On the table, in the books: Conversion therapy in Canadian healthcare education, 1941-1991

On the Table, In the Books traces the place of “conversion therapy” (CT) in Canada’s
medical education system during the mid-twentieth century. Medical professionals in
North America historically framed non-conformity to cisgender/heterosexual behaviour as
a health issue, legitimizing psychiatric and psychological attempts at “curing”
2S/LGBTQIA+ sexualities, genders and bodies across time. These treatments were not,
however, simply adopted by clinicians on the ground: they circulated, acquired therapeutic
currency and were critically interpreted at the local level, influencing how individual
communities conceived of queerness’ relationship to mental health. Matthew’s project
investigates the role that medical schools played in legitimating CT in two Canadian
communities (Kingston and Québec City). By analyzing university materials and clinical
records from teaching hospitals, this work challenges the idea that CT was caused by
isolated, pseudo-medical “quacks.” This history indicates that medical training has
historically contributed to the prevalence of certified healthcare professionals in Canadian
CT today.