Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says that discussions around the province’s child transition policies should not be politicized.
“Gender identity can be a very emotional issue, especially in the context of children,” Ms. Smith said during a press conference on Feb. 1. “As we move forward developing and implementing these policies into law, I hope we can depoliticize the issue as much as possible and focus on the well-being of the children involved.”
As part of Alberta’s newly announced policies, top and gender reassignment surgeries will not be permitted for those aged 17 and under, while those 15 years of age and under will not be permitted to take puberty blockers or hormone therapies as part of gender reassignment treatment.
The government says the reasoning for the new policies is to preserve the choices on such “life-altering and often irreversible adult decisions” for when children grow into adults.
The policies will also prohibit transgender athletes from competing in female-only leagues.
Ms. Smith’s government has also included a requirement for schools to seek parental consent before allowing students aged 15 and under to change their names or pronouns. Students who are 16 or 17 do not need parental consent, but the parents must be informed by the school.
Third-party resource materials related to gender identity and sexual orientation will also need to be pre-approved by the Ministry of Education before they are allowed to be used in class.
The Liberal government in Ottawa, Calgary mayor, and Alberta’s NDP have all fiercely criticized the new policies.
Federal Health Minister Mark Holland said he is “deeply disturbed” by the new policies during a press conference on Feb. 1, while Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the new policies are “an infringement on human rights.”
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley said the premier is using this issue to “distract, to divide, and to ask Albertans to look away from the many issues that she and her government are actually failing on.”
“Smith’s new policy represents government interference in what should be a collaborative and private decision between parents, their child, and their doctor,” Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley said during a press conference on Feb. 1.
“It is my firm belief the plan to inject the UCP cabinet into the process of reviewing materials related to sexual health is the first step towards bringing pro-life education into our schools.”
Ms. Notley added that she is certain the new policies will be subject to legal challenges and rejected by courts, predicting that the premier will likely use the notwithstanding clause to overwrite the ruling. She said this would be “yet another Conservative attack on our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”
Asked if she’d invoke the notwithstanding clause if needed, Ms. Smith said during her Feb. 1 press conference that she hopes it doesn’t come down to that.
“We believe that the child’s best interest is served by making sure that when they’re making decisions that is not reversible until they’re of an age where they’re prepared to live with the consequences of that,” Ms. Smith said.
“For children who identify as transgender, I want you to also know that these polices are being implemented in order to protect the choices you have regarding altering your physical body until after you’ve grown mature enough to make such choices safely, and with a full understanding of what that means for the rest of your life.”
New Brunswick has implemented a similar policy to require parental consent before allowing pronoun changes at school.
