Chief Minister Andrew Barr has forecast a broad-based approach to banning gay conversion therapy in the ACT, saying the laws would target anyone who acts with an "intent" to change another person's sexuality.
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Mr Barr expanded on the government's plans to outlaw the widely discredited practice in the ACT, as he gathered in the city with members of the LGBTIQ+ community on Friday to launch Canberra's annual pride festival.
Religious groups and health practitioners have historically used a number of different techniques in attempts to "cure" homosexuality, ranging from physical interventions, such as electroshock therapy, to psychological treatment.
Mr Barr said laws to ban the practice in the ACT would include a broad definition of "conversion practice", which would capture physical and psychological types of therapy.
"Intent will be a key part," Mr Barr said.
"If the intent of the intervention is to seek to change someone's sexuality then that would be illegal.
"Just as other formally accepted religious practices from centuries ago have been outlawed and are not accepted in modern society, [the practice of] seeking to change someone ... to make them not gay is unacceptable."
Asked if the practice was still occurring in Canberra, Mr Barr said he was aware of individuals who had gone through psychological conversion therapy.
"I think the physical interventions, I hope, are a thing of the past," he said.
"I think there would be no opposition anywhere to outlawing electroshock therapy.
"I think that sort of quackery is something that sits in our sad past."
Mr Barr was hopeful laws to ban the practice could be introduced to the Legislative Assembly by August next year.
He said the territory would continue to work closely with the Victorian government, which announced plans to ban gay conversion therapy in its jurisdiction earlier this year.
The ACT Greens will support the ban.
A spokeswoman for the Canberra Liberals said the opposition backed moves to "protect Canberrans from extreme therapies".
"We await advice from the government as to how they will define and address the issue," the spokeswoman said.