REVANCHIST REACTIONARY RENT A CROWD

Supporters rally for Alberta's laws on transgender youth and athletes

LGBTQ+ RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS

Author of the article:

Lauren Boothby

Published Nov 09, 2024  •  

A parental rights group supporting Alberta's laws targeting transgender youth and parental notifications from schools rallied outside the legislature on Saturday, November 9, 2024 in Edmonton. Photo by Greg Southam /Postmedia

Article content

Albertans in favour of new laws dealing with transgender youth medical treatments, transgender athletes, and parental notifications from schools held a rally outside the legislature in Edmonton on Saturday afternoon.

A crowd of about 200 gathered by the steps of the legislature in the early afternoon to hear speakers at an event organized by Parents and Kids Together, a coalition of parental rights, religious, and detransition groups. Supporters came from the Edmonton region and northern Alberta, and as far as Calgary and Lethbridge.

"T" IN LGBTQ  STANDS FOR TRANS

Supporters rally for Alberta's laws on transgender youth and athletes

1. 

Staples: Alberta conservatives rising up, seizing moral authority from progressive left, Jordan Peterson says

1. 

Article content

Organizer Jojo Ruba said parents need to know what’s happening in schools when it comes to sexuality and gender.

“We shouldn’t be teaching kids things at school that parents don’t know about. We want to encourage conversations on sexuality and gender,” he told Postmedia. “Parents must be able to protect their kids and they can’t do that if they don’t know what’s going on.”

Saturday’s event comes after hundreds of opponents to the new transgender policies protested at the legislation last weekend.

The trio of laws ban gender-affirming surgeries for youth 17 and under and hormone therapies such as puberty blockers for youth 15 and under (Bill 26), require parental consent to change names or pronouns in schools (Bill 27), and restrict transgender women athletes from competing against women assigned female sex at birth (Bill 29).

Critics say the laws reverse the human rights and bodily autonomy of transgender youth, put transgender youth at a higher risk of suicide and self-harm, and make it harder to access sexual education. One review of 27 studies conducted in Europe, U.S., Canada and other countries including almost 8,000 teens and adults found less than one per cent of transgender patients regretted surgery.

Advertisement 3

Article content

A parental rights group supporting Alberta’s laws targeting transgender youth and parental notifications from schools rallied outside the legislature on Saturday, November 9, 2024 in Edmonton. Photo by Greg Southam /Postmedia

Speakers on Saturday touched on a range of topics from parental rights and school notifications, to speeches from people who regretted transitions, to more religious speeches saying to “praise God” for these laws and Premier Danielle Smith as the crowd cheered.

Faith Groleau, from Ontario, told the crowd she began transitioning at 15 or 16 and doesn’t think she or her mother were properly informed about risks. She says doctors improperly diagnosed her and didn’t treat a mental illness at the time, and worries now she may be infertile.

“If these legislations had been in place then, the doctors would have been forced to properly assess me.”

lboothby@postmedia.com  @laurby

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for ALBERTA GAY RIGHTS

Julia Malott: Politicizing the transgender debate does a disservice to gender dysphoric youth

Opinion by Julia Malott • 


In the wake of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s announcement of comprehensive reforms to the province’s transgender care protocols, a flurry of commentary has erupted, spanning a broad spectrum of opinions on the social and medical treatment of transgender youth.

The polarizing opinions largely align with partisan biases, offering either staunch support for, or vehement opposition to, the proposed policies. Astonishingly, there’s been scant exploration of the complexities inherent in such policies, which is a disservice to gender dysphoric children.

A nuanced understanding seems necessary, given that the irreversible nature of transitioning in childhood is matched by an equally consequential decision to forego such medical interventions until adulthood. Once sexual development has taken hold — whether through natural puberty or cross-sex hormones — irreversible changes happen to the body. The stakes are high with either outcome.

Unfortunately, a lack of nuance is starkly evident in our political discourse. Earlier this month, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre broke his silence on Alberta’s policy shift and weighed in on the use of hormone therapies and puberty blockers for minors. Yet his response was marked by contradiction and divisiveness.

He stated that, “We should protect children” and their ability to “make adult decisions when they become adults,” but also that, “We should protect the rights of parents to make their own decision with regards to their children.” Pressed further, he clarified that he is against puberty blockers for children. He then blamed the status quo on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (who has been equally divisive in his own statements)

Poilievre’s contradictory statements ignore that a decision for a child not to undergo puberty blockers is itself a decision that cannot be undone in adulthood, because it results in profound changes to the body that cannot be completely reversed. It is those changes that lead a transgender adult to stick out in public and receive much of the negative attention they are often subjected to.

He also appeared to stumble on the contradictions inherent in Smith’s recent policy changes, which respect parental rights over social transitioning and sex education, but impose restrictions on hormonal treatments, even when consensus might exist between the child, its parents and medical professionals that such a treatment might be best.

(More recently, Poilievre stated his opposition to transwomen participating in women’s sports and using female-only spaces, such as change rooms and washrooms.)

The Conservative leader’s comments underscore the broader issue of transgender health care moving away from scholarly discussion and being dragged into the arena of partisan politics. As noted by York social work professor Kinnon MacKinnon and Pablo Expósito-Campos, writing in the Conversation , the resulting polarization and spread of misinformation may pose greater risks to gender-diverse individuals than the medical treatments in question.

The direction of our discourse mirrors past debates over abortion, which quickly became mired in political ideology. The abortion discussion became framed in terms that implied stark opposition between the “pro-choice” and “pro-life” camps, as if most Canadians are not broadly in support of both choice and life as guiding principles. In social politics, solutions lie in carefully balancing virtues, not pitting them against one another as though they’re diametrically opposed.


With minds already made up on whether a transition is to be celebrated or condemned, partisan players are all too comfortable making any case that will advance their position, with little consideration for the real-life consequences.

Statements from Conservative politicians continue to overlook Canada’s troubling history of LGBTQ+ abuses, which persist to this day, and are reluctant to recognize that one of the primary benefits of medical transitions in childhood — achieving more seamless post-transition integration as one’s affirmed gender — can significantly mitigate the challenges faced by transgender individuals who are marginalized in a society that’s deeply divided by these political debates.

On the other end of the political spectrum, progressive voices have yet to acknowledge the medical risks and regrets involved in transitioning, acting as though every desire professed by a child is unquestionably flawless. These narratives from progressive quarters have painted medical transitioning as a straightforward, low-risk endeavour with negligible regret rates, framing it moreso as a journey of self-discovery.

Progressive resources have been leaned upon heavily under current policy. Juno Dawson, in her influential work, “This Book Is Gay,” which is considered a top resource for LGBTQ+ youth, addresses this topic directly. Dawson states that, “There is no such thing as ‘sex changes for kids.’ It doesn’t happen. If a young trans or non-binary person wants medical intervention (many do not) … they will have extensive counselling before possibly being prescribed a course of hormone blockers that delay the onset of puberty.

“All this means is that if that individual chooses to make permanent physical changes as a young adult, they won’t then have to counteract the bodily consequences of puberty, ie., breasts, a deeper voice, etc. It basically saves them a lot of time on a surgeons table at a later date.”

While Dawson highlights the benefits of puberty blockers for those who continue their transition into adulthood, her vacuous portrayal simplifies the medical process involved in prescribing these treatments. Contrary to the rigorous medical review one might expect, Canadian health-care providers, operating under an affirmation-first model, often face pressure to prescribe puberty blockers without extensive vetting.

This approach, aimed at avoiding crossing into conversion-therapy practices, relies on the principle that one’s professed gender identity must always be affirmed, even by medical professionals. Dawson’s reassurance that permanent changes are deferred until adulthood also overlooks the significant issue of infertility resulting from the use of puberty blockers, as they prevent the attainment of reproductive maturity.

Our conversation around transgender youth care needs to be more thoughtful and medically grounded, and politicization does not lend well to that endeavour. Several European countries have recognized potential shortcomings in the current standards of gender-affirming care and have embarked on systematic reviews of the medical literature to ensure evidence-based approaches that prioritize the well-being of gender dysphoric youth.

This is a discussion that would be better to have within the medical community, rather than the political sphere. We should follow the evidence of where gender-affirming care yields powerfully positive life-changing outcomes for gender dysphoric youth, while also taking a cautious approach in deference to the profound nature of these interventions.

Wouldn’t that service gender dysphoric youth better than the politicization of their health care?

National Post

TORIES OPPOSE LGBTQ RIGHTS, SURPRISE

Pierre Poilievre defends Alberta Premier Smith on transgender policies

Conservative leader says Trudeau should 'let parents raise kids and let provinces run schools and hospitals'

CBC
Tue, February 6, 2024 

Federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre speaks about his car theft policy during a news conference at the Port of Montreal on Tuesday, February 6, 2024. 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz


Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre defended Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and her approach to transgender issues Tuesday, saying the Liberal government and the media have demonized her for policies that would give parents more say over their kids.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference on car theft in Montreal, Poilievre said the Liberal government is "spreading disinformation" about what Smith has proposed.

"If you keep it vague and you actually refrain from describing the policies Premier Smith is putting in place, you think you can misrepresent them and misrepresent conservatives," he said.

"This is exactly what Justin Trudeau has done. You notice Trudeau has not given a single example of any of the policies that Premier Smith has brought forward that he individually disagrees with because he doesn't want to be specific about it. He and you want to peddle disinformation in order to demonize Premier Smith and parents," Poilievre added, addressing his comments to the reporter who asked the question.

Danielle Smith, Liberals trade shots over transgender policies during her trip to Ottawa

Transgender allies gather in Calgary and Edmonton to rally against proposed government policies

Poilievre said Trudeau and his ministers need to "butt out."

"He should let parents raise kids and let provinces run schools and hospitals," he said.

When asked by a reporter if the policies could actually limit the rights of parents who support their child's pursuit of a gender transition, Poilievre said, "No."






Trudeau last week condemned what he called Smith's "anti-LGBT policies" and said such actions will worsen mental health issues and suicidal ideation among young people struggling with gender dysphoria.

Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, a gay man, has been more specific about what the Liberal government opposes.

Referring to proposed policies that would demand that Alberta trans kids aged 15 and under get parental consent to use their preferred names and pronouns in school, Boissonnault said Monday that Smith is intent on "forcing kids out of the closet before many of them are ready."

He said a child shouldn't be forced to reveal their gender identity to an unsupportive parent.

"By mandating that schools force kids out of the closet before many of them are ready, she's taking away the safe space for some young people," Boissonnault said.

"To ban young LGBTQ2 kids from being who they are puts lives at risk."



Poilievre suggested that the federal government and the media are shying away from talking about Smith's other policies, which deal with sensitive medical decisions that have become a lightning rod for debate in Canada and south of the border.

Smith is promising a ban on so-called "top" and "bottom" surgeries for minors aged 17 and under, a practice that's very rare in Canada because it goes against the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH)'s standards of care.

Smith also wants to restrict puberty blockers and hormone therapy for children 15 and under.

The premier has pitched these policies as a way to protect young people who may come to regret having made life-altering decisions in haste.

Smith is also trying to keep trans women and girls out of women's sports, a policy she said is motivated by safety and fairness.

LGBTQ groups, trans advocates and Alberta's medical association, among many others, have condemned the policies as an infringement on trans people's constitutional rights.

Alberta NDP MP Blake Desjarlais, who is two-spirit, said Smith is "denying trans kids their basic human rights" and restricting their access to "life-saving health care."

Desjarlais blasted Poilievre and the Conservatives for their stance on the issue. He also urged the federal government to use its powers under the Canada Health Act to withhold health-care funding from Alberta if the province denies access to these services.

Some health-care providers also maintain that limiting blockers and hormones could have consequences for young people suffering from dysphoria.

"This is a direct attack on trans youth," said Dr. Ted Jablonski, a Calgary family physician who specializes in transgender care. "This is an assault on their medical care.

"There's no medical evidence to make any kind of restrictions. We have very good guidelines to manage trans youth."

The Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) has said that "gender-affirming medical interventions may be an important component of comprehensive care" for some transgender or gender-diverse adolescents.

The CPS, citing past scientific research, has said access to puberty blockers "has been associated with lower odds of suicidal ideation over the life course."

It has said these drugs should not be prescribed before the onset of puberty for medical reasons but also because the puberty process is "an important experience through which young people may develop clearer understanding of their gender identity."

The CPS says gender-affirming hormone therapy, which it says produces reversible and irreversible changes, should also only be provided to young people who "demonstrate the capacity to understand and appreciate both the benefits and risks of these medications, given their profound effects."

Trudeau says Premier Smith's new transgender policies target 'vulnerable' youth

CBC
Fri, February 2, 2024 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Friday to defend the rights of vulnerable LGBT youth. (The Canadian Press/Nick Iwanyshyn - image credit)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's decision to roll out what he called her "anti LGBT policies" days after sharing the stage with "far-right" U.S. media figure Tucker Carlson.

"It is telling that the week after welcoming far-right American conservative Tucker Carlson to her province [and sitting] with him on stage, Danielle Smith has now moved forward with the most anti-LGBT policies of anywhere in the country," Trudeau said in Waterloo, Ont. Friday.

Last week, four federal cabinet ministers condemned Smith's decision to meet with former Fox News personality Carlson, citing some of the rhetoric he used while speaking to a Calgary crowd.

Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault accused Carlson of "spewing hate speech about LGTBQ people," referring to Carlson's homophobic joke about Trudeau.

"I know that in Canada it is official policy that coming out of the closet is good — unless you're the prime minister," Carlson said during his appearance.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (second from left) stands with three men she shared the stage with at recent events in Calgary and Edmonton: author Jordan Peterson, U.S. broadcaster Tucker Carlson and former newspaper magnate Conrad Black. (X/@abdaniellesmith)

Earlier this week, Smith announced sweeping changes to Alberta's student gender identity, sports and surgery policies.

Smith said that puberty blockers will be prohibited for children 15 and younger while minors aged 17 and under will not be able to get top or bottom surgery — although bottom surgery is already limited to adults.

Under the policy, students 15 and younger will need parents' permission to use a different name or pronoun at school. Transgender women will also be banned from competing in women's sports leagues.

Alberta to introduce legislation

Trudeau said that LGBT youth in Canada are among those most vulnerable to suicide and parents and governments need to protect them, rather than target them.

"If Premier Smith wants to fight someone, stand up and fight for Canadians on lower grocery prices, on affordable fuel, on more housing, on fighting climate change," Trudeau said.

"Fight with us to defend the rights of vulnerable Canadians. Don't fight against vulnerable LGBT youth."

Smith said her government will introduce legislation to support the planned policy changes in the fall. Trudeau was asked how his government will respond when that legislation lands, but offered few specifics.

"As a federal government, we will always be there to protect the most vulnerable, particularly vulnerable LGBT youth who need to know that there are people across the country there to fight for them," Trudeau said.

The prime minister said the fight is not his alone and that Smith already has seen pushback from people concerned about the impact of the proposed policies.

"The first thing we are seeing is a number of Albertans, whether its doctors or teachers or community organizations, stepping up to voice their concerns directly with their premier about this anti-LGBT youth policy," he said.

Doctors, nurses and medical groups urge province to walk back plans to limit gender-affirming care

CBC
Fri, February 2, 2024 

Medical officials and organizations are condemning the changes in gender-affirming care for Alberta youth announced by the premier. 

(Jo Panuwat D/Shutterstock - image credit)

Sweeping changes to gender-affirming care, announced by the Alberta government this week, are sparking widespread backlash and condemnation from doctors, nurses and medical organizations, and calls are mounting for the province to reverse its decision.

Touting it as a move to protect children, Premier Danielle Smith positioned Alberta as the most restrictive in Canada and introduced a suite of policies impacting transgender youth this week, including a ban on the use of puberty blocking medication and hormone therapy in children under 16, for the purposes of gender affirmation.

While Smith also announced a prohibition on gender-affirming surgeries in children under 18, lower surgeries are already restricted to people over 18, and doctors say top surgeries are very rarely performed on older teens.

"This is a direct attack on trans youth," said Dr. Ted Jablonski, a Calgary family physician who specializes in transgender care. "This is an assault on their medical care."

Jablonski has been treating transgender Calgarians for more than two decades.

"I feel like we've stepped back in time," he said.

"There's no medical evidence to make any kind of restrictions. We have very good guidelines to manage trans youth."

These guidelines include a detailed position statement published by the Canadian Paediatric Society and standards of care published by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

The pediatrics section of the Alberta Medical Association issued a statement late Thursday, calling on the provincial government to back off of its plan.

"Children and youth have the right to the appropriate medical care, at the appropriate time, and this should not be denied to them," the statement said.

"We urge the Premier, in the strongest terms, to reconsider the proposed changes for care of transgender youth."

The Canadian Paediatric Society also condemned the plan and called on the premier to walk it back.

"We are deeply concerned that implementation of these policies will not only undermine the fundamental rights of transgender children and youth in Alberta, but will lead to significant negative health outcomes, including increased risk of suicide and self-harm," the group said in a letter to Smith.

Facing a barrage of criticism, Smith defended her government's plan at a news conference on Thursday.

"We want to make sure that children do not prematurely make decisions that are going to be irreversible and affect their ability to have sex and affect their ability to have children, until they're of an age where they're fully responsible for those decisions. That's age 18," she said.

Dr. Joe Raiche, a psychiatrist who works in the youth gender clinic at the Alberta Children's Hospital, called the policies "shocking" and "devastating."

"This does tremendous harm. It has the potential to cause an irreparable impact on lives of trans youth and families," he said, adding no clinicians at the youth gender clinics in either Calgary or Edmonton were consulted on the policy.

Puberty blocking medication

One of Raiche's biggest concern is the ban on puberty-suppressing medication in kids under 16.


Dr. Joe Raiche is a psychiatrist working with transgender youth and adults at the Alberta Children's Hospital and Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary

Dr. Joe Raiche is a psychiatrist working with transgender youth at the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary. (David Aleman/f-stop Photography)

"This would make Alberta having the most restrictive gender-affirming care across all of Canada," he said in an interview with CBC News.

"The magnitude of the harm of having somebody go through puberty that's not aligned with their gender identity … is just downright cruel," he said.

The Canadian Paediatric Society notes hormone suppression is reversible and puberty continues once the treatment is stopped.

"It gives youth and their families a chance to pause, reflect [and] explore, without their body going through devastating changes that can be irreversibly and irredeemably harmful for them," said Raiche.

According to the society, gender-affirming hormones, which the province also seeks to ban for kids under 16, are considered partially reversible. These medications are prescribed to "promote the development of physical features that are better aligned with an individual's experienced gender."

Mental health concerns

Doctors are warning the mental health implications of these changes will be significant and long-lasting.

According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, transgender youth have a higher risk of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide.

"Now we're asking youth to endure more mental distress, more mental anguish," said Raiche.

The AMA section of pediatrics said the move will increase the mental health needs, and burden, on the health system.

"The mental health of these children and youth will be markedly worse when denied care," the statement said.

"These new medical restrictions single them out and reinforce stigma."

Dr. Jake Donaldson, a Calgary-based family physician who treats gender diverse youth and adults, is worried about his patients

"Most studies, including here in Canada and here in Alberta, have shown that about 40 per cent of gender diverse individuals will try to kill themselves at some point if they are not in a supportive environment," he said in an interview on CBC Radio's Alberta at Noon.

"So it really can be a life-or-death situation for some of these kids."

Medical autonomy

Calling it an assault on human rights, the United Nurses of Alberta also lambasted the policy, warning it amounts to political interference.

"To use medical treatment of young people as an excuse to mount a politically motivated attack on gender-affirming health care will put the lives of young people at risk, ultimately increase the costs of providing health care, and set a dangerous precedent that should concern us all," the statement said.

"Political decisions to block one kind of medical treatment can easily lead to political decisions to block other kinds."

Jablonski agrees.

"I don't think there's any role for our premier to tell us what we should be doing medically," he said.

According to Donaldson, the policy puts doctors in a position where they face violating the Hippocratic oath.

"I took an oath when I went through medical training that I'm not going to do any harm to individuals," he said.

"If I sit back and do nothing … and force them to go through a transition that does not match their gender identity and live a life in a body that's going to leave them as a target of hateful violence … that just breaks my heart. I don't know if I can accept that."

Parents of transgender kids want Alberta government to stay out of medical decisions
CBC
Fri, February 2, 2024

Sherwood Park mother Catie Jones has launched a petition against Premier Danielle Smith's planned policy changes affecting transgender and non-binary youth and adults. (Travis McEwen/CBC - image credit)

Some parents of transgender children say the Alberta government's policy changes affecting transgender and non-binary youth will interfere with the medical treatment their children need.

On Wednesday, Premier Danielle Smith introduced Alberta's new policy, which includes restrictions on puberty blockers and hormones for children 15 and under.

The Alberta Medical Association's pediatric section says there are benefits for patients to start puberty blockers as soon as they show signs as it will make future surgeries less invasive. Bottom surgery is always performed on patients 18 and older.

Two Edmonton-area mothers, both with 10-year-old daughters, worry what Smith's new policy will mean for them.

Catie Jones's daughter Samantha felt safe enough to tell her parents she was a girl.

Jones said she was terrified to learn the province plans to restrict the use of medication for youth 15 and under.

"The first time I read details of the policy, specifically the one restricting access to puberty blockers and hormone treatments, I burst into tears," she said.


Catie Jones's ten-year-old daughter Samantha.

Catie Jones's 10-year-old daughter Samantha. (Submitted by Catie Jones)

Jones said her daughter is already showing signs of depression, anxiety and gender dysphoria. Jones said Samantha feels uncomfortable and doesn't want to look at herself in the mirror.

Jones said her daughter was furious after learning what Smith announced on Wednesday.

'This is a big deal'

Anna Paranich's daughter Ellie knew she was a girl since she was two years old, Now 10, Ellie is in the same boat as Samantha.

Paranich said Smith is spreading misinformation about puberty blockers by telling people that the effects are irreversible when they aren't.

Paranich said it's recommended for trans children to start taking medication as soon as they start showing signs of puberty and she thinks Ellie is about 18 months away from that transition point. Paranich said Ellie has been seeing a specialist at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton for two years.

Paranich said she plans to fight Smith's changes but will go elsewhere to get the medication Ellie needs.

"Developing facial hair or having her voice deepened, that would be very traumatic for her," Paranich said. "This is a big deal."

At a news conference Thursday, Smith defended her rationale for planning to restrict health-care options for youth.

"I am confident that Albertans do not want children to make irreversible decisions that impact their reproductive health," Smith said.

"I am confident that they don't think those are child decisions to make; that those are adult decisions to make."

The pediatric section of the Alberta Medical Association issued a statement on Thursday that spoke against the Alberta policy.

They said gender-affirming treatments are a medical decision involving the child, their parents, their doctor and other health-care providers.

"The doctor-patient relationship is inviolable and sacrosanct," the statement said. "Full stop."

But some parent groups support Smith's policy.

Jeff Park is the executive director of the Alberta Parents' Union. What Smith announced this week resolves many of the group's complaints.

FAILURE TO IDENTIFY THIS AS A RIGHT WING UCP LOBBY GROUP

The policy also requires parental notification if a student under 18 wishes to use a different pronoun at school. Parents need to give their permission if the child is under 16.

Park said his members are delighted by the changes.

"We've been hearing consistently from parents since the announcement came down and it's been overwhelmingly positive and a big step in the right direction," he said.

Smith hopes to table legislation this fall. Jones has launched a petition against the policy. She said her daughter has supports but she worries about the kids who don't.

Paranich wants the government to get out of medical decisions that are between Ellie, her parents, and her physician.

"Danielle Smith really espouses bodily autonomy and freedom of choice when it comes to things like vaccines," she said.

"But now she's taken away our choice to follow our recommendations by top physicians."

Paranich said she and her daughter plan to attend a rally in Edmonton on Saturday against Smith's policy.

Alberta restrictions for transgender youth 'extremely dangerous' -Canada minister

Updated Thu, February 1, 2024 

FILE PHOTO: Canada's Minister of Health Mark Holland rises to table a report in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa

By Steve Scherer

OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada's health minister on Thursday said planned restrictions for transgender youth in the Western province of Alberta are "extremely dangerous," a sign that policies could become a political wedge issue going into next year's election.

On Wednesday, conservative Alberta Premier Danielle Smith unveiled sweeping changes to policies related to students and gender identity.

She plans to restrict the medical treatments they may seek, including prohibiting hormonal treatment, puberty blockers and gender-affirming surgery for children under 15 years of age and banning gender-related surgery for minors.

Parents also will have to give permission for any student under 15 to use a different pronoun and name than the one given at birth, and transgender women will not be able to join female sports teams, Smith said.

"The decision that was made by Alberta places kids at risk. We know that one of the number one reasons why kids take their life is problems around sexual identity," Health Minister Mark Holland, a Liberal, told reporters.

"I think it's extremely dangerous to engage in this kind of thing, which is, I think, playing politics when you're talking about children's lives," he added.

Several Liberal ministers shared similar condemnations online or with reporters. Employment and Workforce Development Minister Randy Boissonault, the first openly LGBT member of parliament from Alberta, called the proposed rules "draconian".

"Trans kids aren't supposed to be part of your political strategy," Labor Minister Seamus O'Regan, who is gay, posted on social media platform X.

Alberta's guidelines would be the strictest introduced in Canada, and they are likely to fuel a debate that has polarized political parties in the United States for some time.

"We want to make sure that those adult decisions are made as adults," Smith told reporters on Thursday. "Issues involving kids' reproductive health are not a political stunt."

She said the rules would likely be implemented in the autumn.

Federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has built a commanding lead in opinion polls against Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, mostly by hammering the government on cost-of-living issues.

But in November of last year Poilievre did tell supporters that Trudeau "does not have a right to impose his radical gender ideology on our kids and on our schools," without elaborating.

(Reporting by Steve Scherer; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Jonathan Oatis)


Danielle Smith unveils sweeping changes to Alberta's student gender identity, sports and surgery policies

CBC
Wed, January 31, 2024 

Smith made the announcement Wednesday on social media. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press - image credit)


Alberta will prohibit hormonal treatment, puberty blockers and gender affirming surgery for children 15 years and younger, Premier Danielle Smith announced Wednesday in a video posted to social media.

Smith said the policy bans all children under 17 from having top and bottom surgery, though bottom surgery is already limited to adults.

Teens aged 16 and 17 can start hormone therapy as long as they have permission from their parents, a physician and a psychologist.

Alberta parents will need to give permission before a student aged 15 and under can use a name or pronoun at school other than what they were given at birth, Smith said.

Students who are 16 or 17 won't require permission but schools will need to let their parents know first.

Albertans who require transgender surgeries have the procedures performed in Quebec. Smith said efforts will begin to attract these specialists to Alberta so the surgeries can take place in the province.

Smith said teachers need to get any third-party instruction material on gender identity, sexual orientation and human sexuality approved by the Education ministry before they are used in the classroom.

Parents will have to opt students in to every lesson about sex education, sexual orientation or gender identity.

The law right now requires one notification, and parents can opt out.

The new policy also forbids transgender women from competing in women's sports leagues. Smith said the government will work with leagues to set up co-ed or general-neutral divisions for sports.

It's unclear which changes would be done by law or by government policy and when any of the changes would take effect.

Smith said she didn't want to encourage or allow children to alter their biology or growth because she said it would pose a risk.

"Making permanent and irreversible decisions regarding one's biological sex while still a youth can severely limit that child's choices in the future," she said.

"Prematurely encouraging or enabling children to alter their very biology or natural growth, no matter how well intentioned and sincere, poses a risk to that child's future that I, as premier, am not comfortable with permitting in our province."

More detail is coming at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.

Policy 'interfering ideologically' in healthcare: expert

Fae Johnstone, a transgender woman and executive director of Queer Momentum based in Ontario, said Alberta's policies go further than what Saskatchewan and New Brunswick are doing.

Saskatchewan made changes via legislation. New Brunswick opted to make policy changes.

The Saskatchewan Party government passed its Parents' Bill of Rights, which requires consent from a parent or guardian "when a student requests that their preferred name, gender identity, and/or gender expression be used" at school.

New Brunswick's recent changes to its policy mean it's no longer mandatory for teachers to use the preferred pronouns or names of transgender or non-binary students under the age of 16.

A teacher or school would need to obtain parental consent for any child who wants to change their name at school. A student who refuses parental involvement would be referred to a school psychologist or social worker to develop a plan to inform the student's parents.

"This is interfering ideologically in the provision of medically necessary healthcare for trans and gender diverse young people," Johnstone said in an interview with CBC News.

"And flies in the face of establishing medical best practice, while also putting in parameters around school inclusion that are actually more likely to force trans kids back into the closet or extreme cases will lead to trans kids being kicked out of their homes."

Groups that support transgender kids said they will fight back.

Calgary-based Skipping Stone Foundation and Egale Canada said they condemn Smith's policy and called it "a direct and unprecedented attack on 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians, and trans and gender diverse youth in particular."

The groups said the measures violate the constitution and will create irreparable harm. They said they plan to take the matter to court.

Other groups wish Smith went further with her policy.

John Hilton-O'Brien is the executive director of parents for Choice in Education.

Hilton-O'Brien said Smith did more than he expected. While it didn't go as far he would like, he called it "reasonable."

Hilton-O'Brien said Smith took what he believes is a middle ground to diffuse tension between schools and parents.

"What you're looking at is a powder keg," he said. "If the premier doesn't do something to diffuse it, there will be much bigger trouble than a potential group of cases in [court]. She'll be looking at mass protests."

ATA says teachers need to be 'broadly consulted'

Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teacher's Association, said in a written statement that teachers are primarily concerned about the safety of their most vulnerable students after this announcement from Smith.

Teachers must be broadly consulted before this policy is enacted, he added.

"We are concerned about the chilling effect placed on classrooms and schools, impacting our ability to provide safe, caring and inclusive spaces for all students," Schilling said.

"We are concerned about how students may feel forced to suppress their identities and to be afraid of reaching out to teachers as an avenue for support.

"Transgender youth are five times more likely to think about suicide and nearly eight times more likely to attempt it than other children. We must be mindful of the vulnerability of these students and their need for safety, security and support."