People who have been subjected to conversion practices in an attempt to change their sexual orientation or gender identity can now seek an apology - or even financial compensation -through a new disputes resolution service.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, the Human Rights Commission said the free, confidential service launched today was a formal way to address harm caused by conversion practices, which were banned six months ago by the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act.
Conversion Practices Support Services manager Andre Afamasaga, a former pastor and a survivor of 15 years' conversion practices, said it was a major milestone for the rainbow community.
"Knowing that this service exists gives someone who is experiencing these practices somewhere to go and somewhere to lodge a complaint and some way to resolve what they've been going through."
If front-line staff were unable to resolve the problem by contacting the parties concerned, a complaint could be referred for mediation, Afamasaga said.
"The outcome of formal mediation might be an apology, it could be a promise never to commit these practices again, it might be attending an education session or it could be monetary compensation as well."
The service would also focus on education and prevention, Afamasaga said.
"The Human Rights Commission provides a safe, fair and impartial service for all New Zealanders and maintains all rights - but those rights need to be balanced."
Afamasaga said he hoped organisations that were "worried about their rights in this space" would pick up the phone and have a discussion with the service.
"How do you hold and maintain your religious view, for instance, while at the same time not practicing these conversion practices that cause deep, deep harm and sometimes irreversible harm to members of the rainbow community?"
Diverse Church New Zealand founder Craig Watson has created a positive faith-based space for the Rainbow community, after coming out and being unable to find resources that had positive spaces for being gay and Christian.
Founder of Diverse Church New Zealand Craig Watson Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Unpacking the relationship between homosexuality and Christianity was a slow journey, he said.
"[Some say] 'We have to let the older generation die before we get progress'.
"For me that's just not good enough because our mental health and suicide rates are just appalling and it must be linked to this."
Lived Experience adviser Matt Langworthy developed the strategy that underpins the new service and is also a survivor of over 20 years of conversion practices.
"We've met with between 20 and 30 survivors from many walks of life and they've shared their stories with us and helped us understand what would work best to support survivors as they come out of conversion practices, seek redress and move on."
Often conversion practices had been "obscured" by religion or culture, Langworthy said.
"We want to link people back to the parts of their culture that have always existed."
An advocate for transgender and non-binary people was hopeful a new dispute resolution service for conversion therapy complaints will heal rifts with their community and restore the mana of survivors.
Leilani Thompson-Rikys, from the transgender support organisation Outline, said they suffered years of "cruel and pointless" at home, at church and at the hands of professionals.
"It was only later as I reclaimed my identity that I saw that my ancestors from the Pacific had already led the way for us. Trans people are not a new phenomenon, but an ancient one."