Outloud St. Albert is thrilled a bill that would ban conversion therapy passed Parliament last week with unanimous support.
“We are super excited and super shocked that it happened so fast but [we’re] absolutely thrilled. It's a huge step in the right direction and it's going to save lives,” said Kelsey Robbins, a community outreach worker for Outloud, a local non-profit that offers support to LGBTQ youth.
On Dec. 1, Bill C-4 — an act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy) — was unanimously fast-tracked to the Senate, much to the surprise and excitement of local activists.
The bill, calling for conversion therapy practices to be banned, was first introduced to Parliament on Nov. 29 by Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti, and Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien.
If passed, the legislation proposes four new Criminal Code offences related to conversion therapy.
Conversion therapy aims to change an individual’s sexual orientation to heterosexual; to change an individual’s gender identity to cisgender; or to change their gender expression to match the sex they were assigned at birth; states a Nov. 29 Department of Justice press release.
This harms and stigmatizes sexual and gender-diverse persons and undermines their equality and dignity, said the press statement. The practice takes many forms, including counselling and behaviour modification.
The act would prohibit causing a person to undergo conversion therapy and removing a minor from Canada for conversion therapy abroad. It would also make profiting from providing, advertising, or promoting conversion therapy a crime.
“It's really amazing to see that Parliament is actually taking things seriously and considering such a vote against it five months ago, it's absolutely mind-blowing,” said Robbins.
Bill C-4 follows and builds on Bill C-6 which failed to clear the Senate and died when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau triggered the fall election.
Although Bill C-6 cleared the house and moved to the Senate back in June, 62 out of the 119 Conservative MPs voted against it, including St. Albert-Edmonton MP Michael Cooper.
Cooper is very clear that he opposes conversion therapy.
He said he voted against Bill C-6 in June because he believes the legislation was badly drafted. He still believes the legislation is badly drafted, despite voting for Bill C-4 last week, and is hopeful the Senate will “take a careful look at the bill and hear from a range of witnesses … and put forward amendments.”
Cooper is concerned the legislation could criminalize good-faith conversations.
“It's just a question of getting the definition right to ensure that it is thoroughly targeted toward harmful and coercive acts,” he said.
As for the legislation being badly drafted, Robbins said we can always do better.
“It is a start toward meaning that we won't have to worry about our kiddos being put into this harmful practice; our kiddos having to experience these harmful things,” said Robbins.
Conversion therapy has proven to be harmful to the physical, mental, and social well-being of the victim, even for those who have consented to it.
“It is so harmful to the queer community and trying to use therapy to change somebody's gender or sexual orientation or their gender identity — it's not something you can change, and people have died. They have taken their own lives after things like this and after experiencing conversion therapy.
“The survivors have done so much work to get this passed,” Robbins continued.
They were all shocked, said Robbins, when 62 people voted against the bill five months ago. She credits the queer community and their vocal allies for pushing those who were opposed “into a position where they didn't have a choice but to agree.”
The bottom line for Cooper is Trudeau called an unnecessary election.
“This bill would have been in the Senate but for Justin Trudeau calling an unnecessary election.
“All we have done is put it back where it would have been.”
