Legislative Summary of Federal Bill Banning Conversion Therapy

 The Library of Parliament has published a Legislative Summary of Bill C-6: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy):

"The definition of 'conversion therapy' included in the bill, as paraphrased by the Department of Justice, is 'a practice that seeks to change an individual's sexual orientation to heterosexual, to repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behaviours, or to change an individual's gender identity to match the sex they were assigned at birth'."

"The preamble of Bill C-6 states that conversion therapy causes harm to persons who are subjected to it, particularly children. It harms society more broadly by promoting myths and stereotypes about sexual orientation and gender identity, such as the notion that these personal characteristics can and should be changed. Consequently, the bill aims to discourage and denounce conversion therapy by criminalizing certain activities related to it, with the further intention of protecting 'the human dignity and equality of all Canadians.' It amends the Criminal Code (the Code) in order, among other things, to prohibit anyone from

• advertising services related to conversion therapy;
• forcing persons or causing a child to undergo conversion therapy;
• removing a child from Canada to undergo conversion therapy abroad; and
• receiving a material benefit from the provision of conversion therapy."