Canada’s House of Commons passed a bill that criminalizes LGBTQIA “conversion therapy” by 263 to 63, which hands a win to the minority ruling Liberal party that promised this development when campaigning in 2019.
The newer bill now goes to the Senate.
An earlier effort to ban the practice failed because the parliament was discontinued due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But a similar bill was eventually reintroduced, with the earlier bill included five amendments to Canada’s Criminal Code to include offenses such as causing a minor to undergo conversion therapy, causing any person to undergo the therapy against their will, and profiting off from the practice.
“Conversion therapy” is the widely-used term used to describe practices attempting to change, suppress or divert one’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. It is also called reorientation therapy, reparative therapy, reintegrative therapy, or, more recently, support for unwanted same-sex attraction or transgender identities.
Already, various Canadian cities – such as Vancouver in British Columbia and Calgary in Alberta – ban the practice within their borders.
