Sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts, known as SOGIECE, are a broad category of harmful practices designed to suppress, discourage, or alter a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. These practices are also commonly called conversion therapy. In Canada, SOGIECE and conversion therapy are illegal under Bill C-4, which came into force on January 8, 2022.

Despite this legal protection, many 2SLGBTQIA+ people across Canada continue to experience SOGIECE in both overt and subtle forms, including through religious communities, family pressure, schools, and informal social environments. The harm caused by these practices is well documented. Survivors often experience depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and lasting damage to their sense of self and their relationships.

Advocacy Canada is here to help.

Have You Experienced SOGIECE?

Whether you are currently in a situation involving conversion practices, or you are a survivor looking for support and connection, we want to hear from you. Our organization serves the rainbow community across Canada, and anyone who has experienced or is experiencing SOGIECE is welcome to reach out regardless of where you live.

We can help you:

• Document your experience for personal records or potential reporting
• Connect with other survivors through peer networking
• Identify affirming mental health and community resources in your area
• Understand your rights under Canadian law
• Report incidents to the appropriate authorities if that is something you choose to pursue

You are not alone, and what was done to you was wrong.

Looking for support. Contact us here. Please note, we do not offer legal advice or counselling.

What Counts as SOGIECE?

Many people do not immediately recognize what they experienced as SOGIECE. The practices can range from formal, organized programs to quiet, persistent pressure from family or religious leaders. You do not need to have attended a formal program or received a “therapy” of any kind for your experience to be valid.

SOGIECE can include:

• Formal or informal counselling intended to change your sexual orientation or gender identity
• Religious programs, prayer interventions, or pastoral counselling aimed at making you straight or cisgender
• Family pressure or ultimatums tied to your identity
• Youth programs or camps designed around identity change
• Medical or psychological treatment premised on the idea that your identity is disordered or sinful
• Persistent messaging from a community or institution that your identity is something to overcome

Bill C-4 criminalizes conversion therapy that is organized or sustained and involves causing a person to undergo practices without their consent, or subjecting a minor to any such practices at all. However, SOGIECE in its broader forms, including subtler social and family-based pressures, causes real harm even when it falls outside the criminal definition.

Bill C-4, an Act to Amend the Criminal Code (Conversion Therapy), makes it a criminal offence to cause another person to undergo conversion therapy, to promote or advertise conversion therapy, or to receive a financial benefit from providing conversion therapy. These protections apply across Canada. There is no province or territory where conversion therapy on minors is legally permitted.

If you believe you have experienced a criminal form of conversion therapy, you have the right to report it to local police. Advocacy Canada can help you navigate this process and connect you with legal resources if needed.

Learn more about Bill C-4 

Mental Health and Peer Support Resources

Recovery from SOGIECE often requires affirming professional support and connection with others who understand what you have been through. The following resources serve the 2SLGBTQIA+ community across Canada.

Crisis and immediate support

• Kids Help Phone LGBTQ2S+ Line — 1-800-668-6868 (24/7) | Text CONNECT to 686868
• Trans Lifeline — 1-877-330-6366 (Canada), peer support by and for trans people, Monday–Friday 10am–6pm PT
• Trevor Project — 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | Text START to 678678
• Crisis Services Canada — 1-833-456-4566 (24/7) | Text 45645 (4 PM–midnight ET)

Peer support and community

• LGBT Youth Line — 1-800-268-9688 | Text 647-694-4275 (up to age 29)
• LGBT National Help Center Senior Hotline — 1-888-234-7243 (ages 50+)
• Stop Conversion Practices — stopconversionpractices.ca (CBRC’s national knowledge centre on conversion practices, resources for survivors, service providers, and the public)
• Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) — cbrc.net

BC and Okanagan-specific resources

• QMUNITY (Vancouver) — safer space and referrals for 2SLGBTQIA+ people across BC
• HIM (Health Initiative for Men) — health and wellness support for GBQ men and gender-diverse people in BC
• This Space Belongs To You — safe spaces and supports for 2S/LGBTQQIA+ and IBPOC youth aged 12–24 in the Syilx Okanagan