Saskatchewan teachers don't want to comply with new pronoun law
The prime minister ignored the opinion of the citizens and they are going to ignore his decree.
Dozens of teachers in Saskatchewan have signed an online petition urging school boards not to comply with a new law known as the Parents' Bill of Rights (aka Bill 137). The authors of the petition argue that the law harms an already vulnerable category of students by forcing them to come out or tolerate misgenderization at school.
"We will continue to use the practice of letting students have autonomy over their identity and letting students determine who does and doesn't know about their gender disclosure," the petition says.
The law, enacted in October, prohibits children under 16 from changing their names or pronouns at school without parental consent. Even at the bill stage, it met fierce opposition from community members and teachers. In late September, a Regina court deemed Bill 137 potentially harmful and dangerous, but Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe decided to ignore the ruling, citing a legal loophole.
Up to Nov. 9, 98 people had signed the petition. The names of the signers are not publicized, but some of them told media outlets that at least 70 of the people who signed the petition are current teachers, and most of them work in Regina or Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan School Boards Association declined to comment because a trial is still pending, likely in December. The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation also had no comment.
Provincial Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill responded to teachers' opposition by saying the law has broad support from parents and is designed to keep them involved in their children's lives. It is not yet known what the consequences will be for teachers who do not comply with the new law.
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