After the City of Saskatoon voted 9-1 to ban conversion therapy, a group in Regina is hoping the same will soon be done in their city.
Conversion therapy, sometimes called “reparative therapy”, “sexuality counseling”, or “ex-gay ministry” is a range of dangerous and discredited practices that falsely claim to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Queen City For All says conversion therapy is a form of abuse and can create lasting negative effects on an individual who goes through it.
Spokesperson Kent Peterson says they’re very optimistic after hearing the news out of Saskatoon.
“I want to applaud the folks in Saskatoon who made this conversion therapy ban come to fruition, and not just the councillors and the mayor who voted for the ban, but it was actually brought forward by the face community,” Peterson said. “It was brought up by the United Church in Saskatoon and supported by all the folks that have family and friends impacted by it in the community.”
Peterson says conversion therapy is something that is still practiced in Regina, but it’s hard to know exactly how often.
“That’s partially because of the way it’s carried out, folks that might do this to people know that it won’t be popular, and so they change the name and change what they call it, they say that they ‘love and support’ these people, but really that means love and support if they change who they are,” Peterson said.
The group is hoping the City of Regina is able to pass a ban similar to Saskatoon’s with relative ease.
Mayor Sandra Masters has already said she would support a ban on conversion therapy.
“I’m hoping when it’s discussed their won’t be a fight, I think it’s pretty clear conversion therapy is widely discredited and has been for a very long time,” Peterson said. “Now that Saskatoon has sort of lead the way for communities in Saskatchewan hopefully others like Regina can join them and ban what is a very harmful and violent practice.”
