Liberals set to bring in tougher version of bill to ban conversion therapy
The Liberal government is set to introduce a tougher version of its earlier bill to ban conversion therapy, which failed to pass before Parliament was dissolved for the election.
Nicholas Schiavo of the advocacy group No Conversion Canada says he has been told by government representatives that the new bill will "leave less room for loopholes."
The coming proposed legislation would make it illegal to try to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity through a discredited practice known as conversion therapy.
A previous bill, known as C-6, would have made it a criminal offence to force adults to undergo conversion therapy without their "consent." But it outlawed conversion therapy for children outright.
The House of Commons passed the bill but it didn't make it through the Senate before the upper chamber rose for the summer, and it ultimately died when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the election in August.
The Liberals promised to reintroduce a version of the bill within the first 100 days of a new mandate, which began when cabinet ministers were sworn in last month.
Chantalle Aubertin, a spokeswoman for Justice Minister David Lametti, said the government is committed to a "complete ban" on conversion therapy.
Schiavo said his organization expects the new version of the bill to be stronger than the last and introduced within weeks of the new Parliament starting.
"Our expectation -- what we have heard -- is that upcoming legislation will introduce a complete ban on conversion practices without any loopholes for age, gender identity or faith," he said.
Bill C-6 was heavily amended and opposed by more than half the Conservative caucus the last time around. It was strongly supported by other parties.
Critics said it was flawed because "consent" to conversion therapy is invalid, on the grounds that the practice does harm and is discredited.
Many young people who have "consented" to the practice do not understand what they are getting into, or do so under duress from family or faith leaders, said No Conversion Canada.
The new bill is expected to have a broader scope, making using coercion or persuasive techniques to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity illegal throughout Canada.
Conversion therapy has included electric-shock therapy and intensive sessions to repress non-heterosexual sexual attraction.
"Last time around, C-6 was a good start but one of the biggest problems was they created these big loopholes for adults: adults could consent to it. Our rebuttal was that you can't consent to fraud," said Schiavo.
"We are very optimistic to see a stronger bill than last time and a stronger bill would completely and totally outlaw these practices that cause harm. We have spoken with several legal experts who say a ban would withstand any charter challenge."
The Liberals have been consulting other parties to try to garner political support before the bill is introduced. The Bloc Quebecois, the NDP and the Conservative leadership is expected to back the bill.
Erin O'Toole has said he supports and end to conversion therapy, as do many of his MPs. But others voted against earlier attempts to stop the practice, saying Bill C-6 risked criminalizing conversations with faith leaders and therapists.
Conversion therapy is banned in many countries around the world, including Malta and Germany. New Zealand is in the process of finalizing a ban.
The bill is expected to include provisions to ensure that freedom of speech, including private discussions and sermons in religious settings are not outlawed as a side-effect, as well as discussions about gender identity.
NDP MP Randall Garrison, critic for LGBTQ rights, said he will be looking closely to see if there are any loopholes in the fine print of the bill that would allow conversion therapy to continue.
Garrison said it is "beyond time to ban the extremely harmful practice of conversion `therapy' that has hurt thousands of Canadians."
"Justin Trudeau and the Liberals promised to ban this practice but called a selfish election instead, killing the bill and leaving more Canadians at risk. From day one, Justin Trudeau had a clear and willing partner to expedite this legislation to ban this barbaric conversion 'therapy' and bring justice and peace to those suffering," he said in a statement.
Schiavo said he hoped the Tory leader ensures that all his MPs vote for the new bill. "I do not believe there should be votes of conscience on issues that are unconscionable," he said.
One survivor of conversion therapy said the experience drove them to attempt suicide.
Gemma Hickey, who is nonbinary, was subjected to "faith-based" conversion therapy as a teenager in St. John's. They came from a staunchly Catholic family and were assigned the female gender at birth. When they became attracted to a girl in high school, they went to a family doctor for advice.
The doctor referred Hickey to a therapist who convinced the teen they were attracted to girls because they wanted to be like them, and that homosexuality was not natural and "against God." The trauma from the experience drove Hickey to intentionally overdose on pills and alcohol.
"The first people I told (about my sexuality) were medical professionals and they sent me on a path that led me to try to kill myself. I was 17 years old," Hickey said.
The therapist was not advertising as a "conversion therapist," Hickey said, but she was "very Catholic" and her therapy was largely faith-based.
"It was most to do with prayer and reading a lot of literature that supported her analysis of me. She told me it wasn't natural."
After the overdose, and a hospital stay, a psychiatrist reassured Hickey that there was nothing wrong with them and the "therapy" they had received had been mistaken. Today, Hickey is a prominent LGBTQ rights activist.
Another survivor recalled that he was 19 when, with the encouragement of his family, he became involved in an evangelical church in Kingston, Ont.
Ben Rodgers, now an HIV activist, said he underwent rituals which involved starving for days before church members laid hands on him and spoke in tongues to drive out the demons.
As an active member of the church, he was told he would not be able to attend Bible school or go on a mission if he continued to be gay. He was told that stopping his gay life could "get my mom to love me again."
"They fed on insecurities. I had to cut everything from my old gay life," he recalled. "They did prayers over me and I remember hands on my shoulders and yelling at me in these tongues and casting out demons. I had couples from this church telling me 'this is a proper relationship, read over this and find what love really is.' I had to lead a non-gay life for a little over a year and a half."
"One of biggest things I hated about it," Rodgers added, "is that religion and faith was supposed to a place of comfort and peace, and instead it became a place of fear and loathing and hatred."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2021.
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.
Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests
As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay.
Private island on Nova Scotia's South Shore listed for $15.8M
A private island on Nova Scotia’s South Shore has been listed for sale with a $11.5-million USD price tag.
U.K. prime minister calls national election for July 4
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a national election on Wednesday, naming July 4 as the date for a vote his governing Conservatives are widely expected to lose to the opposition Labour Party after 14 years in power.
'Happy tears' of victim's sister after prison attack on serial killer Robert Pickton
Cynthia Cardinal said she was 'overwhelmed' with happiness when she received a text message on Monday with the news that serial killer Robert Pickton, who murdered her sister, was attacked in prison. She called it 'karma.'
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
'On the edge of failing': Most of Canada gets a 'D' on poverty report cards
Poverty and food insecurity have worsened in most of Canada in the past year and most provincial governments aren't doing enough to address the problem, according to a just-released series of report cards.
Blood vial delivery prompts evacuation of Republican headquarters in Washington
The Republican National Committee's headquarters in Washington was briefly evacuated on Wednesday morning after a suspicious package containing two vials of blood was delivered to the building, the police and the RNC said.
World's most expensive feather sells at New Zealand auction
A feather from a long-extinct New Zealand bird has set a record after selling for $46,521 NZD (about US$28,400), the auction house handling the sale has said.
Local Spotlight
Winnipeg chef delivers Manitoba cuisine to Houston diners
A city known for its history, ties to outer space and southern barbecue, is also home to a Winnipeg chef dishing out dozens of perogies.
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Beyond books: Halifax libraries lends instruments, sports equipment, memory kits and more
Public libraries in Atlantic Canada are now lending a broader range of items.
'A special bird': The unbreakable bond between purple martins and humans
Flashes of purple darting across the sky mixed with the serenading sound of songs will be noticed more with spring in full force in Manitoba.
7-year-old Pokémon prodigy heading to Hawaii for world championship tournament
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.
VIDEO Born without front legs, this dog has been inspiring the world for 3 years: Dresden farm owner
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
From DVDs to rehearsals: Halifax theatre company transforms Video Difference building into arts hub
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.
'Another pair of eyes watching over me:' How a B.C. woman's service dog saved her from drowning
A B.C. woman says her service dog pulled her from a lake moments before she had a seizure, saving her life.
Starbucks fan on decades-long journey to visit every store in the world
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.