Image Credit: SUBMITTED / Kelowna Pride Society
October 13, 2021 - 6:00 AM
A Kelowna-based advocacy group is asking for signatures on a petition to get Kelowna to pass bylaws banning conversion therapy.
Advocacy Canada's Kelowna task force is calling on the City of Kelowna to ban conversion therapy and had 419 signatures on its online petition as of Oct. 12.
“Nineteen municipalities across Canada have already enacted bylaws to ban conversion therapy," the organization, led by Wilbur Turner, said on its Change.org petition. "The federal government is also in the process of criminalizing some conversion therapy practices. We're calling on the City of Kelowna to enact a ban on conversion therapy and support the federal government in criminalizing these harmful practices.”
READ MORE: Public apology demanded from Kelowna MP Tracy Gray for her stand on conversion therapy
There is currently no legislation in place banning conversion therapy in Kelowna.
Before the last federal election, the federal government was set to make conversion therapy illegal, but the legislation died on the table when the election was called. It was notably opposed by Kelowna-Lake Country MP Tracy Gray, drawing anger and condemnation from Turner and others.
READ MORE: Kelowna's Tracy Gray only MP in region to vote against ban on conversion therapy
The goal of the petition is to prohibit conversion efforts that are designed to change or repress a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
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