My submission on the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill:

Kia ora koutou,

My name is Damian Light, I was born in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland and have lived here my entire life. I work fulltime in business improvement and volunteer in my local community through a number of charitable organisations.

I wholeheartedly support a ban on conversion practices. As a queer person, I am appalled that this has been allowed to continue. I was born a few years before the homosexual law reform of 1986 - while I was too young to remember the debate, I have lived the change that it brought. We recently celebrated the 35 year anniversary, yet many queer people in New Zealand continue to face discrimination and bigotry. Despite our progress, too many queer people, especially our youth, are harmed by hatred. The awful conversion practices that this law is intended to combat, are part of this harm and must end. There is no justification for the damage they cause and there is no place for them in New Zealand.

I was raised as a Catholic and, while I no longer practice, many of my whanau still do. We are fortunate to live in a country where people can follow the religion or belief system that works for them. The diversity of our country is one it’s great strengths and we need to acknowledge and celebrate it. Those religious freedoms should not be used as a weapon to hurt others - there is no excuse for the hatred that drives these awful conversion practices.

These practices continue to hurt people and must end now.