Alberta premier says there’s ‘evolving discussion’ on pronouns, trans kids

Employment Minister and Edmonton MP Randy Boissonault said that he has constituents that are “quite rightly terrified” by what Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is proposing.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says that her government is bringing in new rules around transgender kids wanting to use different names or pronouns in school and gender-affirming care due to what she describes as an “evolving” conversation.

“What we’re seeing is an evolving discussion in the public realm, not only in Canada but internationally, and you’re seeing different standards of medical practice being proposed,” Smith told The West Block guest host David Akin.

“We felt like it was important for us to make sure that we had guidelines that were understandable and acceptable. We believe the starting point should be that kids should not be making irreversible decisions.”

On Wednesday, Smith announced a suite of policy changes related to gender-diverse youth and sexual education. This includes the requirement for parental notification and consent if a child aged 15 or younger changes their name or pronouns at school. Youth aged 16 or 17 will not need parental consent, but parents will still be notified.

At a housing announcement in Waterloo, Ont., Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that it’s important to look out for LGBTQ2 youths as they are at greater risk of homelessness and suicide than their peers.

“It is telling that the week after welcoming far-right American conservative Tucker Carlson to her province to sit with him on stage, Danielle Smith has now moved forward with the most anti-LGBT policies of anywhere in the country,” Trudeau said.

Saskatchewan’s similar pronoun policy was paused by a court injunction last fall.

Shortly after, Premier Scott Moe invoked the notwithstanding clause to move ahead with it.