YORKTON – An author who spoke at the Gallagher Centre Oct. 3 has caused unease for members of 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Sask.
The speaker, Ann Gillies, has authored several books concerning the subject of gender and holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy Of Professional Counselling from Liberty University, a private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia.
"Pride organizations in Saskatchewan say that Canada’s ban on conversion therapy is being tested at events planned this week in Yorkton and Swift Current," read a joint media release from UR Pride, Southwest Sask Pride and Yorkton Pride.
"Ann Gillies is scheduled to speak at city-owned facilities in Yorkton on Oct. 3rd and Swift Current on Oct. 4th, advertising the 'conversion therapy phenomenon' on posters. Gillies has been denounced by the Psychological Association of Alberta as being unaccredited and unlicensed," continued the release.
"It's disappointing to see an event like this taking place," said Margo Allaire, spokesperson for Yorkton Pride, in an interview with Yorkton This Week.
"The wording that they're using — they're not calling it conversion therapy — they've used a different term," said Allaire, adding, "I think that they're calling it affirmative therapy."
"The speaker that we're most concerned about — Ann Gillies — is a proponent of conversion therapy," said Allaire, adding, "she is well known to be a proponent of conversion therapy and she has authored books about it."
"Ann E. Gillies, Ph.D., received her call to ministry in 1982. Her call and passion for ministry come from Isaiah 61: 1-3. She spent over 25 years in private counselling practice working extensively with trauma survivors, seeing lives restored and transformed," read the about section of Gillies' website, RestoringTheMosaic.ca.
"What I'm seeing happen is that there's a lot of good people who are being mislead with false information," said Allaire, "they're kind of stoking people's fears with this false information and a lot of people don't necessarily understand or are afraid of something that they don't understand."
At the time of writing, Allaire said there were no plans for Yorkton Pride to protest the event but a safe space was made available for members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community at St. Andrews United Church.
"As we've mentioned at recent events safety is our biggest concern and we want to make sure that no one is being put in harm's way," said Allaire.
