January 7 Named Conversion Therapy Awareness Day

Summary#

This bill designates January 7 each year as National Conversion Therapy Awareness Day across Canada. It does not create a holiday, new programs, or penalties. It recognizes harms linked to conversion therapy and aligns the date with the day Canada’s ban took effect on January 7, 2022 (Preamble).

• Establishes January 7 as a national awareness day (Designation).
• Creates no statutory holiday or closures; normal operations continue (Designation).
• Creates no new crimes or penalties; the ban on conversion therapy already exists under Bill C-4 (Preamble).
• Signals Parliament’s intent to raise awareness of harms and support reflection (Preamble).

What it means for you#

• Households:

  • No change to daily life. January 7 remains a regular day. Schools, workplaces, and services stay open (Designation).
  • Any events or observances are voluntary. The bill does not require activities (Designation).

• Workers:

  • Not a paid holiday. No change to hours or pay (Designation).

• Businesses and nonprofits:

  • No new compliance duties or reporting. Participation in awareness activities is optional (Designation).

• Local, provincial, and territorial governments:

  • No mandate to act. Some may choose to issue proclamations or host events, but the bill does not require it (Designation).

• Service users and survivors:

  • No new services are created by this bill. The existing criminal ban on conversion therapy remains in place under Bill C-4 (Preamble).

Expenses#

Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• The bill contains no appropriations, programs, or reporting requirements (Designation).
• No fiscal note identified. Any communications or event costs by federal bodies would be discretionary. Data unavailable.

Proponents' View#

• Raises public understanding of harms linked to conversion therapy, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation (Preamble).
• Reinforces awareness that conversion therapy is illegal in Canada as of January 7, 2022, helping the public know their rights and the law (Preamble).
• Provides a consistent annual date for education and reflection, which supporters say can improve outreach and coordination (Preamble).
• Low cost to implement because it only designates a day and adds no programs or mandates (Designation).

Opponents' View#

• Symbolic measure that adds no services, funding, or enforcement, so real-world impact may be limited (Designation).
• Possible confusion about whether January 7 is a statutory holiday; the bill does not create one (Designation).
• Uses parliamentary time for a commemorative act rather than service delivery or program changes; outcomes depend on voluntary participation (Designation).
• Embeds a specific description of conversion therapy and its harms that some stakeholders may contest; the bill offers no mechanism to resolve disagreements (Preamble).