Calgary Council looks at banning conversion therapy
Posted January 17, 2020 8:34 am.
Last Updated January 17, 2020 2:24 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – The City of Calgary could soon ban the practice of conversion therapy.
City councillors Evan Woolley, Druh Farrel, Gian-Carlo Carra, Jyoti Gondek and Mayor Naheed Nenshi will present a motion to council on Tuesday to remove the practice.
Conversion therapy aims to change an individual’s sexual orientation through counselling or religious teachings.
It has been discredited as psychologically damaging.
Nenshi, at an event with federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu Friday, called the practice “insidious” and said it’s something that needs to be dealt with.
He said the city could prevent conversion therapy by refusing to issue or by revoking business licences for groups that use it.
In a release, Woolley said conversion therapy is reprehensible and added: “it’s alarming that in 2020 there are still individuals and organizations in Calgary that promote what amounts to a form of psychological abuse.”
Woolley, who was raised by two women said many same-sex couples still live in anxiety today.
“I want to raise my child in a city that is welcoming of all people regardless of who they love. Conversion therapy works to counter that ideal and we as a community must stand against this hurtful practice.”
“This issue is too important to sit and wait for action from other levels of government,” said Farrel. “Having city council ban conversion therapy will send an important message to the LGBTQ2 community.”
Last year, the cities of St. Albert, Edmonton and Strathcona County voted to ban the practice.
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Hajdu said she applauds the move by Calgary city council.
“Municipal leadership on challenging issues like this is so important and I applaud the mayor for taking the important steps that he can with the tools that he has.”
She adds the federal government sent letters to all provinces last summer asking them to ban conversion therapy, but hasn’t heard back from Alberta.
However, the Government of Alberta responded to that claim on Thursday afternoon by providing proof of their response.
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.660citynews.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/sites/8/2020/01/17/Letter-to-Minister-Lametti.pdf” title=”Letter to Minister Lametti”]
–with files from The Canadian Press
