Kitchener council votes to formally denounce conversion therapy

Kitchener city council has unanimously passed a motion to formally condemn the practice of conversion “therapy”.

That motion, forwarded by Ward 9 Councillor Debbie Chapman, recognizes the practice that aims to repress, deny or discourage a person's non-heterosexual sexual orientation, non-cisgender gender identity or gender expression as “unscientific, dangerous and proven to cause harm” to its victims, while calling on upper levels of government to further prohibit the practice. 

Speaking to council on Monday was Mark Hartburg, a member of the Waterloo Steering Committee for non-profit group “No Conversion Canada” and a survivor of conversion practices.

Sharing their own lived experience, Hartburg told council of his time as a Lutheran Minister and denominational leader, experiencing conversion practices including pastoral counselling, participation in “ex-gay groups” and intense periods of prayer.

“Some research tells us that at least one in ten queer or transgender Canadians have suffered from similar practices, although I suspect that number is quite a bit higher,” said Hartbug.

“Most medical and psychological professionals consider these practices as unscientific, harmful and according to the U.N. High Commission on Human Rights, bordering on torture.”

Coming out after the death of his wife in 2013, Hartburg said the process of being honest with his own identity lead to the loss of his career, a large portion of his income, his connection to his faith community and many friends and colleagues – though local supports like those offered through SPECTRUM, a local inclusive community space for LGBTQ2+ individuals, he was able to move forward.

Working now to ban the practice of conversion therapy at the federal, provincial and municipal level, Hartburg noted that Kitchener and the Region of Waterloo have typically been leaders in many areas, urging council to move against the practice. 

One of Hartburg's colleagues, the Founder of No Conversion Canada Nicholas Schiavo, also shared a number of eye opening statistics on the damage of conversion practices, noting that 2021 Canadian data from the Journal of Sex Research confirmed it leads to the “interconnected experiences of guilt, shame, social isolation, poor mental health and suicidality,”

Schiavo also encouraged the City of Kitchener to consider enacting a formal bylaw against the practice in the New Year. 

With the unanimous passing of council's motion Monday, the City of Kitchener also requested that its office of Equity, Anti-Racism and Indigenous Initiatives look to ways to better support conversion therapy survivors and those at risk of being harmed by the practice.

They're asking staff to also monitor any legislative developments from upper levels of government, pertaining to the practice to be reported to the municipality for consideration. 

A copy of the resolution has also been forwarded to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several members of his cabinet, urging the creation of a new bill within the first 100 days of the government's mandate to protect Canadians of all ages against conversion practices, including a “no consent” provision that insists no individual can be expected to knowingly consent to the harm presented by the practice.

In addition, city staff have also reached out the the provincial government and all other municipalities in Ontario, calling on them to formally denounce conversion practices. 

Kitchener councillor Scott Davey noted he believed the human rights issue to be in the jurisdiction of the federal government, but rather than trying to argue that point, the councillor said he'd “park that argument” in order to avoid diminishing in any way the experiences of survivors. 

“Instead, I'm just going to go on the record and state my personal opinion on this, and that is (…) any practice that seeks to deny a person's identity, or deems whom they are allowed to love is morally and ethically reprehensible – that's all I want to say, and I'll support the motion.”