Highlights of the bills that will affect
trans people in Alberta
The Alberta government tabled three bills Thursday that directly affect people who are in gender transition or who have transitioned. Two of them affect the rights of minors who suffer from gender dysphoria, and one prohibits trans women from participating in sports competitions.
Through a series of amendments, the province intends to amend the Health Professions Act. In doing so, she wants to ban doctors, surgeons, nurses and other health professionals from performing gender-affirming surgeries on minors.
Bill 26, if passed, would ban 10 irreversible medical procedures for the upper and lower body. The Ministry of Health would also be given the authority to ban more surgical procedures in the definition of gender-affirming surgery, if it deems it necessary.
Note that in Canada, gender-affirming surgeries for the lower body are already prohibited for people under the age of 18.
ELSEWHERE ON INFO: The CAQ denies filing citizens according to their convictionsIn addition, health professionals will no longer be able to prescribe non-surgical procedures, such as hormone blockers and hormone therapies for people under the age of 15 with dysphoria or gender incongruity.
However, the province intends to grant an exemption to people 15 and under who have already started treatment and allow minors aged 16 and 17 to start treatment provided they have the approval of their parents, doctor and psychologist.
Correction :On November 7, 2024, we amended this section to more clearly reflect the promise of exemption for minors. Although the measure is not part of the bill, it is mentioned in the documents provided to the media when the bill was introduced and was reiterated by Premier Danielle Smith at a press conference.
The proposed amendments to the Health Professions Act do not prevent Albertans from changing the sex on their birth certificate.
Women's sports competitionsBill 29 aims to introduce the Fair and Safe Sport Act. This new law, if passed, would prohibit access to women's sports competitions for people who are not biologically female.
This legislation would apply to school divisions, post-secondary institutions and provincial sport organizations.
These organizations should report to the government all complaints about an athlete's eligibility to compete. In addition, applications to set up a co-ed sports league should go through the province.
The government has not specified how sports organizations will verify a person's biological gender to determine if their gender is assigned at birth, or how that will apply to interprovincial competitions.
Parental consent to change pronouns at schoolFollowing the example of what has been done in Saskatchewan, the province, through Bill 27, wants to amend the Education Act.
With the proposed changes, Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides intends to require parental consent for all students who wish to use another name or pronoun at school.
For minors 16 years of age and older, parents must be notified of a change of name or pronoun, but their consent is not required.
The government does say that if the parental notification results in emotional or psychological harm to the student, the school board will ensure that the student receives assistance before the parental notification.
It will be up to school boards to enforce these measures.
These changes also apply to Indigenous Two-Spirit people who receive education or participate in sports competitions off reserve.
Through a series of amendments, the province intends to amend the Health Professions Act. In doing so, she wants to ban doctors, surgeons, nurses and other health professionals from performing gender-affirming surgeries on minors.
Bill 26, if passed, would ban 10 irreversible medical procedures for the upper and lower body. The Ministry of Health would also be given the authority to ban more surgical procedures in the definition of gender-affirming surgery, if it deems it necessary.
Note that in Canada, gender-affirming surgeries for the lower body are already prohibited for people under the age of 18.
ELSEWHERE ON INFO: The CAQ denies filing citizens according to their convictionsIn addition, health professionals will no longer be able to prescribe non-surgical procedures, such as hormone blockers and hormone therapies for people under the age of 15 with dysphoria or gender incongruity.
However, the province intends to grant an exemption to people 15 and under who have already started treatment and allow minors aged 16 and 17 to start treatment provided they have the approval of their parents, doctor and psychologist.
Correction :On November 7, 2024, we amended this section to more clearly reflect the promise of exemption for minors. Although the measure is not part of the bill, it is mentioned in the documents provided to the media when the bill was introduced and was reiterated by Premier Danielle Smith at a press conference.
The proposed amendments to the Health Professions Act do not prevent Albertans from changing the sex on their birth certificate.
Women's sports competitionsBill 29 aims to introduce the Fair and Safe Sport Act. This new law, if passed, would prohibit access to women's sports competitions for people who are not biologically female.
This legislation would apply to school divisions, post-secondary institutions and provincial sport organizations.
These organizations should report to the government all complaints about an athlete's eligibility to compete. In addition, applications to set up a co-ed sports league should go through the province.
The government has not specified how sports organizations will verify a person's biological gender to determine if their gender is assigned at birth, or how that will apply to interprovincial competitions.
Parental consent to change pronouns at schoolFollowing the example of what has been done in Saskatchewan, the province, through Bill 27, wants to amend the Education Act.
With the proposed changes, Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides intends to require parental consent for all students who wish to use another name or pronoun at school.
For minors 16 years of age and older, parents must be notified of a change of name or pronoun, but their consent is not required.
The government does say that if the parental notification results in emotional or psychological harm to the student, the school board will ensure that the student receives assistance before the parental notification.
It will be up to school boards to enforce these measures.
These changes also apply to Indigenous Two-Spirit people who receive education or participate in sports competitions off reserve.