Miscellaneous
The Justice Minister says it's not okay for parents to tell their 12 year old they can't go on hormone blockers.The government's introduced a bill banning practices that try to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity.The proposed law includes jail time of up to five years for people who perform conversion practices that cause serious harm.Kris Faafoi told Heather Du Plessis Allan it doesn't matter who you are, you can't try to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity."What we don't want is in some of those situations, either a priest, or a parent, or the rugby coach down the road, forcing their opinion around sexual orientation in an attempt to change somebody else's."But there are several hoops go through before someone is jailed for practicing conversion therapy.Faafoi says there's a long line between the practice and a criminal offence.He says first you have to prove it's targeted and has caused harm to a child or serious harm to an adult."Police will do their thing and try and make sure there is a case around intent to try and change someone's or suppress someone's gender identity. Then the Attorney-General of New Zealand has to give consent for that case or prosecution to go ahead."LISTEN ABOVE