Canada害羞草研究所檚 minister for women, gender equality and youth says policies in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick that require parental consent before students under 16 can have schools use their preferred pronouns and names puts transgender and nonbinary kids in a 害羞草研究所渓ife-or-death situation.害羞草研究所�
And while Marci Ien declined to comment on whether Ottawa sees a role for itself in any potential court challenges, the cabinet minister said the Liberal government is keeping an eye on what unfolds.
害羞草研究所淲hat I can tell you is that we害羞草研究所檙e watching closely as this develops,害羞草研究所� she told The Canadian Press in an interview Wednesday.
害羞草研究所淥bviously anything is possible, but I害羞草研究所檓 not going to comment on anything hypothetical at this time.害羞草研究所�
Saskatchewan recently became the second jurisdiction to change its policy around pronoun use and name changes for students younger than 16, making it a rule that teachers must first seek permission from those students害羞草研究所� parents. The provincial government says the change originated out of concerns from parents and a desire to apply one uniform policy across all school divisions.
Premier Scott Moe signalled plans to make the change ahead of the coming school year, after the topic of parental consent over issues of sexual health, orientation and gender identity was in the summer spotlight.
The Saskatchewan government suspended Planned Parenthood from giving sexual health presentations in schools this spring after a Grade 9 student in Lumsden, north of Regina, took home a pamphlet containing graphic, sexual words. Planned Parenthood says the brochure, intended for older audiences, had been grabbed from a side table, where it had been inadvertently been mixed with other materials.
An August byelection in the riding where the high school is located saw the Saskatchewan United Party, a fledgling right-of-centre party, eat into the governing Saskatchewan Party害羞草研究所檚 rock-solid rural vote after campaigning on the issue of 害羞草研究所減arental rights.害羞草研究所�
The changes to school policy in the province also means a pause on third-party organizations providing sexual education at schools.
In June, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs became the first provincial leader to wade into the issue of parental consent, which has gained increasing traction among social conservatives.
That province previously had a policy that made it mandatory for teachers to use a student害羞草研究所檚 preferred pronouns and names. They are now required to have parental consent to do so for students under 16.
The Progressive Conservative government clarified some aspects of the policy after a scathing report from the province害羞草研究所檚 child and youth advocate warned the changes risk violating children害羞草研究所檚 rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Now, psychologists, social workers and other school professionals will be permitted to use the preferred names and pronouns of students under 16 without parental consent. But it has doubled down on the central elements of its policy.
The concern over the rights of children is shared by a prominent national civil liberties group, which believes the policies ought to be challenged.
害羞草研究所淭hese policies have a discriminatory impact on trans and gender-diverse students,害羞草研究所� said Harini Sivalingam, director of equality programs at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
害羞草研究所淔or example, a cisgender student who wants to use a nickname doesn害羞草研究所檛 need to seek parental consent, but a trans student would be required to. So this clearly has a discriminatory effect that will cause harm to trans students.害羞草研究所�
Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce also said Monday he thinks parents should know if their children choose to change their name or pronouns at school, but stopped short of committing to making any change.
Manitoba Progressive Conservative Leader Heather Stefanson also promised that if re-elected on Oct. 3, her government would give more 害羞草研究所減arental rights害羞草研究所� to families when it comes to the curriculum and presentations by outside groups at schools.
Egale Canada, a national LGBTQ+ organization, has asked Saskatchewan to suspend the change, saying if that does not happen it will seek a court injunction on behalf of the University of Regina害羞草研究所檚 Pride Centre.
Moe cited recent opinion polling by the Angus Reid Institute that suggested at least half of those surveyed supported his government害羞草研究所檚 approach to the issue, but Ien said she is concerned about kids害羞草研究所� safety.
害羞草研究所淭his is a life-or-death situation and it害羞草研究所檚 not about what do I think 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 looking to the numbers,害羞草研究所� she said.
A landmark 2018 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found transgender youth who are able to use their preferred names and pronouns reported a 34 per cent drop in suicidal thoughts and a 65 per cent decrease in suicide attempts.
Last year, the Canadian Medical Association Journal concluded trans kids face a greater risk of suicide than their heterosexual peers.
Asked about what steps the Liberal government plans to take, Ien said it is 害羞草研究所渟peaking up害羞草研究所� and listening to the teachers as well as families with LGBTQ+ children who are directly affected by the policy shifts.
害羞草研究所淲e are vigorously watching and letting the community know, and it knows. It knows who has its back.害羞草研究所�
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ Canadians is a priority for his government, rolling out an action plan last year with a promise to provide organizations with up to $75 million in funding.
NDP MP Randall Garrison, the party害羞草研究所檚 critic for LGBTQ+ issues in Parliament, said in a statement that 害羞草研究所淭rudeau害羞草研究所檚 words are not enough.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淗is government must immediately implement concrete measures to protect 2SLGBTQI+ kids 害羞草研究所� like increasing funding for trans and gender-diverse organizations and making comprehensive gender-affirming health care a reality across Canada.害羞草研究所�
Sivalingam said the federal government could expand the Court Challenges Program, which helps fund constitutional test cases involving human rights, to cover laws and policies that are squarely in provincial jurisdiction. Right now, it covers only matters of national interest. That would allow advocacy groups to access funding to launch challenges.
害羞草研究所�(This) is an important national issue affecting Canadians and all levels of government should really have this on their radar.害羞草研究所�
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