Monday 3 September 2018

PM Morrison ignores pressure to act on gay conversion therapy


Pressure has been mounting for some time now from LGBT people for authorities to do something about the proliferation of gay conversion therapy in Australia. Surveys amongst the LGBT have put the issue as the highest level of concern in Australia. More often than not the conversion therapies are run by religious organisations that escape secular scrutiny.

 If anyone was thinking our new Pentecostal prime minister Morrison was actually going to give a flying fuck about the concerns of LGBT people, then that possible perception has come crashing down in a heap. Particularly quickly I might add. No, Morrison isn't on our side at all. Apparently our LGBT values aren't shared by him.

 Morrison has made it clear that he has no concerns about the issue, declaring it a non-issue for him, and he's not planning on addressing what he regards as a non-issue. In other word he's quite happy with things as they are, with young and vulnerable LGBT Australians being driven to suicide because they can't be converted from their being gay.

 Given Morrison's record on treatment of children in Australia's offshore gulags, I guess it doesn't come as a surprise that he doesn't care about young LGBT people. I know "evil" is a human word dreamed up about the invisible sky man, but on this occasion (given Morrison being Pentecostal) I think the word "evil" is a fitting critique of him, in a language he understands.

 You can sign the petition against gay conversion therapy in Australia here. 
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he has no desire to get involved in a debate on gay 'conversion' therapy, declaring it is not an issue for him and that people should "make their own choices about their own lives".

 Mr Morrison's comments came after churches, health experts and Amnesty International threw their weight behind calls for a national inquiry into the matter, warning Australia's new Pentecostal Prime Minister that such practices can be fatal for LGBTI Christians.

 With a federal election on the horizon, a coalition of survivors, pastors and community advocates have also called for greater powers for health and consumer watchdogs, tougher regulations for counsellors, and a public health and awareness campaign.

 The calls were made in a 43,000-strong petition sent to Mr Morrison and Labor leader Bill Shorten over the weekend.

 However, when 3AW's Neil Mitchell asked Mr Morrison about that matter on Monday, the Prime Minister replied: "It's not an issue I'm focused on at all."

 "I think people should make their own choices about their own lives," Mr Morrison said.

 "I've never been involved in anything like that, I've never supported anything like that. It's just not an issue for me, and I'm not planning to get engaged in the issue. People should abide by the law and people should respect everybody else's choices, faiths, sexuality, and lifestyle." Sydney Morning Herald
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)