Executive Summary

Context and approach

Bill C-4, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy), came into force on January 7, 2022, in Canada and created new Criminal Code offences prohibiting: causing another person to undergo conversion ‘therapy’, regardless of age or consent (section 320.102); removing a child from Canada to subject them to conversion therapy abroad (paragraph 273.3(1)(c)); promoting or advertising conversion therapy (section 320.103); and receiving a financial or other material benefit from the provision of conversion ‘therapy’ (section 320.104). It also amended the Criminal Code to authorize courts to order that advertisements for conversion ‘therapy’ be disposed of or deleted. The Criminal Code defines conversion ‘therapy’ as any practice, treatment or service designed to make a person conform to heteronormative or cisnormative standards (section 320.101). The definition further clarifies that interventions that help a person explore or develop their identity are not conversion ‘therapy’ unless they are based on the false assumption that a particular sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression is preferable to another.

While criminalization of conversion ‘therapy’ was an important step toward protecting Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and other sexual and gender minority (2SLGBTQIA+) people from conversion ‘therapy,’ this ‘therapy’ persists and continues to harm 2SLGBTQIA+ people. There are also gaps in support for conversion ‘therapy’ survivors. Additionally, previous work on conversion ‘therapy’ did not centre the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), immigrants, newcomers, refugees, and those without immigration status. To better understand the conversion ‘therapy’ experiences of these groups of 2SLGBTQIA+ people and improve support, the Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) conducted 16 qualitative interviews with 2SLGBTQIA+ conversion ‘therapy’ survivors who are BIPOC, immigrants, newcomers and/or refugees in Canada to explore the nature and impact of their experiences and the types of support survivors desired and accessed

Key findings

Although many participants knew of Bill C-4, most did not have a strong understanding of Bill C-4. Many participants also pointed out the need to rethink the term, conversion ‘therapy,’ and to recognize broad ranges of conversion practices, including explicit and implicit ones, which are both harmful. Participants identified various forms of conversion ‘therapy’ and/or sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts (SOGIECE) experiences across different settings such as medical, religious, educational, and familial contexts, with participants frequently experiencing conversion ‘therapy’ in multiple settings. All forms of conversion ‘therapy’ within different settings had devastating effects on many areas of participants’ lives, including negative mental and physical health impacts, ongoing denial of 2SLGBTQIA+ identity, loss of life opportunities, loss of important connections and relationships, and isolation.

Most participants did not have much support while they were experiencing conversion ‘therapy’ but accessed support afterwards. Sources of support included families, partners, friends, mental health resources, 2SLGBTQIA+ community organizations, and 2SLGBTQIA+ peer support. Offering and receiving peer support played a critical role in many participants’ healing journey. Participants pointed out the need for low cost and low barrier mental health services and culturally sensitive and trauma-informed support that fully attends to intersecting sexual, gender, ethnoracial, religious, and other diverse identities and experiences. Similarly, many participants expressed the desire for anonymous services to protect their privacy and safety. Additionally, engaging in culturally sensitive outreach and community education about available support services, conversion ‘therapy’ practices, and Bill C-4 is important. Lastly, participants emphasized the need for systemic changes such as improving healthcare systems, immigration and refugee systems, refining and clarifying Bill C-4, and developing laws and policies beyond Bill C-4 to protect 2SLGBTQIA+ people.

Conclusions and recommendations

The 2SLGBTQIA+ conversion ‘therapy’ survivors who are BIPOC, immigrants, newcomers, and refugees face unique additional barriers due to intersecting oppression based on their race, ethnicity, immigration status, language, religion, and other diverse identities and experiences. Our findings indicate that support for these groups of 2SLGBTQIA+ conversion practice survivors will be enhanced by efforts to:

1. Shift away from the term conversion ‘therapy’ andinstead use the terms conversion practices or sexual orientation andgender identity and expression change efforts (SOGIECE), to reflect abroader definition that includes broad ranges of conversion practices.
2. Increase knowledge of Bill C-4, the range of conversionpractices, and the impacts of conversion practices, through educationcampaigns. These campaigns must be developed for multiple audiences, incollaboration with survivors, ethnoracial, immigrant, newcomer and refugeecommunities.
3. Any efforts on implementation of Bill C-4 must be firstinformed by educational and restorative approaches, guided by BIPOC,immigrant, newcomer, and refugee 2SLGBTQIA+ survivors.
4. Increase knowledge of conversion practices and their impactamongst immigration services, within the federal government, withinprovincial and territorial agencies, and within community-based settlementservices. This knowledge must be coupled with an improvement in servicesthat are trauma-informed.
5. Expand the mental health services provided to 2SLGBTQIA+refugees who are receiving Interim Federal Health Program,^{Footnote 1} to include low-barrier, longer-term mental health services that aretrauma-informed.
6. Eliminate the health insurance three-month waitingperiod that currently exists in some provinces/territories, so thatnewcomers can access healthcare as soon as they arrive in Canada,imperative for survivors of conversion ‘therapy’.
7. Expand and develop trauma-informed community-basedservices for BIPOC, immigrant, newcomer, and refugee 2SLGBTQIA+individuals, that are low-barrier, culturally and linguisticallyappropriate, and available in-person and online. Peer-led and peer-basedsupports are especially important to include. This expansion anddevelopment must be supported by government investments.
8. Investments in 2SLGBTQIA+ housing support services, witheligibility criteria to be inclusive of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities whoexperience additional systemic barriers, such as immigrants, newcomers, refugees,international students, and those without immigration status.
9. Policymakers, community leaders, and community-basedorganizations must prioritize supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and theirrights, which includes preventing and addressing conversion ’therapy’,ensuring safe spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals including within schools,improving services to reduce barriers, access to education about sexualityand gender, recourse for in-person and online hate, etc.