This week a ban on Saskatoon businesses practising conversion therapy was passed in Saskatoon.
By a vote of 9-1 the bylaw will go into effect.

Ben Rodgers is from Belleville Ontario and is a survivor of conversion therapy. He says the bylaw will send a very clear message to people, businesses and organizations that are doing these horrendous acts.  Rodgers says it will send a message to the LGBTQ+ community that finally they are being heard and protected.

Amanda Guthrie, the Co-Interim Executive Director of OUTSaskatoon says the bylaw is a step in the right direction, one that will send a powerful and necessary message.  She says they know the impacts of conversion therapy include an increased experiences of depression, anxiety, self hatred, attempts at suicide and suicide rates that are at epidemic levels among the LGBTQ community.

The bylaw’s only opposition was from Councillor Randy Donauer who debated the wording in the bylaw.
Donauer said while he is is against abuse in conversion therapy, he thinks the bylaw sacrifices the rights of some individuals for the sake of others and that he doesn’t think counselling is an egregious enough offense to to do that.

Under the bylaw penalties will now include $10,000 fine for individuals who continue to provide conversion therapy, or $25,000 for corporations that do the same.