Conversion therapy ban bylaw going before Regina city council Wednesday

Regina city councillors will debate a ban on conversion therapy on Wednesday. Members of the public have until Tuesday at noon to put in submissions or requests to address council. 

Conversion therapy tries to change people's sexual orientation or gender identity. In April 2021, after long and bitter meetings filled with homophobic and transphobic rhetoric, councillors voted to have a local bylaw barring the practice brought to council in July.

Speakers in April complained a bylaw would change how people are counselled and would prevent parents from talking to their children. Reverend Joy Cowan, a queer minister with the Heritage United Church, disagrees. 

"This will not impact the way that I counsel people in any way, because my position is not one where I'm trying to change someone from who they are," Cowan said. "When I counsel someone, it is accepting who they are fully and helping them to explore that."

Because there is no coercion or ulterior motive, Cowan said she can still help people explore who they are, their sexual orientation or gender identity, and families can still talk to their teenagers about sexual identities. 

"As long as people are having a fair and open conversation, there is no worry that there would be any infringement of the law."

Cowan hopes councillors feel empowered and excited to create the bylaw and cultivate an accepting place for all members of the LGBTQ community. Cowan addressed city council in April, but will be doing a written submission this time around.

"Considering how ugly and transphobic and just, it was such a difficult meeting last time, I just choose not to go through that again," Cowan said. 

"I do hope that the bylaw passes and is approved by our council so that we can say definitively that Regina is a place that welcomes and includes the LGBTQ community, and it's also a place that isn't trying to ignore some of the transphobia and homophobia that still does exist."

Brendan Dickie experienced a form of conversion therapy in his youth as a child. The Regina man said the practice is rooted in fear of something outside of "normal," but has been proven to cause more harm than good in the long run. 

"Conversion therapy itself causes so much higher rates of suicide within the queer community," Dickie said. "Even looking back into my past and my journey to actually coming out, I think the therapy that I went through definitely caused a lot of psychological and emotional harm." 

It took time to come to terms with his identity as a member of the LGBTQ community and knowing it wasn't wrong.

"I honestly hope that the city and the counselors start relying more on people within the community, like within Regina, and talking to members that have gone through therapy," Dickie said. "And not relying on people from other provinces or other countries entirely."

Who you are matters and you are very much loved. And don't let these haters have the last word.- Rev. Joy Cowan 

Cowan hopes that one day Regina can be a haven for LGBTQ peoples. She said this bylaw is just the first step to making that a reality. Cowan said she hopes for more representation of LGBTQ peoples at city events and at different institutions around the city. 

Cowan said she wants people to know their identity is not up for discussion. 

"Who you are or how you identify, how you understand yourself and how you want to share yourself with the world, that is a beautiful gift that God has given you," Cowan said. 

"Regardless of what people may say during this council meeting, who you are matters and you are very much loved. And don't let these haters have the last word. Don't let them be the ones who define you."