On December 10th, 2019, Edmonton City Council banned the “practice and promotion” of conversion therapy within its city limits. ‘Conversion therapy’ is a broad term used for a range of practices involving sexual orientation and identity. The full wording of the bylaw can be found HERE..The Western Standard is pleased to bring you a “Duelling Columnists Debate” between John Carpay and guest columnist Robbie Kreger-Smith on the controversial topic. .The Question: Is Edmonton’s bylaw ban of C.T. a reasonable protection of the vulnerable, or an attack on religious and personal liberties? .John Carpay.Robbie Kreger-Smith.Edmonton’s recent ban on “conversion therapy” is a gross intrusion into the private lives and private conversations of Canadian adults. Fifty years ago, Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau declared that “there’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation,” and that the government should ignore “what’s done in private between adults.” But now, acting on a “government knows best” ideology, local politicians (without education, training or credentials in medicine, psychology, theology or counselling) are expressing a keen interest in “what’s done in private between adults.” Edmonton’s city councilors are not interested in what happens in bedrooms, but they want to know what is happening in the offices of psychologists, on therapists’ couches, and in private counselling sessions with clergy at mosques, synagogues, churches and temples..This ideological bylaw violates freedom, privacy and common sense..First, through its extremely broad definition of “conversion therapy,” this Bylaw lumps harmful and discredited attempts to change sexual orientation (e.g. electric shock applied to genitals; forced counselling; chemical castration) into the same category as helping confused children to accept their biological gender, as was done successfully for decades by Dr. Kenneth Zucker and others. This bylaw imposes ideology, not science..Second, politicians have no business regulating the practice of medicine, psychology or psychiatry. These professions are already regulated by governing bodies with actual expertise in those fields, such as the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. Edmonton politicians, lacking actual qualifications are merely grandstanding and virtue-signaling..Third, this bylaw removes choices from parents and children by mandating that the only legal way to help gender-confused youth is by encouraging them to “transition” to the opposite sex, through puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and eventually surgery. Other treatment options become illegal..Fourth, this bylaw attacks the freedom of adults to make their own choices about their own sexuality, and to discuss those choices with the medical professionals and/or the religious leaders of their own choice. This bylaw shows no respect or tolerance for “what’s done in private between adults.”.Last but not least, this bylaw removes from LGBTQ people the same wide and full range of services and options that are available to straight people. When it comes to making personal choices about one’s sexuality, government does not know best. If government is going to ban something, let it ban only those practices which are clearly punitive, coercive or otherwise fully discredited..Rebuttal.The practices that Mr. Kreger-Smith complains of (physical and sexual assault, mental coercion, electrical shock therapy, and forced drugging) have indeed harmed people. These exceedingly rare practices are already illegal, prohibited by the Criminal Code and/or by the ethical guidelines of various professional bodies..There is no conflict between LGBTQ rights and Charter-protected religious freedoms, provided that rights and freedoms are properly understood. No group in society (neither atheists, nor fundamentalist Muslims or Christians, nor LGBTQ people) has a right to public affirmation or the approval of other people. In a free country, you can say that attending a church or mosque is stupid; that having sex outside of a male-female marriage is sinful; that Christians are hateful bigots. Those are called “opinions” and they are constitutionally protected under section 2(b) of the Charter. In a free country, government has no business imposing the “correct” view of sexuality any more than it does imposing the “correct” views on economics, man-made climate change, or historical controversies. Conflicts only arise when people assert a totalitarian claim to have other people agree with them..What ‘modern society’ accepts or rejects as norms should not be imposed on individuals. People have the right to make decisions for themselves about their own sexuality, including seeking celibacy, freedom from sexual addictions, or whatever internal or external changes a person may want..Policing this bylaw will take an army of bureaucrats to observe, monitor and evaluate “what’s done in private between adults.” Ken Williams, who identifies as Christian and ex-gay, asks: “What gives you the right to decide what I would like to pursue with my sexuality?” .Edmonton’s bylaw specifically restricts the right of individuals, whether religious or non-religious, to pursue their own chosen goals and objectives. This ideological bylaw is a gross abuse of state power..John Carpay is a columnist with the Western Standard and the President of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms..Edmonton City Council recently joined other Alberta & Canadian municipalities in banning conversion therapy..This move comes as Alberta has taken a hands-off approach to regulating the controversial practice, while the prime minister gave Justice Minister David Lametti direction in his mandate letter to move to amend the Criminal Code to outlaw the practice..To frame this discussion, we need to look at the practices that constitute conversion therapy. Survivors of the practice have relayed experiences including physical and sexual assault, mental coercion, electrical shock therapy, forced drugging, and more..The root motivation for conversion therapy is the premise that being LGBTQ is a disorder that should be corrected. While homosexuality was a listed psychological disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), it was declassified in 1970, and removed completely from the DSM in 1986. Medical and psychological doctrine has evolved with further research, knowledge, and practical experience..The conflict between the rights of LGBTQ people and the religious freedoms laid out in the Charter has been one that has received significant political, social, and judicial attention over the course of my adulthood..Where a conflict exists between two rights, the filter that must be applied is one of minimizing harm. There is clear evidence that those who have been subjected to these “treatments” suffer significant psychological harm, including PTSD, feelings of rejection, increased suicidal ideation, self-harm behaviours, and increased addictions..These “treatments” are based on outdated religious and societal “norms” that have been rejected in large part by modern society, scientists, medical professionals, and even by several proponents of the so-called ex-gay community – a movement that attempted to popularize the notion that people can change their sexuality..There are zero peer-reviewed studies showing these treatments to be effective. On the contrary, research shows those who are afforded affirming environments can go on to be well adjusted and contributing members of society..Edmonton’s bylaw does nothing to restrict an individual with sincerely held religious beliefs from carrying out those beliefs. Instead, it prevents the imposition of those beliefs on others, where harm is a reasonably expected outcome..Ultimately an individual who wishes to repress their sexuality will still have that freedom. Those who wish to live free from the prospect of being forced into an abusive and debunked treatment protocol can rest assured they have legislative protections of their life, liberty, and security of their person..Rebuttal .Jurisdictions moving to ban conversion therapy are taking the next logical step in Pierre Trudeau’s missive that the state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation..What Edmonton’s bylaw allows for is individuals to exercise their autonomy and free will. Despite the view from some that children are possessions, case law actually validates that parents are guardians, not owners..Neuroscientific and cytogenetic research validates that people may experience a disconnect between their biological gender and psychological and physical expression. While the binary is the most prevalent, there are multiple combinations of chromosomes that do naturally occur and abundant scientific, peer-reviewed evidence supports this..Politicians do have business regulating the practice of medicine, psychology, and psychiatry – and have done so for a large portion of our modern history. The Alberta Health Professions Act was passed 20 years ago – amalgamating 30 health professionals’ self-regulatory powers and legislative accountability to the government. None of these regulatory bodies supports conversion therapy..Edmonton’s bylaw does not mandate children to transition genders. It prevents the use of coercive and abusive treatment techniques to try and force an LGBTQ person into being someone they are not..We don’t allow adults, even those consenting, to submit to psychological torture and physical abuse. The professional organizations that regulate these areas all agree conversion therapy is tantamount to abuse..Discussion between parishioners and clergy will not be restricted; attempts to coerce and manipulate people into suppressing their biological predispositions will..To say this bylaw removes options available to straight people is farcical. Have you ever heard of a straight person seeking out therapy to become gay? Of course not..Perhaps, rather than passing judgment on people experiencing challenges we don’t understand, we should encourage the biblical concepts of love and acceptance. Our society would be much richer for it..Robbie Kreger-Smith is an Edmonton based political and communications consultant and advocate for LGBTQ rights and economic empowerment.
