Edmonton will soon take steps to ban conversion therapy — the widely discredited practice that tries to change a person’s sexual orientation through counselling or religious teaching.
Council’s community and public services committee agreed Wednesday to draft a bylaw to “prohibit licensing, practice and promotion of conversion therapy.”
Mayor Don Iveson said he considers the practice a form of psychological abuse because it’s based on the idea that a being LGBTQ2S person is wrong.
“I think there is a fundamental right for Edmontonians and for Canadians to not be subjected to any form of psychological abuse,” he said. “It’s a violence.”
The motion calls for a $10,000 fine for groups or therapists found using conversion therapy.
Iveson proposed the motion after several hours of emotionally charged presentations from scholars, therapists, Christian leaders, politicians and citizens.
Two politicians spoke first at the committee meeting, urging councillors to help ban the practice.
Janis Irwin, MLA for Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood, also a member of the provincial working group for conversion therapy, said all levels of government have a role in preventing the practice from continuing.
“We know that conversion therapy is wrong, we know that it’s abusive,” Irwin said.
She said many young people have approached her with stories of forced attempts at conversion that involved shaming.
Thank you to <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/yegcc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#yegcc</a> for hearing my words and those of <a href=”https://twitter.com/R_Boissonnault?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@R_Boissonnault</a> this morning. The actions that we take as governments matter. They matter greatly. Banning conversion therapy is more than symbolic. We can demonstrate our values as a city. We can save lives. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/ableg?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#ableg</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#cdnpoli</a> <a href=”https://t.co/zLOeiMAEhi”>https://t.co/zLOeiMAEhi</a>
—@JanisIrwin
Randy Boissonnault, Liberal MP for Edmonton-Centre, expressed his perspective on conversion therapy.
“It’s akin to torture,” Boissonnault told the committee. “There’s nothing about me that needs to be changed — full stop.”
But not everyone was in favour of the proposed ban.
Jojo Ruba, who works in various Christian ministries as a youth pastor, argued that banning the practice would interfere with the potential to counsel people.
“I’ve talked to Christian counsellors who have this chilled effect — they no longer want to talk about these kinds of issues,” Ruba said. “They can no longer provide a holistic approach.”
Glynnis Lieb, executive director of the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies at the University of Alberta, said conversion therapy is not conducted by certified counsellors trying to help someone work through issues and questions.
“Conversion therapy is trying to change somebody’s sexuality or gender identity or orientation through any means possible,” Lieb said. “To do that means that you are telling them that how they identify is wrong, flawed in some way.”
Lieb said that can include punishment and forced prayer.
Coun. Michael Walters agreed with other councillors and experts that the practice is abusive.
“It is my view that this practice is evil — full stop.”
“It’s advanced by a subversion of Christian values, misappropriation by the otherwise good spirit of the Christian heart.”
Council must pass the bylaw for it to go into effect. The next council meeting is Aug. 27.