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Details of "conversion therapy" practices and concordance with legislative definition: Findings from a non-probability community-based survey in Canada, 2020

Background: "Conversion therapy" practices (CTP) refer to a heterogeneous set of treatments and activities that share the common goal of suppressing, "repairing," or otherwise preventing expressions of transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer identities. This study aimed to elicit details from those with direct experience and assess concordance between CTP experiences and the definition of CTP included in federal legislation aiming to deter CTP. Methods: We conducted an anonymous online survey of adults (>18 years) in Canada between August 18 and December 2, 2020. Participants were recruited through social media, CTP survivor networks, and word-of-mouth. Results: Of 51 respondents with direct experience of CTP, 16 were transgender, 34 were cisgender. Most respondents lived in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, or Quebec. 49% experienced CTP in a licensed healthcare provider office, 45% at a faith-based organization, and 36% at an unlicensed counselor office (categories not mutually exclusive). Age at first CTP experience ranged from 2 to 44 years of age (mean: 17.8 years; median: 17 years). Respondents experienced CTP for <1 year to 33 years (mean: 4.6 years; median: 2 years). Fifty percent of those with direct experience of CTP indicated that the proposed legislative definition of CTP did not fully encompass their personal experience. Interpretation: Results from this Canadian survey of adults with experience of CTP indicate that legislative attempts to ban CTP must be expanded (e.g., to include adults and practices that do not concord with previously drafted definitions) and paired with other prevention efforts.