Alberta unveils 3 sweeping bills affecting trans and gender-diverse youth
the Education Amendment Act, 2024, that would require children under 16 to have parental consent if they want to change their names or pronouns at school.A similar law is on the books in Saskatchewan, where the government invoked the notwithstanding clause, a measure that allows governments to override certain Charter rights for up to five years.The bill would also require parents to opt-in for their children to be taught about sexual orientation and sexual and gender identity at school. The legislation also restricts any kind of curriculum that teaches about gender diversity.When asked how the rules would be enforced in schools, Smith said the Alberta Teaching Profession Commission has the ability to discipline teachers if they defy the government’s direction.The requirements would not apply in First Nations schools, but two-spirit Indigenous students in provincially run schools would be subject to them.The second bill, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, would prohibit doctors from treating those under 16 seeking transgender treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapies.It would also prohibit health professionals from performing sex reassignment surgeries on minors.
Currently, national policy restricts bottom surgery across Canada to those 18 and over, and such procedures don’t take place in Alberta.The third bill, the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, would ban transgender athletes from competing in leagues not designated co-ed and require school and sports organizations to report eligibility complaints.The government said it’s aiming to protect fairness and safety in sports.Sport Minister Joseph Schow said sex registration at birth would determine competitive eligibility. Such documentation is
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