Alberta has witnessed several school walkouts and rallies, especially in the last week fighting for trans rights.
The unrest was stirred by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s latest announcements about proposed changes for children and LGBTQ+ rights.
Hundreds gathered on Feb. 3, near Whyte Avenue in Edmonton protesting the provincial government’s changes. Several other schools saw children walking out along with back-to-back rallies in Edmonton and Calgary.
Late last month, Smith posted a seven-minute-long video proposing changes regarding transgender youth, gender-affirming care, sex education and parental notification.
“My daughter and her junior high classmates joined in on the province-wide walkout to support trans rights today, along with thousands of students across Alberta. So proud of each of these kids. There may be hope yet,” Shawna Lea told Humber News.
She is one of the leading voices in the social media campaign supporting “Trans Rights are Human Rights” on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Many other parents like Lea, showed support to trans youth protesting against Smith’s latest proposed changes.
“So, long as children have the capacity, and right, to unalive themselves (tragic, but reality), they should continue to have access to gender-affirming care so as not to feel it’s the only way out of what feels like the wrong body,” Lea said.
Smith announced new rules regarding children’s names and pronoun changes at school last week. A parent must be notified and give consent for those 15 and younger, but for those aged 16 and 17, notification to parents is required, not consent.
Additionally, parents can decide if their children participate in lessons about gender identity, sexual orientation, or human sexuality. Any external content on these topics must get approval from the Ministry of Education.
Furthermore, the policy restricts gender affirmation surgeries for minors under 18. Children 15 and younger cannot start puberty blockers or hormone therapy unless they are already undergoing treatment.
In the wake of the provincial discontent, on Feb. 5, Smith said she consulted several members of the trans community before and after the proposed policy changes were unveiled. During a press conference in Ottawa, Smith said the laws are not from a unilateral perspective.
“It’s not a single voice and it’s not a single perspective”, Smith said, adding it was a single incident in particular which prompted the province to make amends.
More than 40 organizations in Alberta united to demand the halt of proposed policy changes, stating these changes would negatively affect the transgender community.
In a statement released on Feb. 3, signed by 47 groups, including advocacy organizations and businesses, they urged for a pause on the policy. They also asked for discussions with the transgender community and the development of new rules grounded in proven medical practices.
On the same day, protests against the policy in Edmonton and Calgary drew hundreds of participants.
Hundreds of people joined a rally at the Alberta legislature on Feb. 4 in support of trans rights.
Egale Canada and the Skipping Stone Foundation have announced plans for legal action against the province, arguing that its policies infringe on the constitutional rights of transgender individuals. They said the policies are harsh and likely to cause significant harm to transgender youth.