December, 2021 — It Gets Better Canada leads the charge to get conversion therapy criminalized at federal level in Canada.
More than 127,000 people sign It Gets Better Canada’s RightToBeYouCanada Change.org petition.
In December, after years of campaigning by LGBTQ+ activists and allies, Canada banned and criminalized conversion therapy at the Federal level. There are many people and organizations that worked diligently to make this happen, but one of the groups leading the fight was It Gets Better Canada.
In 2018, It Gets Better Canada launched a petition on Charge.org to ban the harmful and widely criticized method of attempting to a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Until 2018, conversion therapy was still legal in most provinces across Canada, with just Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia banning the practice. That petition was signed by more than 127,000 people and put a spotlight on conversion therapy practices at the federal level.
As It Gets Better Canada writes, “the federal level fight started in 2019 with Petition e-1833 which called the Federal Government to put an end to conversion therapy across the country. Many youth advocacy groups, including It Gets Better Canada, advocated for this petition… in an effort to support the ban, It Gets Better Canada began the #RightToBeYouCanada Change.org petition.”
“It Gets Better Canada is proud to have played a part in this important milestone moment for all 2SLGBTQ+ people in Canada,” It Gets Better Canada Executive Director Omid Razavi told Change.org. “Through our #RightToBeYouCanada Change.org petition, we were able to raise awareness on this harmful practice, which has impacted one too many. This victory should be first credited to the perseverance of those who have survived this practice, as well as the unified, rallied support of all those across Canada who believe in a day when no young person in Canada feels marginalized, isolated, excluded or rejected because of their sexuality or gender identification.”
To read more about It Gets Better Canada’s efforts, check out their “Road to Victory” blog.
The It Gets Better Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that strives to uplift, empower and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe. Created in 2010 as the result of one of the most successful viral video campaigns in YouTube’s history, the It Gets Better Project provides critical support and hope to LGBTQ+ youth around the world by leveraging the power of media to reach millions of people each year. The project has expanded its origins in storytelling and media to include educational resources through It Gets Better EDU and reaches 19 countries outside of the U.S. through It Gets Better Global.
The project has garnered support from President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, along with numerous celebrities, including Kelly Clarkson, Gabrielle Union, Zachary Quinto, Mj Rodriguez, Josie Totah, and Gigi Gorgeous. More than 750,000 people have taken the It Gets Better pledge to share messages of hope and speak up against intolerance. Please visit www.itgetsbetter.org for more information, and join the conversation on all major social media platforms @itgetsbetter.