The End of "Conversion Therapy?"

Sarah Mullally, the bishop of London, sent a message of ‘heartfelt encouragement’. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire/PA Images

"Conversion therapy" is one of those strange and dastardly phrases which are intended to sound positive when they are in fact the opposite. The "conversion" is actually the coercion of LGBTQ2 persons to renounce their sexual identity so that they will claim to be heterosexual. T "therapy" usually takes the form of brain-washing and even torture tactics. It is consistently shame and fear based, even though the love of God is invoked, and it simply doesn't work. Often those who run conversion therapy programs lie about their successes and some of the most aggressive leaders have eventually revealed that they are LGBTQ2 persons themselves. 

Even though these programs are destructive governments have been slow to ban them, likely because they are reluctant to alienate a conservative segment of religious voters. It is illegal in Ontario but we know that some federal Conservative MP's in the province still support it. There is federal legislation introduced in October called Bill-C6 which would make conversion therapy illegal in Canada and includes these provisions: Specifically, the Bill would enact new offences to prohibit:

• causing an individual to undergo conversion therapy against their will;
• causing a child to undergo conversion therapy;
• removing a child from Canada to undergo conversion therapy abroad;
• receiving a financial or other material benefit from the provision of conversion therapy; and
• advertising an offer to provide conversion therapy

You may heard or seen that a broad coalition of  370 faith leaders from around the world have spoken out against conversion therapy this week. Here is a description from The Guardian: 

 Senior faith leaders from around the world are coming together at an event backed by the UK government to call for an end to the criminalisation of LGBT+ people and a global ban on conversion practices.

More than 370 figures from 35 countries representing 10 religions have signed a historic declaration ahead of a conference on 16 December in a move that will highlight divisions within global religions.

he signatories include Archbishop Desmond Tutu and eight other archbishops, the Catholic former president of Ireland Mary McAleese, more than 60 rabbis, and senior Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists.

This is so encouraging and a reminder that faith in its various expressions can be a voice for good.