Homophobic cruel MP's have no place in local councils

This week, the Victorian State Government passed a bill through Parliament that made it illegal to try and change or suppress a person's gender identity or sexual orientation.

Gay conversion therapy is a harmful practice that can have dire consequences. The therapy can involve forcing people to undergo electric shocks and drink substances to induce vomiting when shown homoerotic images.

There are also role-playing exercises where men are forced to do stereotypically 'blokey' things like chatting about football and tinkering with cars, while women are told to wear feminine clothes and apply a full face of makeup.

This practice is cruel and bigoted. It is dangerous and unsafe. It is, at it’s very simplest, a violation of human rights and equal opportunity. The practice sends a message to the LGBTIQ+ community that gay isn’t “right” and that therapy will “fix” them.

The handful of sitting Members of the Western Metropolitan region in the Legislative Council who voted against this bill should not be considered as dignitaries to Cities like Brimbank, Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Melton, Hume, Wyndham and Moonee Valley; the council areas that make up our Community.

As per their adopted policies, defined in the Annual Plans of every one of these councils, creating a safe and inclusive, diverse and proud community is vital to ensuring that everyone can live their own life, as they choose.

If these Councils aspire demonstrate strong leadership, promote healthy and inclusive communities, develop strategies to enhance the inclusion and engagement of the LGBTIQA+ community every possible way, and creating welcoming environments, then removing those who promote bigotry and hate from your invitations and ceremonies should be top of their list.

I call on each of these Councils to cease spending rate-payers money on hosting these members and to publicly declare that they will not pander to these bigots any longer.