Thank you all for continuing to add your names in support of our petition to end conversion therapy in Canada. Please keep on sharing to promote an inclusive Canada!
It Gets Better Canada will be forwarding the signatures collected as of Nov 27, 2020 to the new decision-makers: The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice, The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, and MP, Iqra Khalid, chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
As you may have heard, the Canadian Federal government has introduced Bill C-6 an act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy) sponsored by The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice.
The text of the bill: https://parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/43-2/bill/C-6/first-reading
On October 28, 2020, Bill C-6 passed second reading (305 Yea and 7 Nay) and was referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
As per the Department of Justice https://canada.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/pl/charter-charte/c6b.html
Bill C-6 would amend the Criminal Code to prohibit certain activities that relate to “conversion therapy”, which is defined as practices, treatment or services designed to change an individual’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or gender identity to cisgender or to reduce non-heterosexual sexual attraction or sexual behaviour. Specifically, the Bill would enact new offences to prohibit:
- causing an individual to undergo conversion therapy against their will;
- causing a child to undergo conversion therapy;
- removing a child from Canada to undergo conversion therapy abroad;
- receiving a financial or other material benefit from the provision of conversion therapy; and
- advertising an offer to provide conversion therapy.
The Bill would also authorize courts to order the seizure and forfeiture of advertisements for conversion therapy or order their removal from computer systems (“take-down provisions”).
Overall, the Bill would promote the human dignity and equality of all Canadians, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two-Spirit (LGBTQ2) people and the LGBTQ2 community. Arising from fundamental social and ethical considerations, the Bill would discourage and denounce practices and treatments that cause psychological harm to LGBTQ2 people.
The Bill also potentially engages sections 2(a) (freedom of religion), 2(b) (freedom of expression), 6 (mobility rights), 7 (life, liberty and security of the person), section 8 (search and seizure) and 15 (equality) of the Charter.