Danielle Smith’s “Gender Identity” Policies are Draconian Violations of Trans & Queer Students’ Rights

On Wednesday, January 31, Premier Danielle Smith released a seven-minute video on X (formerly Twitter) about her alarming “Gender Identity” policies. Support Our Students Alberta absolutely opposes these proposed measures. These sweeping policies specifically target young Albertans who identify as LGBTQ2S+ and outright ban their access to safe schools, healthcare, medicine, and psychological support. In school settings, these students’ rights to safe self expression will also be banned. Queer and transgender students, especially those without affirming homes, are already vulnerable to alienation, isolation, suicide, and homelessness. Smith’s policies significantly multiply their risk of harm.

The broad suite of policies represent massive overreach of provincial government power. These policies legislate away the rights of youth and violate their autonomy, agency, and privacy. The proposed measures are also based on disinformation and conspiracy theories. They’re designed to foster mistrust between educators and families. It is not the province’s place to legislate the bodies and minds of Alberta’s youth under the guise of “parental rights.” Instead of expanding healthcare options for youth, and instead of bolstering the school system with much needed resources that help teach empathy, understanding, and support for LGBTQ2S+ students, these policies are punitive and regressive.

The new requirement that families must opt-in to each lesson on comprehensive sexual education will decrease student participation in health-related courses. The proposed new protocol presumes that educators are hiding information from families, but in fact the Alberta curriculum is already open access. Adding extra steps of opt-in will limit access to important content for all students that prepares them to take care of themselves and others in a healthy manner.

Danielle Smith and her cabinet are not experts in LGBTQ2S+ health or sexual education. In fact, they failed to consult the impacted communities and experts. Alberta’s students need and deserve safe places to freely express their personal identity and exercise their right to access safe and well-rounded education.

“Alberta’s public school classrooms are bursting at the seams from chronic underfunding. Instead of supporting students and alleviating their existing material struggles within the under-resourced school system, Danielle Smith is putting vulnerable youth at elevated risk and harm to appease a socially conservative base who do not represent the majority of Albertan families and parents. These policies are barbaric and cruel to LGBTQ2S+ students.” - Medeana Moussa, Executive Director, SOS Alberta 

In contrast to other provinces that have introduced “parental rights” legislation such as Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, Alberta’s “gender identity” measures will impact wider domains and will have worse far-reaching implications. In Alberta’s version, the harm will be done long before intervention and support are provided. 

Support Our Students Alberta demands that the UCP government halt the introduction of these dangerous policies. Government should meaningfully consult with LGBTQ2S+ youth advocacy agencies to prevent insurmountable harm for these youth.

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