Saskatchewan School Division Apologizes After Cross-Dress Activity Held

People attend competing rallies over Saskatchewan's pronoun bill outside the legislature in Regina on Oct. 10, 2023. The Canadian Press/Heywood Yu

A school division in Saskatchewan has issued an apology after a cross-dressing activity was held at one of its schools.

The Horizon School Division posted the statement on its website on Jan. 24, saying it had just been made aware of the event.

“Horizon School Division was made aware today of a spirit day activity at one of our schools involving boys dressing as girls, and girls dressing as boys,” the statement said.

“The intent of the spirit day was to be lighthearted and positive, and in no way to negatively represent any gender.”

The division said that it “wishes to apologize to any students and staff who may have experienced discomfort or harm surrounding this activity.”

The Epoch Times reached out to the school division and was directed to the website statement.

Attempts by The Epoch Times to reach the education minister by publication time were unsuccessful.

According to its website, Horizon School Division oversees about 6,555 students in over 40 schools across east central Saskatchewan with its central office in Humboldt.

The event follows a battle between the province and LGBT groups over a policy requiring schools to seek parental consent before a student under the age of 16 can change names or pronouns.

In August 2023, the governing Saskatchewan Party announced the province’s school policy. It was challenged in the courts by UR Pride Centre for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, a peer support group based at the University of Regina.

On Sept. 28, Justice M.T. Megaw permitted an injunction requested by UR Pride against enacting the policy.

Premier Scott Moe said his government would use the notwithstanding clause to pass legislation to enshrine the policy into provincial law.

The Parents Bill of Rights was passed in October 2023, requiring schools to seek parental consent if students under 16 want to change their names or pronouns. It also allows parents to withdraw their children from presentations that have sexual education content.

On Jan. 10 and 11, 2024, the legal challenge was back in court with the government asking the court to throw out the lawsuit as the policy was no longer relevant because of the new law.

UR Pride argued that the policy proposed in August 2023 violated students’ charter freedoms, particularly the right to life, liberty, and security of the person and the right to equality. They also argued that the policy violated section 12 of the charter, which prohibits “any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment,” and the court should hear the case.

Parental Rights in New Brunswick

A couple of months before Saskatchewan introduced its policy, New Brunswick made changes to its gender policy, Policy 713.

The updates require schools in New Brunswick to obtain parental consent before students under 16 can change their names or pronouns. Previously, the policy said schools should ask students for permission to contact their parents if they want to change pronouns. However, the policy said that if schools were not able to get consent from a student, then “a plan will be put in place to support the student in managing the use of the preferred name.”

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs faced dissension over the decision, including from within his own party, but Mr. Higgs said the issue of parental rights was a big one that he expected to play a significant role in the provincial election in October 2024.

“I’ve always felt parents should play the main role in raising children. No one is denying gender diversity is real, but we need to figure out how to manage it,” he said during a year-end interview with The Canadian Press.

Matthew Horwood and Tara MacIsaac contributed to this report.