‘Validated’ - Activist welcomes conversion practices ban

February 16, 2022

The vast majority of MPs voted in favour of the bill.

An activist who has been pushing for the banning of conversion practices in New Zealand for years is welcoming an upcoming change in the law.

On Tuesday night, almost all MPs voted in support of the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill at third reading. The bill would ban practices that would suppress a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Shaneel Lal, leader of End Conversion Therapy NZ, said the bill’s passing wasn’t just a win for the Rainbow community, but “a win for humanity”.

“This is something that’s very personal to me as well. When I was a young child, my community was given the choice of picking between their church and their child. I wish that they saw the broken heart of the child and picked me.”

When Lal was volunteering at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital at 17, they said they were approached by a church leader who offered to “pray [the] gay away”.

When Lal refused, they said the church leader told them they would end up in hell.

“At 17, the idea of going to hell scared me. At 22, it makes perfect sense with my fantasy. If all queer people are going to hell, that’s where I want to be.”

Lal said they were proud that Parliament had passed the bill. But, they said there were improvements that were needed because it didn’t yet protect all Rainbow communities.

They said the bill just laid the foundations for further change.

For now, though, the Rainbow community felt “loved and validated”, Lal added.

“They know they are not broken and they don’t need to be fixed.”

They had a message for the eight National MPs who voted against the bill: Simon Bridges, Simeon Brown, Melissa Lee, Todd McClay, Simon O'Connor, Chris Penk. Shane Reti and Michael Woodhouse.

“We never want to see those eight National MPs who voted against conversion therapy at Pride ever again.”

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