Danielle Smith promises pronoun
law in schools this fall
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith confirmed Thursday her government's intention to introduce legislation on pronouns in schools. The latter will be proposed during the autumn legislative session.
She said the new policy will require parents to be notified when children under the age of 16 want to change their name or pronoun at school.
I do not want to prejudge the outcome of those deliberations, but we will have a lot of time to be able to put the policies in place and implement them; So we need to make sure that we have that thorough discussion.
A quote fromDanielle Smith, Premier of AlbertaHis comments come about three weeks before most K-12 schools reopen.
A more than bizarre obsessionOnce you pass legislation, you have to implement regulations," said Smith, who did not elaborate on what the law would look like.
After the premier's announcement, Kristopher Wells, Canada Research Chair in Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth at MacEwan University in Edmonton, wrote on social media that the premier's obsession with the transgender community was beyond bizarre.
The fact that she ignores our crumbling health care system to obsess over the parts people have in their pants is deeply disturbing. This trans panic she is manufacturing is hateful, hurtful and must stop," Kristopher Wells denounced on X.
LGBTQ+ rights groups Egale Canada and Skipping Stone Foundation have warned that if Alberta goes ahead with the proposed changes, they will take legal action.
PreviousSmith's announcement follows similar steps that have been taken in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan passed a law in October prohibiting children under the age of 16 from changing their name or pronoun at school without parental consent.
This province has invoked the rarely used notwithstanding clause to override sections of the Saskatchewan Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.
Dozens of teachers quickly signed an online petition calling on school divisions to disregard the law.
The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission has argued that the invocation of the notwithstanding clause significantly affects the rights of minors.
Heather Kuttai, a former Saskatchewan human rights commissioner, resigned over the law, saying it infringes on the rights of gender-diverse children.
A report by Saskatchewan's children's advocate said she violated the rights to gender identity and expression. Lisa Broda's report also raised concerns that teachers could violate their standards of professional practice if they adhere to them.
She said the new policy will require parents to be notified when children under the age of 16 want to change their name or pronoun at school.
I do not want to prejudge the outcome of those deliberations, but we will have a lot of time to be able to put the policies in place and implement them; So we need to make sure that we have that thorough discussion.
A quote fromDanielle Smith, Premier of AlbertaHis comments come about three weeks before most K-12 schools reopen.
A more than bizarre obsessionOnce you pass legislation, you have to implement regulations," said Smith, who did not elaborate on what the law would look like.
After the premier's announcement, Kristopher Wells, Canada Research Chair in Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth at MacEwan University in Edmonton, wrote on social media that the premier's obsession with the transgender community was beyond bizarre.
The fact that she ignores our crumbling health care system to obsess over the parts people have in their pants is deeply disturbing. This trans panic she is manufacturing is hateful, hurtful and must stop," Kristopher Wells denounced on X.
LGBTQ+ rights groups Egale Canada and Skipping Stone Foundation have warned that if Alberta goes ahead with the proposed changes, they will take legal action.
PreviousSmith's announcement follows similar steps that have been taken in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan passed a law in October prohibiting children under the age of 16 from changing their name or pronoun at school without parental consent.
This province has invoked the rarely used notwithstanding clause to override sections of the Saskatchewan Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.
Dozens of teachers quickly signed an online petition calling on school divisions to disregard the law.
The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission has argued that the invocation of the notwithstanding clause significantly affects the rights of minors.
Heather Kuttai, a former Saskatchewan human rights commissioner, resigned over the law, saying it infringes on the rights of gender-diverse children.
A report by Saskatchewan's children's advocate said she violated the rights to gender identity and expression. Lisa Broda's report also raised concerns that teachers could violate their standards of professional practice if they adhere to them.
