Saskatchewan in Canada approves legislation concerning gender identity in schools.

In a Canadian province, a contentious legislation mandating parental consent for students to modify their pronouns at school has been successfully enacted. Saskatchewan employed a constitutional override to pass this bill after a court issued an injunction, temporarily suspending the policy. An LGBT organization had challenged the bill, which underscores a parent’s role as the ‘primary decision-maker’ in their child’s education.

Bill 137 was passed on Friday following an exhaustive 40-hour debate earlier in the week. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe stated to the press on Friday that the bill’s objective is to grant parents the right, rather than the option, to support their children during their formative years.

This legislation incorporates provisions for parental notification regarding matters like attendance, behavior, disciplinary measures, and academic performance. However, the section mandating parental consent for students under 16 seeking to adopt a new ‘gender-related name or gender identity’ for use at school sparked considerable controversy.

Both the policy itself and Mr. Moe’s use of the notwithstanding clause to pass it faced substantial criticism, including from Saskatchewan’s human rights commissioner.