441-00579 (Justice)
- Keywords
- An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy)
- Conversion therapy
- Gender identity and gender expression
- Sexual minorities
Original language of petition: English
Petition to the House of Commons
We, the undersigned citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:
Whereas, conversion therapy has historically referred to coercive, degrading actions that seek to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity which are wrong and should be banned;
Whereas, Bill C-6 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 behavior or non-cisgender gender expression";
Whereas, this broad definition wrongly applies the label "conversion therapy" to a broad range of practices, including counsel from parents, teachers, and counsellors encouraging children to reduce sexual behavior;
Whereas, Bill C-6 expressly allows counselling, medical, and surgical efforts to change a child's gender, but prohibits support for a child seeking to de-transition to his or her birth (cis) gender;
Whereas, Bill C-6 could restrict the choices of LGBTQ2 Canadians concerning sexuality and gender by prohibiting access to any professional or spiritual support freely chosen to limit sexual behaviour or de-transition.
Therefore we, the undersigned, call on the House of Commons to take the following actions to address the situation:
1. Ban coercive, degrading practices that are designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity;
2. Amend Bill C-6 to Fix the Definition of Conversion Therapy, thus banning Conversion Therapy without banning voluntary counselling or criminalizing conversations; and
3. Allow parents to speak with their own children about sexuality and gender, and to set house rules about sex and relationships.
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Parliamentary Secretary Gary Anandasangaree
So-called conversion therapy is a cruel and degrading practice, which has physical and mental impacts on those who undergo it, in some cases to the point of death. Conversion therapy is a scientifically discredited practice that discriminates against 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians by telling them that they should change a fundamental part of who they are – their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Our Government is proud to have passed former Bill C-4, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy), which criminalizes causing another person to undergo conversion therapy, removing a minor from Canada to subject them to conversion therapy abroad, profiting from conversion therapy and advertising or promoting it.
So-called conversion therapy harms and further stigmatizes sexual and gender-diverse persons and undermines their equality and dignity. No Canadian should be subjected to this practice, which is based on the false pretense that a person's sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression can and should be altered according to a narrow belief of what is considered "natural" or "normal". The consensus demonstrated by all Parliamentarians in Canada on former Bill C-4 is part of an emerging global consensus surrounding the real and life-long harms for conversion therapy victims and survivors, and our Government is proud to be a global leader in ending this abhorrent practice.
- Presented to the House of Commons
-
Arnold Viersen
(Peace River—Westlock)
June 14, 2022 (Petition No. 441-00579) - Government response tabled
- September 20, 2022
Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.
Petitions identical to 441-00579 (Justice)
Identical Petition | Presenter | Date of Presentation | Signatures |
---|---|---|---|
441-00579 | Arnold Viersen | June 14, 2022 | 30 |
441-00068 | Garnett Genuis | December 14, 2021 | 34 |
441-00055 | Garnett Genuis | December 13, 2021 | 29 |
432-01109 | Garnett Genuis | June 14, 2021 | 29 |
432-01051 | Tamara Jansen | June 7, 2021 | 47 |
432-01002 | Garnett Genuis | May 31, 2021 | 27 |
432-00995 | Garnett Genuis | May 28, 2021 | 27 |
432-00975 | Garnett Genuis | May 26, 2021 | 30 |
432-00970 | Garnett Genuis | May 25, 2021 | 26 |
432-00869 | Garnett Genuis | April 23, 2021 | 26 |
432-00844 | Garnett Genuis | April 21, 2021 | 27 |
432-00839 | Garnett Genuis | April 20, 2021 | 32 |
432-00813 | Damien C. Kurek | April 15, 2021 | 27 |
432-00802 | Garnett Genuis | April 15, 2021 | 29 |
432-00794 | Garnett Genuis | April 14, 2021 | 25 |
432-00790 | Arnold Viersen | April 14, 2021 | 38 |
432-00789 | Jeremy Patzer | April 14, 2021 | 32 |
432-00783 | Garnett Genuis | April 13, 2021 | 28 |
432-00754 | Arnold Viersen | March 26, 2021 | 29 |
432-00742 | Tom Kmiec | March 26, 2021 | 27 |
432-00729 | Garnett Genuis | March 24, 2021 | 27 |
432-00688 | Garnett Genuis | March 22, 2021 | 26 |
432-00675 | Garnett Genuis | March 12, 2021 | 28 |
432-00665 | Garnett Genuis | March 11, 2021 | 28 |
432-00649 | Garnett Genuis | March 10, 2021 | 26 |
432-00605 | Garnett Genuis | March 8, 2021 | 27 |
Total signatures | 761 |