Queensland, the second largest state in Australia, has banned the harmful practice of ‘conversion therapy.’ The news comes just weeks after another Australian state, South Australia, announced it was aiming to ban the discredited practice “as soon as possible.” Under the law, which was passed on Thursday (13 August), practitioners of ‘conversion therapy’ using methods like electroshock, drug and hypnotherapies face going to prison for 12 months, this will be extended to 18 months if they were being performed on a minor.
The practice – which has been discredited by the NHS and the World Psychiatric Association – refers to any attempt at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity and often involves techniques like electroshock