On Wednesday of last week, the Conservatives performed a shocking about face, and accelerated the passage of the latest version of the Liberals’ “conversion therapy ban”, Bill C-4.

C-4 had previously been named Bill C-6, only to die before the Senate at Justin Trudeau’s calling of the election in August.

Last Monday it was introduced as Bill C-4, and on Wednesday the Conservatives brought forth a surprise motion to unanimously pass it directly to the Senate, bypassing any debate or committee review in Commons.

Even though over 60 CPC MPs voted against C-6 when it passed through Parliament last June, and nearly all of them were returned in September’s election, not one of these could find it in their hearts to speak out against this motion by their own party on Wednesday.

Official Opposition? Not so much. Democratic process? Whatever.

This “conversion therapy ban” bill has been severely flawed in all its iterations, but C-4 is certainly the most draconian incarnation yet.

The late C-6 only criminalized what it defined as “conversion therapy” for those under the age of 18, while C-4 bans it for everyone.

C-4 continues the “conversion therapy ban” bill tradition of instituting egregious overreach into the private lives of Canadians, while maintaining an apparently thorough ignorance of the troublingly explosive trend of transgender identification, particularly among young women.

This trend demands further investigation and discussion, not the outlawing and criminalization of that discussion that C-4 will bring, nor the banishment of the democratic process in rushing C-4 through the House.

The Justin Trudeau Liberals, and now the Erin O’Toole Conservatives who just ijoined them in ditching democratic tradition to expedite C-4 through Parliament, pride themselves on being “progressive” and ahead of the curve on social issues, especially the issue of transgenderism.

In fact, they are lagging far behind.

Many European jurisdictions, who pioneered the “affirmation only” path when it came to treating gender dysphoria, are now putting the brakes on those policies.

They’re also asking pertinent questions regarding why so many young women have been prescribed powerful, puberty-blocking drugs that have altered their lives, often to their profound regret.

As Aaron Kimberly, a B.C.-based transgender man and registered nurse, observes in this National Post article,

            Alarms are being sounded all over the world. And Canada seems completely deaf to it.

C-4 will criminalize parents who want to take a “wait and see” position when their child experiences gender dysphoria. IT WILL EVEN THREATEN THEM WITH UP TO FIVE YEARS IN JAIL.

C-4 will criminalize legitimate, private counselling conversations.

Instead of being allowed to grow out of a period of confusion, and studies show that over 80% of children who identify as transgender, if left alone, will come to identify with the body they were born with, young people will be prodded down an irreversible and life-altering path of transgenderism.

Their therapists will be too intimidated to suggest any non-affirming option.

High profile cases in the UK are already demonstrating the tragic outcomes this will cause.

In that same National Post article, the mother of a young woman who has lived through the horror of seeing her daughter transition with the aid of drugs and surgery, only later to change her mind and “de-transition”, is quoted on the dangers of over-correcting for perceived past injustices:

“For years and years, people have been homophobic, transphobic. We’re now trying to correct that, but by doing that we’re putting others at risk. And those others we’re putting at risk are children.”

The model of treatment for young people experiencing gender dysphoria promoted by legislation like Bill C-4 and Ontario’s Bill 17, the Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee Act, 2021, which was introduced by an NDP MPP and is receiving no opposition from Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative Government, has already resulted in tragic missteps.

Michelle Zacchigna was among the first in Ontario treated under that model, only to be subsequently diagnosed with autism, anxiety disorder, ADHD and depression AFTER she had medically transitioned.

Experiencing deep regrets, the 33-year-old has now de-transitioned, although she is unable to have children.

Federal politicians of all parties were only too eager last week to circumvent Parliamentary process in rushing Bill C-4 through the house, either because they are unaware of the complex issues at play in mischaracterizing “conversion therapy”, or because the political gains to be had by ignoring them are just too tempting.

ACTION ITEMS:

Bill C-4 becoming law will place thousands of Canadian children in grave danger of having their futures sacrificed on the altar of a radical gender ideology that pitilessly devours lives. 

Since Canadian political culture has become so captivated by cultural leftism that neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives are interested even in discussing a bill that shreds the autonomy of Canadian parents and criminalizes private conversations, we must appeal to the political body to whom they have passed it: the Canadian Senate.

1. It’s urgent that we inform Senators that C-4 has broad opposition from parents, a growing body of de-transitioners, LGBT groups who argue that the bill discriminates against gay people who want counselling to reinforce their gay identity rather than proceed to a gender transition, religious groups, and concerned medical professionals.

Please urge them first to stop this same “fast track” disaster from happening in the Red Chamber, and secondly to raise important objections to C-4, because it:

• Will force children toward a therapeutic pathway of affirmative medicine that holds significant medical risks, including permanent sterility
• Deprives parents of psychotherapeutic options for their gender dysphoric children that are considered gold standard in other jurisdictions such as Australia-New Zealand, Finland, and Sweden
• Threatens parents’ rights to direct the health care of their children
• Restricts the freedom of expression of medical professionals and religious leaders

If you need more help explaining what’s wrong with Bill C-4, you can consult our website or our brief on C-6.

2. Find Senator contact information here.

3. Please let us know that you have contacted your Senators by emailing [email protected].

4. Spread the word on social media by hitting the green SHARE button posted below the thumbnail on the story on our blog!