Women’s Legal Service Tasmania encourages Tasmanian Members of Parliament to afford all women a fair go
Ahead of the vote on the Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill 2026, Women’s Legal Service Tasmania (“WLST”) has urged MPs to remember that all Tasmanian women, however they identify, deserve protection as a universal human right.
The Greens conversion practice ban bill would outlaw practices aimed at changing, suppressing or eradicating a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. It also states that ordinary family discussions, religious teachings, personal opinions on gender or sexuality, and good-faith medical or pastoral care are not illegal.
Women’s Legal Service Tasmania CEO Yvette Cehtel says gender identity must be retained as a protected attribute and WLST supports an inclusive definition of women and the existing gender identity protections afforded by section 16 of the Anti-Discrimination Act (Tas) 1994.
“We know as a service that trans women are often marginalised and left out, and many don’t feel welcome in spaces identified as women services,” Ms Cehtel said.
“As an inclusive service, WLST has strategically addressed this, expressly clarifying that all people who identify as women are welcome and eligible to access our services. We felt that it was important to make this decision and commitment by our service very clear: as we know from our statistics that few trans women approach WLST for legal help.
“This means that many women in Tasmania are missing out on receiving specialist and early legal advice to address the legal issues they experience. This has never been our intention as a service – but in practice, that has been the experience of trans women.”
Ms Cehtel said the service has seen that trans women in particular are having their identities weaponised against them in court.
“This form of entrenched discrimination must be addressed,” she said. “All women deserve access to legal services that are safe and respectful.
“Accordingly, WLST’s view is that the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute’s 2022 recommendation to ban all conversion practices should be supported alongside improvements from the NSW and Victorian legislative experiences.”
Ms Cehtel said the service wanted all women to be afforded access to quality services and legal services and the attendant social supports are no exception.
“We do not want women to feel unable, embarrassed or uncomfortable in their interactions and experiences with the law and the system that sits around that,” she said.
“I am sure that this is not the intention of MP’s either. I am sure that they, too, expect the same rights to be afforded to all Tasmanians, particularly those most marginalised and most vulnerable in our communities throughout Tasmania. It would be mean-spirited and clearly not the intention to exclude some women from access to services”
“We can do better in Tasmania, and will do so if the legal scaffolding is in place to ensure we are all protected and equal before the law.”
ENDS