Lots of issues Premier Danielle Smith could fight against instead of trans youth, Trudeau says
CTV
There are a lot of issues preoccupying Canadians' lives that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith could be working to address instead of 'fighting' against transgender youth, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday.
There are a lot of issues preoccupying Canadians' lives that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith could be working to address instead of "fighting" against transgender youth, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday.
Asked to comment on Smith's plans to impose pronoun policies in schools and restrict transgender youth from accessing certain medical care or participating in women's sports teams, the prime minister questioned the United Conservative Party's focus on these issues.
"If Premier Smith wants to fight someone, stand with us and fight for Canadians on lower grocery prices, on affordable fuel, on more housing, on fighting climate change," he said. "Fight with us to defend the rights of vulnerable Canadians, don't fight against vulnerable LGBT youth."
Trudeau's comment came in response to a question about what the federal government plans to do about Alberta's proposal, to which the prime minister — much like members of his cabinet when asked Thursday — did not get specific.
"As a federal government, we will always be there to protect the most vulnerable, particularly vulnerable LGBT youth who need to know that there are people across the country there to fight for them," said the prime minister.
He also pointed to the doctors, teachers, and community organizations that have already stepped up to voice their concerns about the suite of measures Smith intends to enact in the coming months.
Going beyond what other provinces have put in place, Smith's government is pursuing: requiring parental notification and consent for students aged 15 and under who want to change their names or pronouns at school; banning "top and bottom" gender-affirming surgeries for all Albertans ages 17 and under; and imposing parental opt-ins for LGBTQ2S+ education, among other measures.