On Tuesday, Saskatoon city council passed a bylaw that would ban the practice of conversion therapy in its city. 

The comes as Bill C-6 is making its way through parliament that would criminalize the practice of conversion therapy. 

Conversion therapy is the practice of changing one’s sexual orientation through psychological, physical, or spiritual intervention.  

The move is gaining praise from the LGBTQ community, including right here in Moose Jaw. 

“Many municipalities, jurisdictions, have jumped ahead of the queue because in those conversations around conversion therapy happening in our communities, our city councillors, our municipalities, our neighbours have learned that it is abuse. It's criminal abuse and that is happening in our communities,” said Moose Jaw Pride executive director Taylor Carlson. 

Although Moose Jaw Pride hasn’t formally met with the city, they are encouraging the city to take a look at Saskatoon’s bylaw and consider their own bylaw to ban the practice. 

“There are businesses and dominant cultural and faith communities in the provinces catchment that offer conversion therapy right here in Moose Jaw, and it is a form of abuse,” Carlson said. 

Carlson says conversion therapy continues to have a devastating effect on the LGBTQ community in Saskatchewan, citing that 82 per cent of youth that have gone through conversion therapy attempt suicide because of shame. 

For consenting adults, they can choose to subject themselves to conversion therapy, but Carlson says the results are the same with high suicide rates, unemployment, and shame. 

Carlson added the shame to go beyond feeling ashamed of who you are. 

“Some of that shame, it's important to know, comes from the idea that, hey, I've been hoodwinked. I've been sold some snake oil by someone who promised me the world and it's not real. It doesn't work,” they said. 

Conversion therapy has already been banned in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver.