Saskatoon’s Governance and Priorities Committee moved closer to creating a bylaw for businesses regarding conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is designed to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual, gender identity to one that matches the sex assigned at birth, or to repress or reduce non heterosexual behaviors.

Two motions were put in place and passed by the committee in regards to coming up with a new bylaw. More discussion will occur once Federal Government legislation is passed. Councillor Darren Hill moved to complete a consultation with stakeholders, like the Saskatoon Police, for more information on how a by-law would work, and to begin to draft a by-law. Councillor Hilary Gough motioned that a letter of support be written to show Saskatoon’s support of the Federal Government’s bill C-8.

Bill C-8 proposes to create 5 new offenses that would prohibit causing a minor to undergo conversion therapy, removing a minor from Canada to undergo conversion therapy, causing a person to undergo conversion therapy against their will, profiting from conversion therapy or advertising an offer to provide conversion therapy.