Establishing a Canadian evidence base for addressing sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts

"Conversion therapies" are pseudo-scientific practices intended to change or deny unwanted feelings or expressions of attraction to members of the same gender (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer sexual orientation) or unwanted feelings or expressions of gender that differ from one's sex assigned at birth (e.g., transgender experiences). Conversion therapies continue in Canada today, despite that doctors and psychologists have said these practices are unethical and harmful. Conversion therapy survivors have begun to speak out and demand government action at all levels (federal, provincial, municipal) to stop these harmful practices. In 2019, the Canadian federal government, BC provincial government, and numerous municipal governments have introduced legislation to ban conversion therapy. We do not have current Canadian research to help us understand whether these bans will work, or what else is needed to support conversion therapy survivors. This research project will allow for a team of researchers, healthcare providers, conversion therapy survivors, and community leaders to plan and share urgently needed national research on conversion therapy, in order to identify policy options for ending conversion therapy and improving supports for survivors. Specifically, we will: 1) gather international data to describe how many people are exposed to conversion therapy and what are the health effects of being exposed; 2) meet as a team-including conversion therapy survivors of diverse genders and sexual orientations; and 3) prepare research grants to conduct interviews and surveys with conversion therapy survivors across Canada. Our goal is to create current, local, and detailed information about where, when, by whom, and to whom conversion therapies are practiced.