Kelowna, BC, November 29, 2021. — The 44th Parliament had the first reading today of Bill C-4, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy), tabled by the Minister of Justice, David Lametti. Three previous bills have been brought forward to ban conversion practices that were not successfully passed. Bill C-4 is the most comprehensive, with improvements to protect more Canadians from these harmful practices.
“It is important to ensure that all Canadians are protected from these practices that have proven to have no benefits, and have been shown to cause lasting harm to individuals who have become victims of them. This should not be a partisan issue, therefore we call upon all members of parliament to expediently approve this important piece of legislation,” says Wilbur Turner, found of Advocacy Canada. “We expect nothing less than full cooperation from our elected representatives in the Okanagan, and we hope they understand the seriousness of this issue.”
Sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts (SOGIECE) are deeply harmful, scientifically discredited practices that target vulnerable LGBTQ2S Canadians. To protect people from this cruel treatment, all levels of government should work to undermine the efforts of people and organizations conducting SOGIECE – as well as support the development of positive, affirming programs and services.
As many as one in five sexual minority men (gay, bisexual, trans, Two-Spirit and queer or “GBT2Q”) report having ever experienced sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression change efforts (SOGIECE) – and of them, nearly 40 percent (or as many as 47,000 GBT2Q men in Canada) have experienced conversion therapy according to a 2021 report.
Okanagan residents are invited to use Advocacy Canada’s prewritten email to request their Members of Parliament support this bill. The form is located here.
About Advocacy Canada
Advocacy-Canada.lgbt is a Kelowna based non-profit organization with a mission to unite and amplify queer voices in support of creating positive change on important issues. The organization was founded by Wilbur Turner, inspired by his social and political awareness of issues that impact the 2S-LGBTQIA+ (queer) community. Wilbur previously led the Kelowna Pride, Fierté Canada Pride, and Living Positive Resource Centre boards.