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441-00055 (Justice)

Paper petition

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the House of Commons

We, the undersigned citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:

Whereas, conversion therapy has historically referred to coercive, 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-heterosexual attraction or sexual behavior or non-cisgender gender expression";

Whereas, this broad definition wrongly applies the label "conversion therapy" to a broad range of practices, including counsel from parents, teachers, and counsellors encouraging children to reduce sexual behavior;

Whereas, Bill C-6 expressly allows counselling, medical, and surgical efforts to change a child's gender, but prohibits support for a child seeking to de-transition to his or her birth (cis) gender;

Whereas, Bill C-6 could restrict the choices of LGBTQ2 Canadians concerning sexuality and gender by prohibiting access to any professional or spiritual support freely chosen to limit sexual behaviour or de-transition.

Therefore we, the undersigned, call on the House of Commons to take the following actions to address the situation:

1. Ban coercive, degrading practices that are designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity;

2. Amend Bill C-6 to Fix the Definition of Conversion Therapy, thus banning Conversion Therapy without banning voluntary counselling or criminalizing conversations; and

3. Allow parents to speak with their own children about sexuality and gender, and to set house rules about sex and relationships.

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
Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan)
December 13, 2021 (Petition No. 441-00055)
Government response tabled
January 31, 2022
Photo - Garnett Genuis
Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan
Conservative Caucus
Alberta

Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.