OTTAWA-
On Wednesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre reiterated his opposition to transgender and non-binary minors using puberty blockers in support of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s proposed restrictions on transgender children.
Poilievre responded that, in his opinion, no one under the age of 18 should be permitted to use hormone treatments that help delay puberty-related growth for gender reassignment objectives in response to a number of inquiries from reporters on Parliament Hill about his position on gender-affirming health care for children.
“I believe we should defend parents’ right to make their own decisions regarding their children.” And he added, “I think people should be free to decide whatever they want about their bodies.”
Smith unveiled a social media video last month outlining her strategies for advancing several changes regarding pronouns in schools and exposure to gender-affirming healthcare.
Smith’s state is pursuing the following in terms of “parental presence” and “preserving choice”:
- Restrictions on “top and bottom” gender-affirming procedures for all Albertans under the age of 17
- A prohibition on hormone therapy for people under the age of 15 who have not yet begun care, such as puberty blockers
- Before kids under the age of 15 may change their names or pronouns at school, families must be informed and give their permission.
- Before teachers teach about LGBTQ2S+ issues like sex and sexual orientation, among other things, parents must consent.
The premier stated in the video that she was “not comfortable” allowing “prematurely encouraging or enabling children to alter their very biology or natural growth, no matter how well-intentioned,” while pledging to “strictly” enforce child protection laws in cases where trans youth are rejected or mistreated by their parents.
Poilievre expressed his agreement that “we should protect children and their ability to make child decisions when they are adults” in his remarks to reporters.
Smith’s plans last week were swiftly denounced by Trudeau and a number of cabinet ministers for being “the most anti-LGBT laws of anywhere in the nation” and were intended to target an ethnic minority for political reasons.
However, Poilievre did not express his opinion on Alberta’s ideas until Wednesday, when his conference was reportedly told not to comment.
The Conservative leader accused reporters who asked him to comment on “spreading deception” alongside the prime minister while praising parental rights during two news events on Monday and Tuesday in Toronto and Montreal.
“Justin Trudeau is once more puffing out his chest, attempting to divide Canadians, and attacking parents who are defending their children.” Poilievre stated on Wednesday that he will ultimately back down on this.
“He’s interested in using this as a contentious cone to divert attention from doubling housing prices and quadrupling carbon fees because he has no interest in protecting children.”
Delegates voted to incorporate a pair of policies in the party’s playbook last September at the national Liberal convention in Quebec City that would forbid “life-altering therapeutic or medical interventions” for transgender youth and oppose the inclusion of trans women in female spaces, such as on sports teams and in bathrooms.
Poilievre has not yet indicated whether he will support these resolutions in his plan.
Randy Boissonnault, an openly gay Progressive MP and employment minister from Alberta, responded to Poilievre’s remarks by saying that young people and their doctor may discuss puberty blockers.
“I don’t see ‘MD’ after Danielle Smith’s or Pierre Poilievre. So it’s none of their business,” he said. “It’s reckless, I tell you. It’s risky. Everyone who values their human rights may be concerned about Pierre Poilievre’s support of Danielle Smith because transgender rights are fundamental to them.”
The Democrats have opened the door to a more immediate federal funding or juridical answer, claiming to be now consulting the LGBTQ2S+ community on next steps. Boissonnault stated that the tactic for the time being is to “kill the bill” before it reaches the provincial legislature’s floor.
Smith acknowledged earlier this week in an interview with Vassy Kapelos on CTV’s Power Play that the proposed gender-affirming operation constraints are not based on current data of a problem, but more “concern of what will happen,” citing groups calling for “solutions to be done younger.”
The minimum age for masculinization of the torso or “top” surgery (mastectomy) is 16 years old, and Albertans under the age of 18 are currently ineligible for funding for bottom surgery through the Gender Surgery Program. In 2022, there were a total of eight neonatal breast clinics “performed for female affirming factors,” according to Alberta Health.
Students in Alberta have organized a protest at schools across the province on Wednesday as Smith stands by her proposed policies, building on the many protests held across Canada next weekend.
