Student-Led Strike in Response to Alberta’s Transgender Policies
On Wednesday night, nearly 200 individuals staged a student-led strike at Victoria School of the Arts in Edmonton, many of whom were decked out with pride banners and signs.
In response to the Alberta government’s recent announcement regarding transgender policies, such as pronoun use and preferred names, students left their classrooms at 10 a.m. and organized into protests.
According to Victoria School’s principal Stacy Fysh in a statement released on Tuesday night, “The strike is not organized or endorsed by Edmonton Public Schools, the program is student-led.”
“We recognize that individuals want to participate in political activities and voice their opinions. Our schools work to promote a spirit of respect, understanding, and dialogue. We encourage our students to have civil discussions about topics that are important to them.”
A small group of anti-protesters showed up to oppose the student-led demonstration, but both parties maintained their composure.
The student-led demonstration is the latest in a string of protests against Premier Danielle Smith’s decision to alter these trans policies and the United Conservative Party.
This past weekend, a sizable demonstration was held at the Legislature Grounds as well as close to Whyte Avenue in support of transgender children and their fight against the policy changes. Since the announcement was made last year, there have been a number of protests all over the state.
In response to the provincial government’s recent announcement regarding transgender policies, including pronoun usage and preferred names, people participate in a student-led strike. Taken in Edmonton on February 7, 2024. Greg Southam’s picture is on Postmedia.
At Leduc Comp, Students Leave
Victoria School wasn’t the only school in the Capital region to organize a student-led demonstration, though. On Wednesday, students at Leduc Composite High School also planned a student strike.
Alpine Cervo, 16, claims that shortly after Smith announced the policy changes last week, he began to consider the student protest.
The protest was intended to support Cervo and others because he has a 13-year-old brother who is transgender.
“Most kids are happy like that,” Cervo said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “I’m happy to grow up in a household where it’s okay to be whoever I want to be.” Some people are rejected or expelled, and it hurts you deeply when your own parents essentially tell you that you are no longer their child.
Restrictions on young people changing their names or pronouns at school, undergoing sex re-assignment surgery, and receiving hormone therapy are among Smith’s policy changes, which were made during the fall session.
Smith believes that the policies’ main objective is to make sure that kids are “fully informed” about the choices they are making and that they won’t regret them in the future.
“Nothing in Alberta has reproductive reconstruction surgery before the age of 18,” according to Cervo, who considers himself to be gender-fluid. This is a significant change.
Cervo claimed that his nephew has been waiting for other forms of gender-affirming treatment for the past two years. Gender reassignment surgery may be prohibited for people 17 and under under the new policy, which was put in place by Smith and the UCP.
People 15 and under cannot use puberty blockers or hormone treatment for sex affirmation or transition unless they have already started treatment.
According to Cervo, who has been waiting for gender-affirming treatment for the past two years, he will have to wait until at least 16 years old before these guidelines. “He’s been waiting for so long, and then he’ll have to wait even longer.”
Cervo expressed hope that these policies won’t pass because of the demonstrations against the proposed changes that took place over the weekend.
Cervo remarked, “I’m glad that other people are standing up as well.”
