The ACON Honour Awards have been running since 2007, and I can vividly recall the early days when only a couple of awards were presented, and every recipient was a well-known figure in our community. As our community has grown and become more diverse, the awards have expanded significantly. Now, with 10 different categories and four finalists in each, many of these incredible individuals and groups may not be widely known to the average LGBTQ+ person, but their contributions are clearly having a profound impact. It’s inspiring to see how these unsung heroes are making a difference in ways that might not always be visible.  

This year, ACON received a record number of 292 nominations. I really wouldn’t want to be on the committee that narrows that down to four finalists or to have to choose a winner.  

Personally, I’m extremely grateful to have been nominated for the Community Hero in 2011 and honoured to have won the Health and Wellbeing Award in 2015.  As I often say, we do what we do because it’s important and not for accolades or awards. It’s always nice though when the tribe says “thank you”.

The Ban Conversion Practices in NSW Campaign was one of four finalists for the 2024 Community Organisation category. The Honour Awards website read:   

“This year saw a momentous step forward: NSW banned anti-LGBTQ conversion practices. This was possible due to decades of advocacy from LGBTQ+ heroes, hard work by LGBTQ+ organisations, political leadership and the countless survivors who shared their stories to advocate for this change. There’s no single person to credit with this wonderful win for the community, but the campaign is truly worthy of celebration and honour in 2024. As a result of this win, we can tell our kids and our communities that any attempt to change who we are is illegal and wrong.” 

We didn’t win on the night, but from past experiences I know it’s always good to be prepared with a speech, just in case. It would be a shame to waste that as so many people should be acknowledged for their contribution to this momentous achievement.  Here goes:

In 1969, before many of you were even born, there was a riot in New York. That riot, the Stonewall uprising, became the pivotal moment in LGBTQ rights. At that time, marriage equality wasn’t even on their radar. They weren’t fighting for that—they were just fighting back against the constant , violence, injustice,  and discrimination they faced every single day.  

In 2000, twenty-eight years after my own conversion “therapy” experience in a residential program, I felt I could talk about the trauma, and I set up an online community to support survivors who’d been through the same thing. When I began that work, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that one day there’d be legislation to outlaw the practice of treating LGBTQ people as broken and trying to turn gay people straight. But this year, 24 years later, at 6am on the 22nd of March after an all-night sitting, the Bill was passed.   

There are lots of lessons that can be learnt from this, but I’d like to point out three.  

Firstly, persistence pays off. Never give up. Even when the road is long and hard, even when the odds seem stacked against us—never give up hope. Keep the dream alive. 

Secondly, never underestimate the power of personal stories. When survivors shared their stories of trauma with the NSW Premier, the Attorney General, other politicians, policymakers and bureaucrats, they heard things they’d never heard before. The survivor stories—raw, painful, and unflinching—left a profound mark. Some listeners were brought to tears.  

Some of those brave survivors are here tonight. (Get the survivors attending to stand and give them an applause) 

And finally, teamwork matters. Organisations and individuals worked together. It’s only by standing united that we’ve been able to achieve what we have. 

Our coalition was made up of:  

Organisations: 

  • Special thanks to ACON for their support during the process. 

Conversion “therapy” survivors: 

  • Conversion “therapy” survivors who met face to face with politicians 
  • Conversion “therapy” survivors who told their stories to the media 
  • Conversion “therapy” survivors who wrote statements to the NSW consultation or were involved in the consultation meetings 
  • Some survivors were involved in all the above  

 “I think it is important for us to acknowledge that these survivors are unpaid for their advocacy. We tell our stories and advocate for change solely because we want to stop people from being harmed.” Chris Csabs (SOGICE Survivors)  

 Politicians:

Whilst many politicians from across the spectrum supported change and the legislation, two individuals must be thanked for their passion and commitment to our cause.  

Both of whom were a part of the all night sitting during the upper house debate until 6:00am.   

You 

  • To everyone who signed petitions 
  • Everyone who wrote or called their local member of parliament to register their support 

When the legislation was passed, some survivors and others involved had a celebration dinner.  

What next?

It would be naïve to think that now every young and old LGBTQ person is safe from harm in religious families, organisations, schools, and places of worship. Legislation does not change people’s deeply held beliefs. Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International (ABBI) will continue our ongoing work of overcoming ignorance and misinformation about LGBTQ people, our community, and relationships. Please consider supporting our work with a regular or one-off contribution.