On Monday, the federal govt will present a law to ban conversion therapy

Key takeaways:

• The federal government plans to introduce an upgraded version of their bill banning conversion therapy in Canada. 

The federal government will table an improved version of their bill to prohibit conversion therapy treatments in Canada on Monday instead of pushing forward with a tougher version of previously stopped legislation.

When it arrives at cracking down on the destructive practice, the version of the bill arriving next week is expected to have more teeth and maybe a broader reach.

Conversion “therapy,” as it’s been dubbed, aims to transform a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or gender identity to cisgender and has been condemned by several health and human rights organizations.

The new law has been scheduled for debate in the House of Commons on Monday, with a vote expected that afternoon.

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The previous version of the measure, known as C-6, was defeated in the Senate after Conservatives declined to fast-track it at the end of the June session. When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the summer federal election, the legislation died.

During the election campaign, the Liberals, Conservatives, and New Democrats all pledged to outlaw the practice if they were elected.

The Liberals vowed in their election platform that they would reintroduce legislation within the first 100 days of a new mandate, promising to “abolish the practice of conversion therapy for everyone, and extend the coverage of the ban to include persons beyond the age of 18.”

“We have taken this seriously from the beginning because we kept pushing it, even though a global epidemic, and it will be an essential priority for us if we are re-elected,” Trudeau told CTVNews.ca in an exclusive campaign interview.

Previously, the law proposed making it a crime to submit children to conversion therapy or force an adult to undergo conversion therapy against their will. It also sought to punish anyone who profited from delivering or publicizing the practice.

The penalties would not apply to anyone who supports people asking about their sexual orientation or gender identities, such as teachers or school counselors, church leaders, doctors, or mental health experts.

The announcement will be led by Justice Minister David Lametti, Minister for Women, Gender Equality, and Youth Marci In, and out gay minister Randy Boissonnault, who formerly served as the government’s special advisor on LGBTQ2S+ matters.

Members of the LGBTQ2S+ community, with whom the administration claims to have consulted before proposing the bill, are anticipated to be present during its debut.

One of four main priority legislative objectives that the Liberals hope to see become law before the end of the year is the prohibition of conversion therapy.

While the government has argued that LGBTQ2S+ people should not be forced to so-called “treatment” for one more day, previous laws on the subject have been stymied, especially by the Liberals’ control of their legislative agenda and previous declarations that it was a provincial affair.

After criticizing the government for failing to prioritize the measure during the previous Parliament, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has stated that his party will assist the Liberals in moving it through the House.

After 62 Conservative MPs voted against the ban last year, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole’s platform indicated that he wanted to see it repealed, but with changes to highlight that “the restriction does not punish non-coercive interactions,” a concern raised by opponents of the measure.

While it is probable that it may get through the House in the coming weeks, it remains to be seen whether Senators will once again refuse to pass the legislation on a predetermined timeframe.

Source: CTV News

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