speech on this issue,” Vice said.

For our South Australian supporters, please write to your State MPs and all the legislative council members.

We appreciate your prayers on this issue. Please support the ACL in its work to deal with this bad law.

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Image courtesy of Adobe.