Legislation to ban the harmful and widely discredited practice known as conversion therapy became the first Government bill to receive Royal Assent during the 44^th Parliament.

The legislation was adopted unanimously in the Senate on Tuesday, less than a week after its unanimous adoption in the House of Commons.

“With the passage of this bill, the Senate stood shoulder to shoulder with the House of Commons in the defense of human rights and Canada’s LGBTQ2 community,” said Senator Marc Gold, the Government Representative in the Senate.

He thanked Senator René Cormier for his leadership as sponsor of the bill.

• Read the speech by the sponsor here.

Among other measures, this new law:

• Defines conversion therapy as a practice designed to change, repress or reduce a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation;
• Criminalizes conversion therapy, as well as taking a minor from Canada to undergo the practice abroad; and
• Criminalizes advertising, promoting or receiving a benefit from conversion therapy.