Understanding Multicultural and Multifaith Conversion Practices

Are you sexual or gender diverse and from a multicultural and or multifaith community?  

Have you ever experienced attempts to change or suppress your gender identity or sexuality?

 Researchers at La Trobe University, the Australian GLBTQIA+ Multicultural Council (AGMC), and Brave Network are seeking volunteer research participants to be involved in a study about multicultural and multifaith conversion practices, harms, and recovery. The study is called “Understanding Multicultural and Multifaith Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts, Harms and Recovery”. It aims to understand peoples experiences of change or suppression practices, conversion therapy, reparative therapy, the ex-gay or ex-trans movement, or sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts from multicultural and multifaith communities. 

Conversion practices are experiences where a person is encouraged to change or suppress their sexuality and/or gender identity. This might include experiences where:

• a person is pressured to hide their sexuality or gender identity from family members or community members
• a person is pressured or encouraged to be straight or pursue a straight relationship (including marriage) 
•  a person is shamed or punished for their sexuality or gender identity (including being kicked out of home)

We hope to learn about the nature and scope of LGBTQA+ conversion practices in multicultural and multifaith communities, including how people navigate family, religion, culture, migration, racism, colonialism, gender, sexuality, homophobia and transphobia. We hope to learn about the support and recovery needs of multicultural and multifaith conversion survivors to inform support services and religious/cultural communities of best practice care for sexual and gender diverse people.

You may be eligible if you are:

• Minimum of 18 years of age; 
• identify as LGBTQA+ or sexual minority/gender diverse; 
• culturally diverse or have a non-European migrant background
• you have had a past experience of conversion practices or attempts to change or supress your gender identity and/or sexuality; 
• living in Australia (or Australian resident/citizen but temporarily overseas, including Australian born) 
• able to read and speak English

If you are eligible and interested in participating you will be asked to be involved in a 1-2 hour interview with a researcher where you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts and experiences of conversion practices. 

You will receive a $50 Coles/Myer voucher as thank you for your participation.

About the lead investigator:

Percy Gurtler (BA(Hons)) is a PhD candidate based at the Australian Research Centre in Sex Health and Society at Latrobe University as part of a national research project into conversion practices. Percy is a survivor of conversion ideology and practices and has been a steering committee member of Brave Network for four years where they were involved in advocating for a conversion practices ban in Victoria. They are passionate about the intersection of queerness and religion in research and the everyday world.

Contact Percy Gurtler:

(03) 9479 8858

p.gurtler@latrobe.edu.au
Ethics approval number: HEC22110