Gender protests in Canada

On Friday, Saskatchewan passed the "Parents' Bill of Rights" (aka Bill 137) on third and final reading. It requires parental consent if a young person under 16 wants to be called by a different pronoun or name at school.

"This is not in any way targeting anyone, this is targeting how we can best support our children in our community and step one of that support is to provide the parents with that opportunity to support their children," Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said of the Bill.

The bill met fierce opposition from LGBTQ2D+ rights movements and teachers' alliances during its drafting stage. In late September, a Regina court found it potentially harmful and dangerous to certain groups. Moe chose to ignore that ruling, citing a legal loophole.

In neighboring Alberta, large-scale protests over gender identity and sexual orientation curricula in schools — both for and against — took place as early as Saturday. The most notable protests took place in Edmonton, the provincial capital. Participants cited, among other things, the Saskatchewan experience to prove their position.

The United Conservative Party, which has an absolute majority in the Alberta Legislature (63 seats out of 87), is set to debate the introduction of a law similar to Bill 137 in Saskatchewan — at its annual convention next month. Opponents of it, who took to the streets today, are convinced the law could cause irreparable harm to LGBTQ teens.

"We are concerned that kids who are in schools and have their pronouns or their identity reported to parents, could be at risk of being kicked out of their homes or abused by their parents," commented one protester.

In September, rallies focused on the rights of LGBTQ teens were held across Canada. Protesters on both sides of the issue hope their voices will be heard by provincial governments.

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