Calgary city council passes motion to ban conversion therapy

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – Calgary city council has unanimously passed a motion to ban conversion therapy.

Around 100 members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community rallied at City Hall, standing in solidarity against conversion therapy.

The crowd of rainbow-and clad supporters roared with cheers as council passed its motion.

Several #LGBT community members are at @cityofcalgary, waiting in a security line to get into Council Chambers. They're here to show their suppprt of a bylaw that would effectively ban conversion therapy. #conversiontherapy #yyc #Calgary @660NEWS pic.twitter.com/p2IZ3lfptw

— Saif Kaisar (@StaySaif) February 3, 2020

The notice of motion was brought forth to council by councillors Evan Woolley, Druh Farrell, Gian-Carlo Carra, Jyoti Gondek, Peter Demong, and Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

“(Conversion therapy) is horrific and sad,” said Woolley.

Conversion therapy is a pseudoscientific practice which aims to change one’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual. It can involve electro-shock therapy.

Several councillors chimed in and called the practice barbaric and demanded it be banned on a provincial and federal level.

“This is something we need to fight for,” said Gondek. “Let’s just get it done.”

The motion states city council will push the UCP government to end the practice.

Pam Rocker is one of the rally organizers and an LGBTQ advocate.

“If we have very strict and clear bylaws, this means there would actually be penalties for providing (conversion therapy), and business licenses being taken away,” she told 660 NEWS.

“It’s been proven by all major health and medical professions and organizations (that conversion therapy is) ineffective and in fact extremely damaging, psychologically, to those who are victim to it.”

Council will also draft a bylaw which would revoke business licenses from organizations that practice conversion therapy.