‘We’re terrified because we’re watching the next generation of our community lose the ability to grow up as themselves’
Hundreds rallied near Whyte Avenue in Edmonton on Saturday in opposition to the provincial government’s proposed series of new policies regarding children and LGBTQ+ rights.
The forthcoming changes, revealed by Premier Danielle Smith in a seven-minute video posted to social media on Wednesday, include bans on gender reassignment surgery for those aged under 17, on hormone therapy for children aged 15 and under, and also introduced plans to explore limits on sports participation for transgender athletes.
Rally organizer Rowan Morris, a 23-year-old transgender person, said the changes put others like him at risk, adding, “trans people everywhere are terrified.”
“If Smith truly cared about trans youth she would not make it illegal to support them,” Morris said.
“We’re terrified because we’re watching the next generation of our community lose the ability to grow up as themselves.”
The proposed policy changes also require parental notification and consent for a school to alter the name or pronouns of a child aged 15 and under, while notification is required for 16- or 17-year-olds.
Morris said his parents disowned him when he came out as transgender and described having to use pronouns different than those used at home as “a survival skill.”
“Having those teachers using my pronouns was necessary to my well-being,” Morris said.
“I needed adults that accepted me in my life. So it’s very important that we show trans youth there are other adults in this province who accept them for who they are.”
“Lots of kids don’t have a safe space at home,” Shaw said.
“It’s really important that they can have a safe space and at school, (for) lots of kids, that is their safe space, And, if their parents don’t support that, then they want to tell their teachers and they are not going to have the ability to do that anymore. It’s not right.”
Others there feared the plans announced Wednesday were the first step towards even more restrictive policies as seen in many American states.
Jamie Baillie, a trans person, said he watched Smith’s video in disbelief on Wednesday.
“We couldn’t believe basically what is happening here and that this is actually going to possibly happen here in Canada,” Baillie said.
“She’s not going to stop with just one bill. This is just the tip of it right now, and we have to stop it.”
Opposition Leader Rachel Notley, members of Parliament Heather McPherson and Blake Desjarlais, several city councillors, and Sen. Paula Simons were among the politicians in attendance.
“It says a lot about who she is and who she’s listening to,” Irwin said.
Smith said the policy changes will be introduced through a combination of legislation and regulation in the fall, and Irwin said the NDP will do all it can to stop them.
“We need to be showing up and we need to be speaking out and we need to be showing that trans rights are human rights.”
Another rally is planned for the legislature grounds on Sunday.
— With files from Lisa Johnson
