Vancouver – In recognition of the 2nd anniversary of the federal criminal law on ‘conversion therapy’ practices which came into effect on January 7, 2022, the Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) has launched a new website focused on raising awareness and understanding of these practices and the federal law.
The new website, StopConversionPractices.ca, includes information for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, as well as service providers and the broader public to increase their knowledge of these harmful and fraudulent practices, as well as the federal law and specific offences related to conversion therapy. The initiative was created by CBRC in partnership with No Conversion Canada (NCC), with funding from Justice Canada and Women and Gender Equality Canada.
“We celebrate the fact that conversion ‘therapy’ has been denounced in Canada through Bill C-4 and recognize it as an important step towards eradication,” says Michael Kwag, CBRC Executive Director. “We also acknowledge that there is much work left to be done to stop these harmful practices from continuing to happen in the midst of the rising tide of hate-motivated violence and misinformation targeting queer, trans, and Two-Spirit people.”
Stop Conversion Practices has been created with guidance from service providers including mental health practitioners, and through research and consultations led by survivors, with survivors, and for survivors – ensuring that this resource is grounded in lived experience.
Nick Schiavo, Founder and Executive Director of NCC, says “Stop Conversion Practices is truly a team effort, encompassing the ongoing advocacy by survivors of conversion practices and the hard work of CBRC, in collaboration with NCC, to better support our community. We are so proud to see this much-needed community resource launch.”
Primarily for practitioners, service providers of queer, trans, and Two-Spirit people, and policymakers who are working to end conversion practices and support survivors, it is also intended for survivors, their family and friends, and anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of conversion practices and change efforts.
