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441-00031 (Justice)
Original language of petition: English
Petition to the House of Commons
We the undersigned residents of Canada, draw to the attention of the House of Commons to the following:
Whereas, conversion therapy has historically referred to degrading actions that seek to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity which are wrong and should be banned.
Whereas, Bill C-6 defines conversion therapy as a practice, treatment, or service designed to change a person's sexual orientation to heterosexual, to change a person's gender identity or gender expression to cisgender or to repress or reduce non hetero sexual attraction or sexual behavior or nonsense gender expression.
Whereas, the broad definition of conversion therapy outlined in Bill C-6 risks criminalizing a broad range of practices seeking to support, not abuse or degrade LGBTQ2+ Canadians.
Whereas, Bill C-6 allows medical and psychological practices in an effort to change a child's gender but prohibits the same efforts for children seeking to detransition to his or her birth/cis gender.
Therefore we, the undersigned, call on the House of Commons to take the following actions to address the situation:
- 1. Ban all practices designed to coerce and degrade persons into changing their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- 2. Ensure that no laws discriminate against Canadians by limiting the services they can receive based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- 3. Ensure that professional and religious counselling voluntarily requested by Canadians is not criminalize.
- 4. Ensure that parents to speak to speak with their own children about sexuality and gender.
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Parliamentary Secretary Gary Anandasangaree
Conversion therapy is a scientifically discredited practice that discriminates against LGBTQ2 Canadians by telling them that they should change a fundamental part of who they are – their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. That is why our Government is proud to have passed Bill C-4, which criminalizes causing another person to undergo conversion therapy, removing a minor from Canada to subject them to conversion therapy abroad, profiting from conversion therapy and advertising or promoting it.
Conversion therapy practices aim 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. They harm and further stigmatize sexual and gender-diverse persons and undermine their equality and dignity. They reflect myths and stereotypes about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and Two-Spirit (LGBTQ2) communities particularly that their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression are wrong. These harmful practices also reinforce heteronormative and cis-normative ideas, as well as gender-conformity on LGBTQ2 individuals.
Consistent with its important objective of ending an inherently discriminatory practice, Bill C-4 defines conversion therapy as any practice, treatment or service that is designed to make a person conform to heteronormative or cisnormative standards. Bill C-4’s conversion therapy definition also clarifies that interventions that help a person explore or develop their identity are not conversion therapy unless they are based on the false assumption that a particular sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression is preferable to another.
The consensus demonstrated by Parliamentarians in Canada on C-4 is a part of an emerging global consensus surrounding the real and life - long harms for conversion therapy victims and survivors, and our Government is proud to be a global leader in ending this abhorrent practice.
- Presented to the House of Commons
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Garnett Genuis
(Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan)
December 6, 2021 (Petition No. 441-00031) - Government response tabled
- January 31, 2022
Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.