NEWCASTLE'S Anglican leader has backed a push towards banning gay conversion therapies in NSW as the legislation won bipartisan support ahead of the state election.
Anglican Bishop of Newcastle Dr Peter Stuart on Friday commended NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet for announcing his support on Friday for Independent MP Alex Greenwich's bill aimed to wipe out the practice in the state.
Equality Australia legal director Ghassan Kassisieh said Mr Perrottet's support was a "welcome first step".
"It brings NSW into line with other states that are actively exploring ways to end these damaging practices and means that LGBTQA+ people and the voters of NSW can be assured that whoever wins the election will act on this issue," Mr Kassisieh said.
Labor's existing support means the bill, which Mr Greenwich says he intends to introduce during the next term of parliament beyond the March election, has won bipartisan endorsement.
Dr Stuart said there was "no threat to churches preaching and teaching" within the proposed legislation.
"Many of our fellow citizens find their journey of self-discovery about their gender and sexuality deeply demanding," Bishop Stuart said.
"This awareness can turn into a nightmare when they are challenged by their families, culture, or religion. The dark face of this challenge is conversion therapy or conversion practice, which has the explicit and implicit message - you are not wanted for who you are.
"There is enough evidence to show that these conversion practices represent a critical risk to LGBTIQA+ people. Those who have experienced conversion practices speak of the damage done to them, including persistent thoughts of ending their lives."
The Sydney diocese apologised to clergy this week after Southern Cross, the diocese's newspaper, promoted a talk by Ms Ozanne, a gay Anglican and a leading authority on the harms of conversion therapy.
Having attended a conference in March 2021 at the invitation of the Ozanne Foundation's Jayne Ozanne, Dr Stuart said he was shocked at the unwillingness of Sydney's archbishop Kanishka Raffel to listen to Ms Ozanne during her visit to the state capital next month.
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