Conversion Therapy – Aleph Melbourne

Candidate statement: Darren Natale – Labor for Malvern

The following political statement has been supplied by Darren Natale who is running as a candidate for Malvern District in the 2022 Victorian State Government election.

Aleph Melbourne will endorse all political candidates who unconditionally support equal rights for LGBTIQ+ Jews and whose values align with ours.

I believe everyone has the right to be who they are, and live life without fear of discrimination or vilification.

As a proud member of the queer community, it’s so important that any organisation I’m involved in – in the community, in business, or in politics – is inclusive to all.

Labor has taken great strides towards equality for LGBTQI+ identifying people in Victoria, introducing the Safe Schools program and banning ‘conversion therapy’.

Dan Andrews actively walks the talk, as powerfully symbolised in 2015, when he became the first Victorian Premier to march at the Midsumma Pride March.

But with the Liberals already talking about loosening discrimination law to fire or not hire LGBTQI+ staff, we can’t stop now.

I’m dedicated to continuing the fight for the safety, freedom and equality of all LGBTQI+ people in Victoria, and supporting great organisations like Aleph, who do amazing work to advocate for our voices to be heard.

Candidate statement: Felicity Frederico – Independent for Brighton

The following political statement has been supplied by Felicity Frederico who is running as a candidate for Brighton District in the 2022 Victorian State Government election.

Aleph Melbourne will endorse all political candidates who unconditionally support equal rights for LGBTIQ+ Jews and whose values align with ours.

STATEMENT FOR ALEPH MELBOURNE
FROM FELICITY FREDERICO OAM
INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR BRIGHTON ELECTORATE

Equality is one of the cornerstone issues of my campaign as the Community Independent Candidate for Brighton.

I stand in solidarity with the LGBTIQA+ and allied communities in my electorate and in Victoria.

I pledge to work constructively with these communities should I be elected the MP for Brighton, and will consult with LGBTIQA+ organisations on every question coming before the Victorian Parliament impacting upon their lives. This consultation will include Aleph Melbourne and the Victorian Pride Lobby amongst others.

In particular, I support the Victorian Pride Lobby “Vision For Victoria” statement very strongly, and will do everything in my role as MP for Brighton to help make this a reality. Their vision statement can be found on my campaign Facebook Page:

www.facebook.com/felicity4brighton22

The State Opposition has announced that it intends to wind back hard won protections for LGBTIQA+ people and single parents in employment in faith based institutions and schools.

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) has stated that it is satisfied with the provisions of the Equal Opportunity Act (EOA) that prohibit discrimination in the hiring and firing practices of schools. I support the JCCV position absolutely.

The Australian Jewish News has reported that JCCV president Daniel Aghion stated, “The JCCV is comfortable with the present legislative settings. In particular, we understand that the larger Victorian Jewish day schools have not expressed a desire to exercise this power or a need for it.”

The AJN also reported that Bialik College principal Jeremy Stowe-Lindner reiterated his firm opposition to any form of discrimination in schools, which he had stated in his submission to the 2018 Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee inquiry into legislative exemptions for faith-based schools. I fully support his 2018 Senate Submission and his stance against discrimination.

As the Independent MP for Brighton, I will strenuously oppose Liberal & National Party moves to wind back current protections in the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act, and will stand up for equality in employment of all Victorians, free from discrimination. I will also strenuously oppose any moves to repeal or water down so called “Conversion Therapy” legislation in Victoria. These practices are currently unlawful in our State, and I intend to keep it that way, given the profound damage they do, and the expert medical advice we have.

There are many other important issues facing the Victorian and Brighton LGBTIQA+ communities in this election campaign. I want to assure you, that having read, studied and understood the Victorian Pride Lobby State Election Platform, I am in fullest agreement with all of their specific initiatives, and will work towards making these a reality in Victoria. I attach a copy of the VPL Election Platform below.

If Aleph Melbourne have specific initiatives you wish to see implemented in Victoria and the Brighton electorate, i invite your feedback, and i will do everything possible to make these a reality too.

With my warm wishes and best regards,

Felicity Frederico
Community Independent Candidate for Brighton.
Brighton Deserves Better!

LGBTIQ-ELECTION-PLATFORM-2022

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Candidate statement: Steve Dimopoulos – Labor for Oakleigh

The following political statement has been supplied by Steve Dimopoulos who is running as a candidate for Oakleigh District in the 2022 Victorian State Government election.

Aleph Melbourne will endorse all political candidates who unconditionally support equal rights for LGBTIQ+ Jews and whose values align with ours.

Dear Michael,

Thank you for the opportunity.

I have a belief that everyone should be able to live their life unencumbered by bigotry and prejudice.

I am very proud of the track record that the Andrews Labor Government has in supporting the LGBTQI+ community including the introduction of the Safe Schools program to create a safe environment for children, the banning of gay conversion therapy, the building and opening of the Gay Pride Centre in St Kilda and sponsoring the first Pride match at AAMI park. Premier Dan Andrews has marched in Pride March since the first year he became Premier and continues to do so. There is a lot more I can say about, the support of the Government that I am a member of, for the LGBTQI+ community including mental health and festival funding but I want to leave you with the following – a big part of the reason I can be out as a Minister and an MP in the Government is because of the culture of our Government.

I will continue to support and advocate for the LGBTIQ+ community.

Steve Dimopoulos

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies votes to support ban on conversion therapy

27 October 2021

At the October 2021 Plenum, the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD) passed a motion recommending that coercive practices which are commonly referred to as ‘conversion therapies’ be banned.

This Motion supports moves already afoot in NSW Parliament to ban these coercive practices that seek to forcibly change someone’s gender, bodily or sexual identity.

LGBTQ+ people deserve the same dignity, respect and freedom to pursue their lives in peace as any other members of our vivid and diverse NSW society and the motion affirms the NSW Jewish Board of Deputy’s steadfast support for the Jewish LGBTQ+ community and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community more broadly.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Plenum:

Recognises that coercive practices intended to change or impose a person’s sexuality, gender identity or bodily integrity are now rightly outlawed in jurisdictions in Australia, specifically Queensland, the ACT, and most recently Victoria;
Recognises that work has begun to outlaw such practices in Israel as well;
Recognises that these practices cause hurt to people who are vulnerable, and who seek community, belonging, and dignity;
Opposes such coercive practices in all of their forms;
Expresses its concern at societal and peer pressures that contribute to confusion around gender identity and sexuality and supports the rights of vulnerable people to understand and articulate their sexuality and gender identity on their own terms;
Calls on the Parliament of NSW to pass legislation to make these coercive practices unlawful;
Offers support to the work of groups including the NSW Parliamentary Friends of the LGBTQ+ Community to seek cross-party endorsement of measures to prohibit these coercive practices;
Opposes attempts to ban legitimate and consensual prayer and pastoral counselling from religious figures and medical professionals regarding sexuality and gender identity that are freely entered into by both participants.

‘A debt of gratitude’: Survivor win in new Vic conversion law | Pink Advocate

‘A debt of gratitude’: Survivor win in new Vic conversion law

PRESS RELEASE: Jewish Care Victoria Welcomes Legislative Ban on Harmful LGBTI+ Conversion Practices

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Media Release: Aleph Melbourne welcomes Victorian Government protections against conversion practices

MEDIA RELEASE
FEBRUARY 7 2021
ALEPH MELBOURNE WELCOMES VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PROTECTIONS AGAINST CONVERSION PRACTICES

Aleph Melbourne welcomes the passage of the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020 and congratulates the Victorian Government for their unflinching support in this journey.

Many same-sex attracted and gender diverse Jews have been victims of disreputable people and organisations within and beyond the Jewish community who have performed destructive conversion practices, often with long-lasting negative or even fatal consequences.

This legislation sends a clear message that no longer is it acceptable or legal to tell someone they are broken because of their gender identity or sexual orientation and then attempt to make the person conform to an unnatural identity.

Knowing our state government, under the capable leadership of Premier Daniel Andrews, has taken this issue seriously proves it cares about the well-being of people with diverse sexual and gender identities.

Victoria has set a high bar on this important issue, and we hope that other states around Australia are motivated to tighten their laws similarly.

We acknowledge the tireless dedication of the Brave Network, SOGICE Survivors, Jewish Care, the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, Just Equal and Equality Australia, together with the many individuals and networks who have helped in bringing about this visionary change.

END

CONTACT
Michael Barnett – Co-convenor
0417-595-541
michael@aleph.org.au

Forum: Change and Suppression Practices in the Jewish Community

UPCOMING EVENT

Forum: Change and Suppression Practices in the Jewish Community

A forum for our community to learn about the LGBTQA+ Change and Suppression (Conversion) Practices Bill that is before Victorian parliament.
Date And Time:Wed, 20 January 2021
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM AEDT

About this Event

Jewish Care invites you to a unique community forum to discuss LGBTQA+ conversion practices (sometimes called ‘conversion therapy’) and the current Change and Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill.

The forum is being co-hosted with the Brave Network, a survivor support and advocacy group, and SOGICE Survivors, a national advocacy and research group, and supported by Courage to Care, a national upstander education initiative of B’nai B’rith. The forum will provide our community an opportunity to learn about conversion practices, hear global and local research about prevalence and harm, and the journey that led to the development of the Victorian bill. It will outline the contents of the bill, but more importantly how the community can show support to both survivors of conversion practices and this bill being passed into law.

The event’s panel will include:

Rabbi Gersh Lazarow (he/him), Temple Beth Israel
Samuel Murray (he/they), Jewish Care Executive and LGBTI+ Liaison Officer
Patrick McIvor (he/him), Brave Network
Nathan Despott (he/they), Brave Network and SOGICE Survivors
Nicola Kolb (she/her), community member and survivor ally
Jarod Rhine-Davis (he/him), 2020 B’nai B’rith Changemaker Leadership Award recipient
Leah Boulton (she/her), Founder and Executive Officer, Pathways Melbourne. www.pathwaysmelbourne.org
Dr Gávi Ansara (he/him), Clinical Psychotherapist, Clinical Family Therapist, and founder of Rosh Pinah, An Affirming Orthodox Jewish Network

Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email.

The Zoom link for the event will be sent shortly before the event.

Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives

Join us in calling for an end to violence and criminalisation against LGBT+ people and for a global ban on conversion therapy.
We recognise that certain religious teachings have, throughout the ages, been misused to cause deep pain and offense to those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex.
This must change.
That is why we have launched the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives, which aims to provide a strong and authoritative voice from religious leaders across the global faith community who wish to affirm and celebrate the dignity of all, independent of a person’s sexuality, gender expression and gender identity.

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Multicultural voices in support of the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020

Wednesday 9 December 2020

Download the letter

Various multi-faith, multicultural LGBTQ+ and allied voices have written an open letter in support of the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020 currently before the Victorian Parliament.

The letter is signed by:

Ghassan Kassisieh, Legal Director, Equality Australia and author of the ‘We’re Family Too’ report
Dr Judy Tang, Victorian Multicultural Commissioner and ex-President of Australian LGBTIQ+ Multicultural Council
Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli, Research lead and founding member of Australian LGBTIQ+ Multicultural Council (AGMC); Gender & Sexuality Studies, Deakin University
Cedric Yin-Cheng, Chief Executive Officer, Australia & New Zealand Tongzhi Rainbow Alliance Inc (ANTRA)
Abanob Saad, Conversion Practice Survivor and Founder, Queer Middle-Eastern and African Christians in Australia (QMEACA)
Benjamin Oh and Molina Asthana, Co-Convenors, Asian Australian Alliance (AAA)
Budi Sudarto, Director, Ananda Training & Consultancy and Member of Queer Muslims in Australia
Ken Dumandan, President, Acceptance Melbourne LGBTIQ+ Catholics
Dr Reem Sweid, Founder and former President of Muslim Collective; Faculty Member, Alfred Deakin Research Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University
Nathan Despott, Brave Network
Michael Barnett, Co-convenor, Aleph Melbourne
Bhante Akāliko Bhikkhu, Rainbodhi LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Community

Media contact
Paige Burton
Equality Australia
paige.burton@equalityaustralia.org.au
0418 432 030

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