The newly elected leader of New South Wales, Australia, has pledged not to pass a broad ‘conversion therapy’ ban on prayer, which he said would threaten the ordinary work of churches.
Responding to a question from Monica Doumit of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, Chris Minns assured churches they would not be scooped up in a general ban on prayer over conversion therapy.
Doumit had pressed the Labor leader for clarity that a ban would not ‘touch what people can pray, who they can ask to pray for them, and what can be preached’.
While Minns said he intends to ban ‘conversion therapy’, he would not do the same as neighbouring state Victoria, which brought in a law last year that criminalises prayer deemed not to affirm a person’s sexuality or gender identity.
