In response to the discriminatory legislation introduced by the government of Alberta today, Egale Canada and Skipping Stone Foundation confirm that they will be taking legal action.
October 31, 2024
Every person has the right to feel safe and free to be their authentic self, including young people. All deserve the ability to access health care and participate fully in their communities. Indeed, the Government of Alberta has spent its first two days back in the Legislature emphasizing the fundamental rights held by all Albertans to bodily autonomy and self-determination. Despite this, today this Government has acted directly counter to expert guidance and evidence, as well as the voices of Albertan families, and introduced policies that use fear and disinformation to target a small and vulnerable part of the community: 2SLGBTQI young people.
There is consensus among experts in Alberta and across Canada that the newly introduced legislation will cause devastating levels of harm: The Alberta Medical Association, Canadian Pediatric Society, The Alberta Teachers’ Association, and many more professional associations spoke out when the policies were first announced to say that they were not consulted, are deeply concerned, and urge the government to reverse course. We now have evidence confirming these warnings: a new peer-reviewed report, published in Nature, has found that anti-trans legislation in states in the US, similar to Alberta’s restrictions on gender-affirming health care and discriminatory school policies, caused up to a 72% increase in suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary young people.
Through its proposed legislation, the Government of Alberta is intruding into the personal lives of its citizens in ways that violate fundamental freedoms. Governments should not be interfering in medical decisions that young people and parents have a right to make alongside doctors and health care professionals. Governments should not be forcing students to choose between being outed at school and being misgendered and deadnamed every day. Governments should not be excluding children and youth from accessing the many health and social benefits that come with sport, based on their sex assigned at birth.
All youth deserve the opportunity to grow up in a society where they are accepted for who they are. But when governments bully vulnerable people, and particularly vulnerable young people, it gives permission to others in society to do the same.
Egale Canada and Skipping Stone Foundation jointly condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the discriminatory legislation put forward by the government of Alberta. We will be taking legal action and using every tool at our disposal to stand up for the rights, safety and freedoms of 2SLGBTQI young people in Alberta.
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Representatives from Egale Canada are available for further comment on this matter. To schedule an interview please email: media@egale.ca.