This article was originally published by the OUTInPerth. You can find the original article here.
BREAKING
Western Australian Liberal leader Libby Mettam says if her party is returned to government at the 2025 state election, they will ban the use of puberty blockers and cross sex hormones in treating young people experiencing gender dysphoria.
Mettam has also vowed to ban any surgery being performed on people under the age of 16. Current guidelines don’t allow surgery on people under the age of 18 except in extreme cases.
A Mettam led government would also undertake a “comprehensive review of these treatments and their suitability for use in the treatment of gender incongruent children”. Mettam told The West Australian.
Mettam says her approach will be to ban the use of the treatments, and then conduct a review into whether their use is scientifically sound.
“Many countries around the world have already implemented such bans on the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones on children in the face of growing evidence they cause long-term irreversible harm,” Mettam said.
“It is important we undertake our own research into the outcomes being achieved here in our own state.
“Once the research is completed, we will review the ban to determine if it should be maintained, modified or potentially extended to under 18 years of age.” the Liberal leader said.
The Liberal leaders pledge to bring in an immediate ban follows the delivery of the Cass Review in the United Kingdom which looked into the operation of the Tavistock Clinic.
Petition calls for parliamentary inquiry into gender dysphoria treatments
The Liberal leader’s announcement that a government she leads would enact an immediate ban comes as a petition on the parliament website calls for a parliamentary inquiry.
The petition was launched by activist James Parker and endorsed by Dr Brian Walker from the Legalise Cannabis Party.
Parker has a long history of campaigning against LGBTIQA+ rights. He was a prominent voice against marriage equality and argues that people experiencing same sex attraction deserve the right to access counselling services that focus on suppressing their attraction.
In 2020 Parker said legislation introduced in other states that ban conversion therapy were akin to the Gestapo or the Stassi secret police who operated in communist East Germany.
During the campaign for marriage equality Parker told a Perth radio station that gay men have a shorter life expectancy that heterosexual men, and very few monogamous relationships existed in the LGBTIQA+ community.
Often appearing at events organised by the Australian Christian Lobby, Parker regularly shares his own story of leaving a gay life and embracing Christianity, marriage and fatherhood.
Since being launched in late March the petition has attracted 2024 signatories. It has been promoted extensively by the Australian Christian Lobby.
