[International] Canada's House of Commons passes Bill criminalising LGBTO+ 'Anti-Conversion' Therapy

On Tuesday, June 22^nd House of Commons of Canadian Parliament passed a bill criminalizing LGBTQ+ conversion therapy in order to discourage and denounce it. The bill amends the ‘Criminal Code’ to criminalize certain activities associated with LGBTQ+ conversion therapy. The lower house passed the bill by a vote of 263 to 63. It will now proceed to Canada's Senate (Upper House).

The bill defines conversion therapy as-

“A practice, treatment or service designed to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual, to change a person’s gender identity or gender expression to cisgender or to repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behaviour or non-cisgender gender expression.”

The new bill would prohibit subjecting a minor to the practice, either in Canada or abroad. Forcing a child to undertake conversion therapy, as well as to remove a child from Canada to undergo conversion therapy elsewhere is made illegal. It would also prevent forcing adults from undergoing the practice against their will.

In addition, no one would be allowed to profit from or advertise it. It makes advertising conversion therapy services a criminal offense.

However, if no money or other material benefit is received in exchange for administering conversion therapy to a consenting adult, the bill does not make it illegal. Moreover, it does not prevent a consenting adult from seeking or receiving conversion therapy.

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti said that the bill was "about protecting the dignity and equality rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirit individuals, by criminalizing conversion therapy-related conduct."

He further said that "if passed, the Bill will make Canada's criminal laws on conversion therapy the most progressive and comprehensive in the world."

The practice of conversion therapy has been widely discredited as cruel and traumatic. Aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, conversion therapy can include talk therapy, hypnosis, electric shocks and fasting. According to the Canadian Psychological Association, there is no scientific evidence that conversion therapy works, but plenty of evidence it causes harm to LGBTQ individuals.

Recently, on 7^th June Madras High Court of India passed a judgment asking asked the Union government to ban any attempts to medically “cure” or change the sexual orientation of LGBTIQA+ persons — also known as conversion therapy. The High Court also issued guidelines for creating a safe environment for LGBTQIA+ persons and to ensure that they are not harassed by the police during the investigations into missing complaints filed by their parents.

The Court has said that sensitization programs should be conducted for police and prison authorities, district and state legal service authorities, officials in the judiciary, physical and mental health professionals, education institutions, health work, public or private institutions as well as parents of people from LGBTQIA+ community.

Although the practice of ‘Conversion Therapy’ is discredited by The World Health Organization (WHO) and more than 60 health professional associations from over 20 countries, according to international LGBTQ organisation ILGA World, only four countries Brazil, Ecuador, Germany and Malta, ban the practice.While another four countries, the US, Canada, Australia and Spain, have regional laws preventing the practice in some parts of the country. There are five countries – Argentina, Uruguay, Samoa, Fiji and Naura – that also have indirect bans.