Today, No Conversion Canada commends the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth for introducing federal legislation to criminalize conversion therapy in Canada. Bill C-8 is an amendment to the Criminal Code that introduces five new offences to criminalize and eradicate conversion therapy and protect the safety of LGBTQ2+ Canadians. Bill C-8 is the result of advocacy efforts by conversion therapy survivors who have called for federal protections for decades.
The bill introduces specific offences which criminalize causing a person to undergo conversion therapy against their will, advertising conversion therapy, receiving a material benefit from conversion therapy and all conversion therapy involving youth, including removing a child from Canada with the intention to have them undergo conversion therapy.
"This historic bill is the strongest example of conversion therapy legislation in the world for criminalizing both the act itself and the avenues in which conversion therapy can flourish. There’s no doubt, this bill will save lives." states Nicholas Schiavo, Founder of No Conversion Canada. "We hope all Parliamentarians will support this crucial public safety legislation and ensure it becomes law as soon as possible" says Schiavo.
The bill defines conversion therapy as "a practice, treatment or service designed to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or gender identity to cisgender, or to repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behaviour."
"Conversion therapy is rooted in regressive bigotry, it has killed people and it almost killed me. This legislation is a step in the right direction towards affording LGBTQ2 people the same freedoms as everybody else - the right to be protected from harmful practices that treat our identities like illnesses" says Saint John-based survivor and advocate, Victor Szymanski. "I'm grateful to this team who created this bill that makes sure future generations will have these necessary protections under the law" says Szymanski.
Conversion therapy does not change sexual orientation or gender identity and has devastating and lifelong impacts on its victims. This barbaric abuse has been denounced by numerous medical and human rights organizations around the world including the World Health Organization, the Canadian Psychological Association, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the American Medical Association, Human Rights Campaign, and Amnesty International. Hundreds of professional health organizations and associations have openly denounced conversion therapy as a deceptive, dangerous, and harmful practice.
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No Conversion Canada is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit and grassroots organization dedicated solely to banning conversion therapy in Canada. No Conversion Canada works directly with conversion therapy survivors, LGBTQ2+ activists, civil society organizations, academics and Parliamentarians to raise awareness about conversion therapy in Canada and develop comprehensive, federal protections to criminalize and outlaw this abuse. More information about the organization can be found on our website: www.noconversioncanada.com.
