People will nearly universally agree that forced or coercive conversion therapy, in which unwilling participants are subjected to psychological or medical so-called treatments, have no place in civilized society. Accordingly, such practices are and have been illegal in Canada since well before the onset Bill C-4. Advocates for the bill would have you believe that Bill C-4 simply seeks to further enshrine those protections against abusive conversion therapy, but upon closer inspection we see that this is clearly not the case. This bill is an ideologically driven push, not a motion to protect vulnerable communities.

In our previous video we were joined by a panel of experts who laid out their concerns with some of the language and definitions included in the bill. In brief, Bill C-4 renders illegal any therapy or counselling — even if voluntarily sought out by an adult — which encourages or directs an individual to reduce non-heterosexual attraction or behaviour. It also criminalizes any counselling services which may seek to assist anyone, including children, who may wish to detransition and revert to their biological sex.

While this clearly raises concerns on numerous fronts, not least of which are the informed consent rights of self-identifying LGBT individuals who might wish to seek out numerous perspectives before affirming a gender or orientation, the bill has at its core a fundamental problem, it clearly violates charter enshrined religious freedoms. This goes beyond revoking an individual’s right to seek whichever counselling they deem best suits them, which is troubling enough, as it also is an overt attack on many religious communities in Canada.

Almost every major religion has teachings on sexuality and gender, some of which unchangingly span millennia.

The teachings of many traditional faiths clearly advocate for reducing non-heterosexual behaviour. Furthermore, many established world religions clearly affirm the fixed nature of gender as an unchangeable and divinely originating fact. Offering counsel in line with these beliefs or directing something to seek counsel from a faith leader who advocates for traditional gender and sexuality norms is illegal under Bill C-4.

We joined Pastor Tim Stephens, who you may recall spent time in jail for daring to keep his church open throughout COVID-19, to discuss the troubling realities associated with Bill C-4, the political and ideological motivations which drive it, and his biblical perspective on matters of sexuality and gender.

Bill C-4 has no place in Canada, it marginalizes self-identifying LGBT individuals, and its intentionally problematic definitions serve as potential openings for legal persecution against countless peaceful faith communities across this nation. Sign our petition and send an email to those responsible for passing this bill at BanBillC4.com.