WTG Canada!

Effective today, Canada has banned "Conversion Therapy, advertising conversion therapy and profiting from conversion therapy"! At least Canada has had the guts to ban this heinous practice that has damaged many young lives.

Edited to include the following:

Bill C4 has been approved by both Houses of Canada, Parliament and Senate:

Bill C4 adds the following four offenses to the Criminal Code of Canada, punishable with jail time up to five years as well as fines:

(a) causing another person to undergo conversion therapy;

(b) doing anything for the purpose of removing a child from Canada with the intention that the child undergo conversion therapy outside Canada;

(c) promoting or advertising conversion therapy; and

(d) receiving a financial or other material benefit from the provision of conversion therapy.”

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LeopoldBloom · M

Several US states have banned licensed therapists from using it, but I don’t see how it can be totally banned. It [i]should [/i]be illegal to try to coerce a gay or trans person into changing, but I can’t think of a way to do that without violating free speech.

spjennifer · 56-60, T

@LeopoldBloom Not sure what you mean by "violating free speech"? Conversion Therapy IS a coercive practice where in many cases, young gays are held against their will and an attempt to essentially brainwash the gay out of their minds is made. I don't see how a law banning it would violate free speech?

LeopoldBloom · M

@spjennifer The state can regulate licensed therapists, but I don't see how we could tell people that they can't discuss a particular topic. Let's say some kid raised in a fundamentalist household is worried that he might be gay, so he talks to his father about it, and the father tells him to pray to Jesus until his gay desires go away. Are you saying the father should go to jail for that?

spjennifer · 56-60, T

@LeopoldBloom

[quote]Are you saying the father should go to jail for that?[/quote]

Not saying that at all, I am however against minor children being dragged off to so-called "Conversion Therapy" therapists to be brainwashed straight. Most of these so-called therapies are nothing but hard core brainwashing sessions where kids are being shamed for being gay because it's against their parents religious beliefs.

LeopoldBloom · M

@spjennifer I'm against that, too, and that's what was outlawed. And a parent subjecting a child to that kind of treatment themselves would qualify as child abuse. But I don't see how you can stop parents from talking to their kids, even if they're expressing a reprehensible opinion.

spjennifer · 56-60, T

@LeopoldBloom Oh no, as I said, parents can say whatever they want to their kids, as long as it's not abusive or trying to shame them or force them into becoming "straight". I agree, you can't stop parents from talking to their children nor should anyone, they are entitled to their beliefs but their kids are also entitled to be gay...