The following is an excerpt from Hansard on November 29, 2002, when Queensland Parliament was debating the Discrimination Law Amendment Bill. The full transcript can be found here, and the excerpt is from pages 53-54.

Fiona Simpson:



I wanted to add some further commitments to this provision. Earlier in the debate some members told some tragic stories where people had suffered discrimination due to their sexual identity or sexuality. In some truly tragic cases they had been injured or harmed by other people or they had taken their own lives. People who are suffering in this way deserve compassion and understanding.



I noted some comments in the debate and some very genuinely held beliefs that people are born homosexual people and cannot change and that is life. I wanted to make members aware that, based on my information from some of the former homosexuals I know, there is a compassionate ministry called Exodus. I have a number of acquaintances who have worked with Exodus. Today I was talking with a particular gentleman who is a former homosexual. They have a compassionate understanding and a desire to get alongside people who choose and who want to leave the homosexual lifestyle. This is about offering them options and not imposing only one set of values on other people.



Their mission is to support people who want to not live a homosexual lifestyle, but they also give them the freedom to grow into heterosexuality over time. There are a number of support groups throughout Queensland and, as I said, some very compassionate and genuine people who have come from a homosexual background who are in those groups. I understand also that we have another provision coming up in the legislation in regard to transgender.



Probably about 14 or 15 years ago when I was reporting on the Sunshine Coast I had the opportunity to talk with a gentleman called Sy Rogers, who previously had been about to undergo a sex-change operation. He did not go through with that. These days he is involved with Exodus or Liberty and he will be in Brisbane soon. I wanted to bring that to the attention of the House. I think I mentioned the phone number of that group in Brisbane. It is XXXX XXXX (Phone number removed by brisbanetimes.com.au).