How Conversion-Therapy Bans May Have Created a New Threat to LGBTQ Youth

He now contends that the laws’ expansion to cover gender identity, coupled with exemptions for gender-affirmative care, have turned the bans into a mechanism that permits medical interventions on minors. Gajdics outlines his early advocacy, the passage of bills such as Bill C-4, and the unintended consequences he perceives, including the rapid rise of puberty blockers and surgeries for gender-nonconforming youth.

He cites personal experiences, testimonies, and recent literature to argue that the conflation of sexual orientation and gender identity undermines the original goal of protecting vulnerable people. The author calls for a reevaluation of the bans to separate the two issues and prevent further harm.