Rally Held Today Outside Legislature Supporting Tabled Petition to Ban Conversion Therapy

Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:02

Many people were outside the Legislature this afternoon rallying in support of the tabled petition calling on a ban on conversion therapy.

The Gender and Sexuality Alliances of Porter Creek and F.H. Collins held a rally today in front of the Yukon Legislature in support of a petition that was tabled today by government to ban the practice of conversion therapy, the process of trying to change someone's own sexual orientation through forceful means.

LGBTQ2S+ activist Mercedes Bacon-Traplin says the petition started initially when she couldn't any laws in Yukon around the issue.

"Me and my friend Aiden were looking up when conversion therapy was banned in the Yukon... and we were really shocked to find out it actually wasn't banned at all. So, we got really quite upset and wanted to change that."

Traplin says the petition has been a huge success with currently almost 400 signatures.

"For the past month or so we've had a petition...and the petition is calling on a ban on conversion therapy not only in the Yukon, but that also bans parents from sending their children out of the Yukon to get conversion therapy. The petition is being tabled today (and) we're really hopeful."

Traplin says there is still much more that needs to be done in the territory in terms of protecting LGBTQ2S+ individuals.

"I was welcomed because my parents are gay themselves and it was totally accepted.But their are people I know myself, who if they were to come out, they would not be accepted. I want to make sure those people are protected and their safe no matter what their home life is like."

Dozens of other supporters also rallied outside the legislature to show their support in front of the Legislature.

The Yukon Government is also currently improving the wording in their own legislation to better reflect the LGBTQ2S+ community in the territory.

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