SPECTRUM, Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space, is helping to put together a steering committee of volunteers from the municipalities of Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge to work for bylaws that would prohibit conversion therapy in our community.

Sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts (SOGIECE) or conversion therapy (also known as reparative therapy or conversion practices) is any treatment, including individual talk therapy, behavioural or aversion therapy, group therapy treatments, medical or drug-induced treatments, which attempt to change, suppress or deny someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

We believe this type of cruel abuse has no place in Canada.

Ideally, the steering committee will include 2-3 representatives from each municipality. The committee is expected to have its first meeting by mid-April 2021. Initially, committee members would be asked to attend 3-4 meetings per month.

Survivors and allies both are welcome to join these efforts. Survivors who would be willing to share their stories with our municipal councils in person or anonymously in writing are also encouraged to reach out to the steering committee. You can share as little or as much of your story as you are comfortable with.

If you would like to join this steering committee to help advance this work, or if you have questions, please email Mark Hartburg at mark_hartburg@yahoo.ca.

For more information about the nation-wide efforts to ban conversion therapy visit https://www.noconversioncanada.com/