Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
on Friday said that banning therapies that attempt to alter the
sexual orientation or gender identity of people who identify as
lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender will be a “top priority” of
his administration.
Such therapies go by names such as
“conversion therapy,” “reparative therapy,” “sexual
orientation change efforts” or “ex-gay therapy.”
In a letter to Canada's justice
secretary outlining his administration's top priorities, Trudeau said
that the attorney general and minister of justice must work to “amend
the Criminal Code to ban the practice of conversion therapy and take
other steps required with the provinces and territories to end
conversion therapy in Canada.”
According to the Independent,
activists said that they were “very pleased” to see Trudeau
prioritizing such a ban.
“This is a real opportunity for
Canada to show leadership on the world stage when it comes to passing
the strongest legislation in the world. To clearly demonstrate that
conversion therapy has no place in our society or civilization,”
said Kristopher Wells, a professor at MacEwan University.
Trudeau, an outspoken LGBT ally, won
reelection in October.