Kincardine Pride Inc. is disappointed and disheartened to discover Huron Bruce Member of Parliament (MP) Ben Lobb voted against Bill C-6, a bill to amend the Criminal Code to protect LGBTQ2+1 youth from undergoing conversion therapy.
On June 22, 2021, the Canadian House of Commons voted on the third reading of Bill C-6, where it passed and is now on its way to be voted in the Senate. Sixty-three conservative MPs voted against Bill C-6 – including MP Lobb. “Conversion therapy is an unscientific, unethical and harmful practice that puts our youth in danger and is a form of torture for LGBTQ2+ people,” says Fort Papalia (he/him), President of Kincardine Pride Inc., “seeing that a local politician does not support the ban of conversion therapy is troubling for our youth and our entire LGBT2Q+ community.”
Conversion therapy is any treatment, including individual talk therapy, behavioural or aversion therapy, group therapy treatments, medical or drug-induced treatments, which attempt to change, suppress or deny someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Simply put, it is abuse.
“More than 50% of rural LGBTQ2+ individuals believe conservative values and beliefs are the largest barriers to the rural LGBTQ2+ community,” says AJ Adams (he/him), a rural LGBTQ2+ advocate/educator and advisor of Kincardine Pride. “This action by MP Lobb is despicable and adds to the narrative that conservatives and rural communities are anti-LGBTQ2+. This is a narrative that we know isn’t true and needs to change” adds Adams.
Bill C-6 is an amendment to the Criminal Code; it proposes five criminal offences related to conversion therapy. If the bill passes, it will be illegal to force a minor to undergo conversion therapy; force a person to undergo conversion therapy against their will; profit off of providing conversion therapy; advertise conversion therapy; and take a minor out of Canada to undergo conversion therapy abroad.
Being LGBTQ2+ is not something that can be “cured” as there is nothing wrong with being LGBTQ2+ . Huron Bruce LGBTQ2+ youth troubled by the news of their MP’s actions can find support through LGBT Youth Line, Kids Help Phone and WES for Youth Online. You can learn more about conversion therapy in Canada at noconversioncanada.com
