The passage of the federal criminal prohibition of conversion “therapy” in 2021 marked a significant milestone in Canada’s efforts to combat harmful and discriminatory practices. However, despite their illegality, conversion practices continue to threaten 2S/LGBTQIA+ people in Canada. This legal and policy report outlines prohibition and criminalization efforts of conversion practices within and beyond Canada, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches. It concludes that while legislative efforts in Canada have made some positive impacts, including creating greater awareness of conversion practices, further action is necessary to effectively address and prevent ongoing conversion practices. Practitioners and providers have not been sufficiently deterred by criminalization and survivors lack resources and face significant barriers in the criminal justice system.
This report presents eight recommendations for next steps in the fight to eliminate conversion practices in Canada and to support survivors of these practices. Informed by insights from Canadian and international criminalization efforts, the recommendations emphasize the importance of education, research, outreach, institutional reform, and an enhanced role for provincial governments as mechanisms to achieve lasting change. These recommendations are designed to inform the work of the Community-Based Research Centre’s (CBRC) Intersectoral Action Fund Project.
url="https://assets.nationbuilder.com/cbrc/pages/5357/attachments/original/1746661586/CP_Legal_Policy_Report_EN.pdf?1746661586
