Canada bans 'conversion therapy,' threatens therapists with prison

The Canadian Senate on Tuesday passed a sweeping ban on conversion therapy after senators agreed to fast-track the bill through the legislative process without extensive debate, committee study or votes.

Penalties for the new offenses range from two to five years in prison.

Previous versions of the bill failed in Parliament, but the current bill goes further than other editions by prohibiting consenting adults from seeking conversion therapy, which it defines in part as counseling intended to "repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behavior."