Improving Spiritual Health Care for LGBT Australians

Health research has demonstrated that attempts to change the sexual and gender orientation of LGBT people do not work, but little is known about their impacts or the extent of their practice in Australia. This project aims to investigate the history, scale and nature of LGBT conversion therapy in Australia. Robust data on Australian conversion practices will be collected through a national survey, life history interviews and focus groups with spiritual and mental health care providers. These data will be used to establish the impacts of conversion practices and develop resources to support improved spiritual care of LGBT people. The findings will benefit society, supporting social cohesion in the fraught area of religious and LGBT rights.