REGINA – Today, Official Opposition Deputy Leader Nicole Sarauer and Opposition Critic for Human Rights Meara Conway, joined by Queen City For All, demanded that the Saskatchewan Party Government take province-wide action on conversion therapy. This comes as Regina City Council officially adopted a bylaw this week to prohibit the violent and discredited practice that continues to harm 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Saskatchewan.
“We’re very proud of the fact that both Saskatoon and now Regina city councils have shown clear leadership on this issue to ban this practice within their city limits,” said Conway. “However, this step was only necessary due to the lack of leadership at the provincial level from Premier Moe and this government. Regardless of the municipality, all LGBTQ+ people in this province deserve those protections.”
Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy or Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE), involves the discredited practice of trying to change the sexual orientation of LGBTQ+ persons to heterosexuality. These practices can be very harmful, whether physically, emotionally or psychologically and have been banned by other provinces and territories, in addition to municipalities across the country. The federal government moved recently to ban the practice across Canada with Bill C-6, of which 13 of 14 Conservative Saskatchewan MPs voted against.
“The Premier and the Sask Party government should be part of the solution,” said Kent Peterson, spokesperson for Queen City For All. “All but one Saskatchewan MP refused to ban this at the federal level. The Premier and every Sask. Party MLA needs to condemn and outright ban conversion therapy to show queer folks in Saskatchewan that this horrific practice is not accepted in any corner of the province.”
The Official Opposition is calling on Premier Moe and the government to immediately:
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