Alberta Introduces Bills on Transgender Youth Health Care, Pronoun Use in Schools, and Opt-In Sex Education
The Alberta government introduced new bills on Thursday to restrict gender-affirming care for minors, mandate parental notification for name or pronoun changes in schools, and require parents to opt-in for sex education classes.
An additional bill would address transgender athletes’ participation in sports.
Premier Danielle Smith initially announced these legislative changes in a province-wide address on Jan. 31. In a press conference before the bills’ introduction, Smith stated that these measures aim to prioritize youth welfare before they make what she described as “life-altering and potentially permanent decisions.”
“All three pieces of legislation have been carefully developed, drafted, and tabled with the specific goal of balancing the health, safety, and well-being of all children and youth in our province,” Smith said. “We’re also safeguarding parents’ rights to care for, teach, and protect their children.”
The Education Amendment Act, 2024, and the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, outline the proposed changes, which include:
- Students would only receive instruction on sex education, gender identity, and sexual orientation if parents have opted in.
- Third-party instructional materials would require Alberta Education approval before classroom use.
- Schools would need parental permission for students under 15 to use a different name or pronoun than assigned at birth, while parents of 16- and 17-year-olds would require notification.
- Minors under 15 would be prohibited from starting hormone therapy or puberty blockers, though those who began treatment before the bill’s enactment would be exempt. Youth aged 16 and 17 could receive these treatments with parental, physician, and psychologist approval.
- Physicians would be barred from performing gender-affirming surgeries on minors, with bottom surgery already limited to those over 18. All surgeries are currently conducted in Quebec.
The Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, also introduced on Thursday, would restrict membership on female competitive sports teams to individuals assigned female at birth.
The requirements would extend to secondary and post-secondary institutions as well as competitive amateur sports organizations, with leagues encouraged to create co-ed divisions to provide transgender athletes a space to participate.
These three bills were introduced just days before Premier Danielle Smith faces a mandatory leadership review at the United Conservative Party’s annual general meeting in Red Deer this weekend.
Some UCP factions have voiced frustration that Smith has not fulfilled all her campaign promises from 2023, with critics arguing that these bills are aimed at appealing to those members.
Many transgender individuals, their families, and allies have condemned the bills, expressing concerns that they could exacerbate psychological distress for youth experiencing gender dysphoria.
In a media scrum before the bills were introduced, Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi accused Smith of catering to a faction of her party rather than all Albertans.
Nenshi argued that the bills would either force students to come out to their parents prematurely or compel them to hide their identity, putting vulnerable teens at increased risk for mental health issues.
“This callous, venal, evil act that they’re bringing forward today is just so she can get a few votes on a Saturday night in Red Deer,” Nenshi said. “And you know what? Albertans deserve way better than that.”
Egale Canada, a national 2SLGBTQ+ organization, and Skipping Stone Foundation, an Alberta-based group supporting transgender and gender-diverse youth, announced Thursday afternoon that they plan to take legal action against the Alberta government’s bills.
