A proposed statute that seeks to ban conversion therapy in the Kingston area has been postponed until January.
the proposed statute see city council send letters in support of bill C-6, and put in place measures that would create a stronger support system for the LGBTQ2S + community and direct city staff to draft a statute prohibiting any form of therapy Of conversation.
A motion tabled by Councilmember Doherty will now have the council consider comments on Tuesday’s delegate statute and reconsider certain points of the statute early next year.
Doherty said the statute is too important for many people not to take the time to get it right.
Ben Rodgers, a survivor of conversion therapy at the hands of the Third Day Worship Church and the driving force behind the ordinance, said before the city council meeting that his expectation was for the ordinance to pass, and that there should be no “other result if (the advice) they do the right thing! ”
In his presentation to the council, Rodgers said this regulation could, and almost certainly, set a precedent for other Ontario municipalities.
“Right now I know for a fact that there are other municipalities waiting for a statute to come into play,” Rodgers said.
“You guys are going to create a trickle down effect for places like Ottawa, where the mayor literally said this couldn’t be done.”
Rodgers also specifically noted that passing such a statute would show a commitment to change from Mayor Paterson, a former member of the Third Day Worship Church.
However, other delegates who spoke about the bill have convinced the council to delay its decision on the statute, with the space allowed for religious exemptions being a major problem.
Seth Perry, pastor of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, expressed disappointment at the lack of support from other institutions, noting that St. Mark is one of four Kingston-area Christian churches that would act as a resource for the proposed statute.
Perry says that asking an LGBTQ person to live celibately, as the Catholic diocese does, is a form of conversion therapy.
He added that the ban on conversion therapy must stop being confused with an attack on religion.
“This law is not about punishing churches, it is about survivors and it is not a political issue,” Perry told the council.
“This is a human rights problem, this is a mental health problem, this is a public health problem and it is a matter of compassion and justice.”
The Council also heard from Nick Schiavo of No Conversion Canada and Ashley Perna, a local woman who identifies as queer, who affirmed the need to remove a religious exemption from this statute.
Schiavo noted that similar conversion therapy statutes across Canada have not included the exemption that he says provides some leeway for religious institutions to view conversion therapy as legitimate treatment.
He says generally, abuse should be considered abuse.
“It is really important that everyone is covered by this statute, and that if you are committing abuse, you are committing abuse and the city stands behind it,” Schiavo said.
Schiavo added that the notion of pastors facing legal action simply for conversations about sexuality is largely based on the propaganda of fear.
Muhammad Ahsan, the city’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, says the council’s willingness to really listen to delegates is important.
He added that the postponement will allow staff to review and potentially strengthen the statute, while ensuring they can deal with any legal implications.
City staff will look to see if the statute can be strengthened between now and January.
Reference-ygknews.ca