A legal challenge to Saskatchewan害羞草研究所檚 new law requiring parental consent if children under 16 want to change their names or pronouns at school is back in court this week. New Brunswick enacted a similar measure last year, and other provinces are looking at doing the same.

Lawyers representing UR Pride, an LGBT group in Regina, say the rule discriminates against youth who aren害羞草研究所檛 able to come out to their families. The Saskatchewan and New Brunswick governments have said they made the changes after hearing from many parents that they want them.

Saskatchewan used the notwithstanding clause, a rarely used provision that lets governments override Charter rights for five years, to prevent the court challenge from proceeding.

The Canadian Press sent reporters across the country to talk to parents about the issue.

Krystle Wilpert, Calgary

The mother of a four- and seven-year-old said children should have the choice when they are that little.

害羞草研究所淓ven with their name, sometimes they shorten their given name,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚f they are actually wanting to legally change it, then parents should be advised.

害羞草研究所淲hen they are this little, if you want to be known as she, they, he, that害羞草研究所檚 part of their identity, I think, and figuring out what they prefer.

害羞草研究所淚f you want to legally change it when you害羞草研究所檙e of age, that害羞草研究所檚 a different story.害羞草研究所�

Wilpert, who害羞草研究所檚 a teacher, said parents need to have strong relationships with their children.

害羞草研究所淚f the parents have a great relationship with the school and with their child, it probably wouldn害羞草研究所檛 be an issue.害羞草研究所�

She said it would be awkward if Alberta were to bring in a similar policy to Saskatchewan.

害羞草研究所淚f you害羞草研究所檙e a classroom teacher, having to phone a parent to say, 害羞草研究所業s it OK if I call your child they?害羞草研究所� It creates awkwardness and it doesn害羞草研究所檛 build that relationship that kids need to feel safe and secure when they are growing up.害羞草研究所�

Nicolas Brizard, Montreal

The father of girls age three, five, 10 and 12, said he hadn害羞草研究所檛 previously thought about whether parents should be notified 害羞草研究所� or asked for their consent 害羞草研究所� if children want to change their name or pronouns at school.

He said it害羞草研究所檚 not something that has been the subject of widespread debate in Quebec.

Brizard said young people start really searching for their identity around the age of 14, but the idea that they could change their name or gender identity without parental permission before the age of 16 害羞草研究所渋s a bit difficult.害羞草研究所�

Even if parental consent isn害羞草研究所檛 required, he said he thinks parents should be notified.

害羞草研究所淭hey don害羞草研究所檛 always have the necessary tools to make these decisions by themselves,害羞草研究所� Brizard said in French.

害羞草研究所淪ometimes they害羞草研究所檝e had bad experiences, sometimes good experiences, but it害羞草研究所檚 a major decision, so you need to have the necessary tools to reflect in order to make this change.害羞草研究所�

Angela Campbell, Rothesay, N.B.

Campbell said her child was assigned female at birth, but is now gender fluid and uses the pronoun they.

害羞草研究所淥nce puberty hit, they started experiencing anxiety and depression,害羞草研究所� said Campbell, whose child turns 20 this week.

害羞草研究所淚t took a long time to sort of get to the root of what was going on. It turned out to be gender identity was the root of the problem.害羞草研究所�

She said her child found support from teachers and guidance counsellors at school, and is grateful they were there.

School and teachers offer a practice run for the real world in a safe space, and changes made by New Brunswick remove that, she said.

害羞草研究所淚t would be wonderful and very utopian of us to think that home is always the safest place for children to be able to go and have these conversations, but that害羞草研究所檚 not the reality.害羞草研究所�

Jose Henriquez, Vancouver

The father said he would be supportive if one of his two sons wanted to use a different name or pronoun at school, but he would want to know about the change beforehand.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 my child. You know, we don害羞草研究所檛 own our kids, but we raise them up in the way that we think is right,害羞草研究所� said Henriquez, with his eight- and nine-year-old sons chatting together nearby.

害羞草研究所淚 think if they want to do something like that, they should come to the mom and dad first.害羞草研究所�

That害羞草研究所檚 especially true for younger children, Henriquez said.

害羞草研究所淲hen they害羞草研究所檙e really young like this, I don害羞草研究所檛 think they even know what they害羞草研究所檙e wanting,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚f these guys are older, and he says to me something like that, then I害羞草研究所檝e got no choice, he can do what he wants.害羞草研究所�

Still, Henriquez said he害羞草研究所檇 want to be the first person to have that talk with his child.

害羞草研究所淎s a good parent, you support them because they害羞草研究所檙e your child and you love them, you know, and you don害羞草研究所檛 outcast them.害羞草研究所�

Jonathan Rambo, Toronto

The father of three strongly believes parental consent should be required before a student under 16 wishes to change their pronoun or gendered name.

He said children at that age aren害羞草研究所檛 developed enough to make those decisions for themselves.

害羞草研究所淭hey still haven害羞草研究所檛 reached that maturity level to be changing names,害羞草研究所� he said

Rambo has a daughter in Grade 10, a son in Grade 8, and a son in Grade 2 害羞草研究所� all ages at which they are still very impressionable, he said.

害羞草研究所淟ike, my daughter, from my experience, she is still going through a whole bunch of friends,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淪o if she gets with a group of friends, and they could say, 害羞草研究所極h let害羞草研究所檚 change our names,害羞草研究所� but later on she might outgrow that group of friends. It害羞草研究所檚 still not for sure if that害羞草研究所檚 what she害羞草研究所檚 going to want in the future. She害羞草研究所檚 still learning in life.害羞草研究所�

Rambo said that even if parents aren害羞草研究所檛 required to give consent, they should at least be informed when a child decides to use a different name or pronoun at school.

害羞草研究所淚 would like to know if my daughter changes her name. I could be calling her Heather and her name is Mary the next day. I think that害羞草研究所檚 a big joke. Let kids be young, let them get used to their name.害羞草研究所�

Amanda Stajniak, Glenavon, Sask.

Stajniak lives on a farm about 100 kilometres east of Regina and has children aged 11, nine, eight, four and two.

The mother said parents should be required to give consent if their children want to change their names or pronouns at school.

害羞草研究所淚 think parents should totally be involved, as much as possible in everything. I think it害羞草研究所檚 a good thing,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淚f they are having any feelings, I want them to come to me first. They do spend a lot of time with the teachers, but I would hope that they would come to me first.害羞草研究所�

Stajniak said in her community, everyone knows each other.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not much of a big deal in smaller towns,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淓verybody kind of knows everybody害羞草研究所檚 stuff. If there害羞草研究所檚 any kids that are going through anything, the kids come home and tell us about it.害羞草研究所�

The mother said she didn害羞草研究所檛 think about pronouns or name changes before Saskatchewan implemented the parental consent requirement.

害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 know someone could change their name at school. If my kids were being called something else, I would know, right?害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� By Colette Derworiz in Calgary, Jacob Serebrin in Montreal, Hina Alam in Fredericton, Brenna Owen in Vancouver, Alex Gheciu in Toronto and Jeremy Simes in Regina

The Canadian Press