Saskatoon city council passes bylaw to ban conversion therapy

Saskatoon city council voted Tuesday to ban conversion therapy in the community by passing a bylaw prohibiting businesses from providing the widely criticized treatment.

Conversion therapy is defined as a service intended to change someone's sexual orientation or identity. 

Ward 5 Coun. Randy Donauer was the only councillor who voted against the bylaw as written, because he took issue with its definition of conversion therapy.

He proposed an amendment which would have allowed consenting adults to seek out therapy or counselling that could perhaps help them change their "lifestyle" should they choose, but there was no seconder so the bylaw passed as written. 

Speakers Tuesday on the matter supported passing the bylaw. Ben Rodgers, who underwent conversion therapy in Ontario, said sending the message of support from the city to LGBTQ2S+ members of the community is important. 

Cities like Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Lethbridge have passed similar bans.

The federal government has also moved to ban conversion therapy, promising changes to the Criminal Code to criminalize aspects of it. The federal legislation was approved in principle last October, but it's unclear when changes will come into effect.

City administration said they drew heavily from the other municipal bylaws and also wanted to make sure their bylaw would not interfere with federal legislation. 

"The symbolic impact and the message that legislation sends to residents is important," Coun. Hilary Gough (Ward 2) said. 

"And the message I want to send is that everyone is welcome in our community, that your identity is yours and that no identities are bad," she said.

"There should be no work in our community that seeks to change the identity of people who are gender and sexually diverse."