Did you know that August is International Cult Awareness Month? Perfect timing for the big news from Australia that I can’t wait to share with you. More in this issue:
- Victoria Parliament releases report
- Participate in cult research studies
- Culty shows from Sydney to New York
- Get your early-bird ticket for Decult 2026
GROUNDBREAKING EFFORT TO CHANGE LAW IN AUSTRALIA
The Victorian parliament inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups delivered its 462-page report on Wednesday after 16 months of investigation and hundreds of submissions from experts and survivors. This is a huge moment, even globally, and a massive success for all the brave activists in Australia who pushed hard for this. A special thank you to Ryan Carey from Stop Religious Coercion Australia who initiated the inquiry with his wife Catherine after they left the Geelong Revival Centre, and who will be joining us on a live-streamed panel at Decult 2026 (photo above, on the right).
The committee made 39 recommendations, focused on outlawing coercive control in groups, safeguarding children and preventing harm. The Victorian government now has six months to respond. Read the two-volume breakdown on the official Parliament of Victoria Cults Inquiry Reports Page. It’s an excellent document and should be a blueprint for government agencies, law enforcement, social services and educators to understand the recruitment, coercive tactics, psychological damage and the needs. A groundbreaking effort.
Respect, gratitude and congratulations!
OSTRACISED? SHOW THE IMPACT
Speaking of inspiring activists and change makers: Along with Decult and InfoSecte, the good folks behind Stop Mandated Shunning just won an ICSA award – bravo! They’ve partnered with the University of Roehampton in the UK to explore the human rights violations and psychological impacts of shunning, excommunication or disfellowship from religious groups. It’s a hate crime.
How to support the Mandated Shunning Research Project:
- Complete the anonymous online survey – no matter whether you’ve been shunned or were in a cult. This helps with collecting comparable data.
- Share your experience of shunning in a confidential online interview – especially if you’ve come across it professionally as a therapist, lawyer, human rights activist or religious scholar. Please email [email protected]
NEW STUDY: MENTAL HEALTH AFTER LEAVING
If you have left a high-control group within the last five years and are not in crisis, then please consider participating in the study “Investigating the Mental Health Needs of People Exiting High Demand Groups”, led by Dr Colette Smart at the University of Victoria in Canada. Participants need to complete a survey, might do an interview and will be compensated.
Contact [email protected] for more info.
SYDNEY, EDINBURGH & NEW YORK SHOWS
First we take Manhattan, then we take… not yet Berlin, but close! I’m thrilled that so many creative people who have left cults take the stage to share their stories and make us laugh, cry or think. Here’s what’s coming up soon:
Actor Star Stone, who was in OneTaste, performs her jaw-dropping solo show “Star Stone: Cl*t Cult” in New York on 4 August. Use the code STONE20 for 20% off the cover charge to attend the dark musical comedy.
Remember the goat farmer from Norway who brought Doomsday Comedy to Aotearoa in January? Jonas Skogstroll and his fellow apostates will have a blast with 23 stand-up shows of “Oh My Jehovah!” at Edinburgh Fringe from 7 August. Wish I could go!
I’m stoked to be in the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in Sydney on 22 August with ex-2x2s activist Laura McConnel Conti and “Let’s Talk About Sects” host Sarah Steel. Our session “How to Start a Cult” (or better not…) sold out fast, but FODI just released more tickets, so be quick if you want to join us.
HAVE YOU PURCHASED YOUR DECULT 2026 TICKET YET?
In case you missed it: Our early-bird tickets for Decult 2026droppedlast week, so get yours while they last. Cheaper online tickets are available too. They include the live-stream, extra Zoom presentations for different time zones and and all recordings of the conference sessions to watch later. 70 speakers and 24 hours of content: a bargain, especially when paying in US dollars or Euros. We will start to announce speakers and topics very soon.
All the relevant event info (including conference dinner, post-conference survivor day and professional workshops with our keynote speaker Rachel Bernstein) is in the booking link. And we’ve created a Facebook event as well.
Please invite your friends, colleagues and community and spread the word fast so that we can make Australasia’s next cult awareness conference from 24 – 25 October another unforgettable weekend. We know it has helped so many.
I’m also looking forward to the annual NZ Skeptics Conference in Christchurch tomorrow. It’s held at Tūranga, the beautiful central library where we had our first Decult conference, and it’s going to be fun. Still tickets left – might see you there!
Have a great weekend and cult awareness month,
Team Decult.