The New South Wales government has been told “the world is watching” its response to calls to ban gay conversion practices, at a launch event for WorldPride in Sydney on Thursday.
The 17-day festival celebrating LGBTQ+ pride kicks off on Friday and includes parties, a human rights conference and a march across the Harbour Bridge on 5 March that is tipped to attract half a million people.
Alex Greenwich, the independent MP for Sydney, said recently he would introduce a bill to end gay conversion practices in NSW following the upcoming election and that it would be critical for him in any deal to support a minority government.
The Labor opposition has come out in support and vowed to work with the crossbench and conversion practice survivors to get it done.
Speaking at a launch event on Thursday, the New South Wales tourism minister, Ben Franklin, said while he personally opposed the practice, he would wait for the premier, Dominic Perrottet, to explain the government’s stance after Perrottet this week repeatedly refused to make his position clear to voters.
“Clearly, [the premier] said that any bill needs to go before cabinet and that’s something that is appropriate to go through all of those processes,” he told Guardian Australia.
“I’m obviously not a supporter of gay conversion therapy. That’s on a personal level. In terms of a public policy response, I’ll wait to see what the premier has to say.”
Franklin’s comments echo those made yesterday by the state’s treasurer, Matt Kean, who said yesterday he “wholeheartedly” supports the concept of reform but wanted to examine the proposed legislation.
Equality Australia’s chief executive, Anna Brown, called on the premier to match Labor’s commitment and “make sure that he’s standing up for our community 365 days of the year”.
“Momentum is building for the NSW government to step up and show that it does support our communities when it’s needed and that means protecting from these harmful practices,” Brown said.
“As the world is watching, the ball is in the premier’s court to really show LGBTI people in this state and across Australia that we are deserving of dignity and respect.”
The Mardi Gras chief executive, Albert Kruger, said it was time for all parliamentarians to get behind the effort.
“It’s time for NSW to join Victoria, Queensland and ACT,” he said. “That’s why Mardi Gras exists. We won the bid when it came to [marriage] equality and everyone thinks the job’s done, but it isn’t done yet.
“It’s conversion therapy, it’s birth certificate reform, it’s surrogacy.”
Sydney WorldPride’s chief executive, Kate Wickett, vowed to continue to advocate for equality and safety throughout the festivities.
“We advocate for equality and we advocate for people being safe from harm and that’s my view on conversion practices,” she said.
Attendees of WorldPride are advised to use public transport to move around the city to reduce congestion, with extra train, light rail and bus services – some wrapped in rainbows – to mark the event.
On Thursday it was announced Sydney’s Inner West council had successfully applied for extended trading hours at more than 40 pubs and clubs during the festival.
That brings the region into line with venues in the City of Sydney and Woollahra with trading hours until 2am.
