ALBERTA
Opinion: UCP resolutions banning diversity, sexuality education are deeply troubling

Opinion by Irene Shankar , Leah Hamilton , Corinne L. Mason - 

At the United Conservative Party annual general meeting this weekend, members will vote on 20 policy resolutions, including one that proposes a ban on diversity and inclusion education (Resolution 5) and another that will bar education on identity and sexuality and names parents as being solely in charge of children’s gender (Resolution 17).


Hundreds of people attend a vigil at the Alberta legislature to honour the 215 children whose bodies were found buried at the site of a B.C. residential school. Taken on Monday, May 31, 2021 in Edmonton.© Provided by Edmonton Journal

This is the first UCP AGM held under the leadership of Danielle Smith whose first two weeks as premier have been plagued by scandals, including citing anti-Semitic blogs on Twitter, supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and claiming that unvaccinated persons are the most discriminated-against group she’s seen in her lifetime.

The potential passing of these resolutions at the UCP AGM does not necessarily mean that Alberta will see corresponding bills in the legislative assembly. However, it does tell us that Smith is willing to consider potentially harmful resolutions. As university educators with expertise in the areas of anti-racism and gender diversity, we are very concerned that Resolutions 5 and 17 will harm Indigenous, racialized, transgender, and non-binary children and youth.

Resolution 5 proposes to ban educators from teaching students about diversity and inclusion. If this resolution looks familiar, it is because the U.S. Republican Party has introduced laws that restrict teaching about race and racism in 36 states. In practice, these laws have banned teaching about slavery and civil rights, and have led to over 1,500 books being banned from schools.

The UCP’s Resolution 5 is similarly intended to completely curb K-12 teachers from teaching about the impacts of colonialism and racism. If this resolution is passed, teachers won’t be able to teach historical facts such as the residential school system, the internment of Japanese Canadians, the denial of asylum to Jewish refugees during the Holocaust, the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Komagata Maru incident.

To date, more than 2,000 unmarked graves have been confirmed at former residential schools. Without learning the truth, it is difficult to imagine how young people will engage in reconciliation. And, how can we as a society aspire towards equity without education about systematic barriers that currently exist for Indigenous and racialized young people? Without anti-racist education, we may see a more intolerant society, with increased hate crimes and further marginalization of anti-racism initiatives across the province.

Resolution 17 is designed to bar education on identity and sexuality, and to put parents in control of their children’s gender, which will greatly endanger transgender and non-binary youth. Research shows that transgender youth experience much higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation than their cisgender counterparts, with up to 30 per cent of transgender youth attempting suicide at some point in their lives.

The science is clear that it is critically important for trans youth to have their gender identity affirmed (including name and pronouns). Parents, legal guardians, caregivers and teachers play a huge role in supporting these social transitions, including facilitating access to essential supports such as Skipping Stone in Calgary. Furthermore, in Alberta, parents already have to give consent for their teenagers to access hormonal therapies and the age of consent for gender-affirming surgeries is 18. Again, these changes are eerily reminiscent of the growing anti-transgender legislation in the United States.

As educators and parents, we are deeply troubled by the UCP’s proposed policy resolutions. These resolutions do not represent the diversity of Albertans, nor do they speak to the most pressing issues in the province. If implemented, these resolutions will undermine our teachers and our education system, and harm Indigenous, racialized, transgender and non-binary youth throughout Alberta.

We urge Albertans to demand that the UCP heed the advice of anti-racism and gender-diversity experts and we ask UCP members to vote down these proposed resolutions at this weekend’s AGM. Our children’s fundamental right to health care, and an education based on essential knowledge and skills, depends on it.

Dr. Irene Shankar is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Mount Royal University.

Dr. Leah Hamilton is a professor in the Department of Psychology and the Department of General Management and Human Resources at Mount Royal University.

Dr. Corinne L. Mason is an associate professor in the Women and Gender Studies Program at Mount Royal University.