No, LGBTQA conversion practices are not legal in NSW.
On 22 March 2024, the NSW Parliament passed a bill that bans LGBTQA conversion practices.
This ban came into force in the Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 (NSW) on 4 April 2025, which means that conversion practices are unlawful in NSW from this date.
From 4 April 2025, it is also unlawful to:
Conversion practices have no basis in medicine and there is no evidence that sexual orientation can be changed. While gender identity can be fluid, attempts to forcibly change it are harmful and ineffective. These practices can cause long-term mental health issues and, in the most tragic of cases, suicide.
Sadly, it is common for LGBTQA people to be told that they are broken or damaged because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Conversion practices can occur in a variety of settings, including in religious and other community settings.
Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are.
In NSW, all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity should feel welcome and valued and be able to live authentically and with pride.
Anti-Discrimination NSW does not develop legislation, we administer legislation passed by the NSW Parliament.
If you don’t agree with the laws in NSW, please contact your local Member of Parliament.
Conversion practices include but are not limited to:
Often, LGBTQA conversion practices are difficult to recognise because the forms they take might at first appear to be non-threatening, such as group study, mentoring and counselling, or camps and courses.
SOGICE Survivors and Amnesty International Australia have developed a graphic that shows how harmful messaging can be internalised over time by survivors of conversion practices in Australia (PDF, 16.9 MB). (PDF, 16.9 MB)
Yes, conversion practices can happen online. It doesn’t matter if conversion practices are delivered in-person or online – both are unlawful.
Engaging someone from outside of NSW to deliver a conversion practice (either in-person or online) to someone in NSW is an offence.
The Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 does not prohibit prayer. However, praying with or over a particular person in an attempt to try to change or suppress that person’s sexuality or gender is unlawful. It is not unlawful for a person to seek counsel or guidance from within their faith. Counsel and guidance, including prayer, can still be given as long as it is not an attempt to change or suppress the person’s sexuality or gender identity.
General comments about celibacy and abstinence in broad statements of belief are not unlawful. For example, generally recognised requirements in relation to religious orders or membership or leadership of a religious community will not be considered conversion practices.
Requirements such as for priests, monks or nuns to be celibate, would not be considered a suppression practice. Such rules are of a general nature, and they are not directed to an individual on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and so would not be a conversion practice.
However, conduct which is directed to a person because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and which is directed to change or suppress that orientation or identity, is a conversion practice. This is the crucial question as to what conduct will be considered a conversion practice.
This means telling a person who is same-sex attracted they must be celibate or never marry, in circumstances where a heterosexual person would not be given the same guidance, could be regarded as suppressing a person’s sexuality and may be unlawful, depending on the circumstances.
Similarly, telling a trans man, trans woman or non-binary person that they should be celibate or never marry, in circumstances where a person with a different gender identity would not be given the same guidance, could be regarded as suppressing a person’s sexuality or gender identity and may be unlawful, depending on the circumstances.
It is not a conversion practice to do any of the following:
The Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 supports all people practising and enjoying their religion and faith. It allows individual views on sexuality and gender.
The following practices are not against the law in NSW:
Health practitioners can provide supportive, affirming care to members of the LGBTQA community across NSW. Practitioners need to act within legal, professional and ethical standards and exercise reasonable professional judgement when providing this care.
Safe, inclusive and affirming care allows LGBTQA individuals to live authentically and with pride.
Any of the following are allowed under the law if assessed by a registered health practitioner as clinically appropriate:
Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are.
From 4 April 2025, it is against the law for someone to try to change or suppress – or make you change or suppress – your sexual orientation or gender identity, even if you ask for help to do so.
If you are unsure if what you have experienced or witnessed is considered a conversion practice, you can contact Anti-Discrimination NSW for confidential information.
Call us: 1800 670 812 (weekdays 9am to 4pm)
Email: complaintsadb@justice.nsw.gov.au
Anyone who thinks they see or may be experiencing a LGBTQA conversion practice is encouraged to contact Anti-Discrimination NSW.
We can accept reports from anyone, including anonymous reports.
We can accept formal complaints from:
We can accept:
The Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 creates a civil complaints scheme so complaints about conversion practices can be made to Anti-Discrimination NSW for investigation and conciliation. Anti-Discrimination NSW also has an education and research role.
People are encouraged to report conversion practices (even anonymously). Our staff can speak with you about your experience and discuss what you would like to do next.
Some people may just want to tell their story and be guided towards resources and support services. Other people may ask Anti-Discrimination NSW to contact the person or organisation and offer information or targeted education, to prevent others being subjected to conversion practices. Other people may wish to make a formal complaint and seek an apology and/or compensation through a conciliation process. You will not be required to meet with or talk directly with the other party, unless you choose to.
Anti-Discrimination NSW can take formal complaints about conversion practices that occurred on or after 4 April 2025. If the practices began before 4 April 2025 but continued past this date, a complaint can still be made.
Although formal complaints cannot be made about historical conversion practices from before 4 April 2025, Anti-Discrimination NSW welcomes you to share your story. We can guide you towards resources and support services for ongoing healing and assistance in navigating any challenges related to your experience. It will also be valuable to help us understand more about conversion practices in NSW, to help with our work to eliminate them.
It’s OK if you don’t know what outcome you are hoping for when you contact Anti-Discrimination NSW. We can provide information and referrals to support services and other agencies where appropriate.
If a matter goes to conciliation, you will not be required to meet with or talk directly with the other party, unless you choose to. Through a specialised conciliation officer, you can ask for any outcome you like, and this would be negotiated for agreement between you and the other party.
This could include:
If a matter does not resolve through conciliation, it might go on to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, where the outcome could include financial compensation up to $100,000, and/or an order for the respondent to stop or not repeat the conduct; perform any reasonable act or course of conduct to redress loss or damage, and/or publish an apology or retraction.
Conversion practices are only against the law in NSW from 4 April 2025, and we can only accept a formal complaint about a conversion practice that happened on or after that date. But we still encourage and welcome reports about historical conversion practices.
We understand that conversion practices and the harms that they cause are often complex and long term. We may still be able to provide information and support.
Your story may also help Anti-Discrimination NSW to understand more about conversion practices and target our community engagement, education and research work to help eliminate these practices so that others are not harmed by them in future.
It is not unlawful for a person of their own consent, to seek counsel or guidance from within their faith. Counsel and guidance, including prayer, can still be given as long as it is not directed to change or suppress the person’s sexuality or gender identity.
Conduct which is directed to those ends is a conversion practice, and will be unlawful even when a person seeks them out for themselves. They are also unlawful if a parent seeks them out – or provides consent – on behalf of their child.
If a person has sought conversion practices for themselves, they are not in breach of the law – the person or people who delivered or arranged the conversion practice are the ones who may have breached the law.
People who ask for conversion practices have often absorbed negative messages about LGBTQA people from a young age, and fear losing family, friends and community connections.
You are welcome to make an anonymous report to us. We will not identify you without your consent.
If you are seeking a particular outcome, such as an apology or compensation from the reported person/organisation, we will need to tell them who is making the complaint.
You will never be required to talk to or face them without your consent. Even if you choose to take the matter to conciliation, we can liaise with each party separately.
You do not need a lawyer to make a report or complaint to Anti-Discrimination NSW.
While you do not have to get legal advice, it is important to note that Anti-Discrimination NSW is an impartial complaint handling body and cannot provide legal advice.
If we think it is appropriate, we might suggest that you seek legal advice or refer you to LawAccess NSW for free legal help.
If you choose to lodge a formal complaint and go to conciliation, you can ask to have your lawyer present at the conciliation conference, if you have one. You can also ask to have a support person with you at the conciliation conference.
The Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 includes:
Anyone who provides a conversion practice that causes substantial mental or physical harm, or endangers an individual’s life, can face up to 5 years in prison.
Taking someone outside of NSW for these practices or engaging someone from outside of NSW to deliver a conversion practice to someone in NSW – can lead up to 3 years in prison, a fine, or both.
The criminal offences are overseen by NSW Police.
It would depend on the circumstances of the individual case, and the nature and seriousness of the allegations.
There are some situations where the police could be involved, and criminal penalties could apply.
If a health service provider is involved, the complaint might be referred to a health care complaints agency.
If the complainant wanted Anti-Discrimination NSW to investigate their complaint and try to resolve the complaint through conciliation, we would work with you and them to negotiate an agreed outcome. Anti-Discrimination NSW is impartial and does not take sides.
In conciliation, the complainant could ask for outcomes that might include:
If a matter does not resolve through conciliation, it might go on to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, where the outcome could include financial compensation up to $100,000, and/or an order for the respondent to stop or not repeat the conduct; perform any reasonable act or course of conduct to redress loss or damage, and/or publish an apology or retraction.
14 May 2025