At Greenpeace, we care about the wellbeing of our planet. We consider ourselves amongst it’s guardians, and we speak on issues we believe are leading to the demise of this wonderful Earth we call home. We seek to ensure Earth’s ability to sustain life in all its diversity.
Currently, here in Aotearoa, conversion therapy is still practiced legally across the country. You may have heard about the ongoing Conversion Practices Prohibition Legalisation Bill happening here, but what you may not be aware of is the seriousness of this issue, and why the rainbow community of this country needs our help.
Conversion or “reparative” therapy is a practice that targets the LGBTQ+ community with the aim to change their sexual or gender identities. As this issue for the most part takes place behind closed doors and in churches, this form of torture targets, almost entirely, children. It consists of a range of dangerous practices which have been rejected for years by mainstream medical and mental health organizations. The “therapy” has no scientific basis and claims to “cure” people of their sexuality.
What does this have to do with Greenpeace? A lot.
Greenpeace fights for a just and peaceful society for people, animals and the planet, and we have been doing so for 50 years. “We leave no one behind”, says Diederick van den Ende in their piece ‘Pride is a protest!’. By drawing attention to the issue of conversion therapy in New Zealand, and standing up for human rights, we are focusing on climate action, as human and climate rights are inherently entangled: “where the climate crisis leads to serious disasters, the pressure on the human rights of LGBTQIA+ people increases”, says Diederick. In the same line as viewing Pride as a protest, we must stand behind our queer communities in their fight for justice when it comes to conversion therapy.
Survivor of conversion therapy, Joan Bellingham, stated “They were trying to change my mind. They wanted me to be straight like them. But I wasn’t going to fight it because I knew this was something that was part of me.”
Unfortunately, this bright and brilliant world is still riddled with an idea of what people should look, act, and love like. Shaneel Lal, co-founder of The Conversion Therapy Action Group and Youth MP for Hon Jenny Salesa stated, “While we live in a system of institutionalised heteronormativity, my human rights are still not a human reality. 33 years ago, homosexuality was a crime. 6 years ago, same sex marriage was illegal but to this day it is completely legal to torture someone for their sexuality, in the name of conversion therapy.” Conversion therapy has remained legal for so long, due to the sole fact that our LGBTQ+ whanau is still discriminated against.
This innate hatred of people who are “different” has no place in New Zealand and we must speak on this injustice. Around the world, Greenpeace has been involved in many Pride events over the years. It is our belief that a green and peaceful future only exists when there is justice for all. Conversion therapy takes away the right to love who you choose, and strives to change the very nature of our rainbow youth. Above anything else, it is discriminatory and hateful.
For too long, conversion therapy has been overlooked and allowed to continue unchallenged. As guardians of our planet and its diversity, it is time to act as guardians of its children. I am a young lesbian woman who has loved working for Greenpeace, because it has made me feel as though I can make a difference in this world. I am calling on every person who has a love for this beautiful earth. Hold out your hand to the LGBTQ+ youth of New Zealand. We are being tortured in the name of being made “clean”.
You can have your say on this issue, and as quoted by Rawiri Waititi, MP for Waiariki and Co-leader Te Paati Māori “be on the right side of history”. It takes five minutes to make a submission to ban conversion therapy, and protect the futures of thousands of children.
Thank you.
You can make your submission here.
Shaneel Lal has made this easy-to-follow template if you would like to submit but are unsure of what to say.