News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2024
Egale Canada is calling on political leaders to abandon anti-trans policies and legislation in light of devastating new evidence. A new peer-reviewed report, published in Nature, confirms what 2SLGBTQI advocates and allies have been warning: anti-trans legislation in states in the US, such as 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 aged 13–24.
All youth deserve the opportunity to grow up in a society where they are accepted for who they are. Unfortunately, some Canadian politicians appear to be following in the steps of American far-right leaders, using disinformation to justify targeting gender diverse young people.
New Brunswick and Saskatchewan have already implemented policies targeting gender diverse young people, with Alberta having signaled that they will follow suit. This new evidence from the US definitively shows the devastating harm that comes from such policies.
Egale Canada calls on all political leaders in Canada to take this as a serious warning of the irreversible damage that will be caused if they continue down the same path as their US counterparts.
Quotes:
“Let’s be clear, policies, government or otherwise, that prevent access to gender affirming care, result in a dramatic increase in suicide for vulnerable young people. This is unacceptable and it is not the kind of actions Canadians want to see from their political leaders. We all deserve better.” – Helen Kennedy, Executive Director of Egale Canada
“The anti-trans policies being pursued by some provinces are a clear violation of the Charter rights and protections of gender diverse young people. This study confirms what a court has already found: they also cause irreparable harm.” – Bennett Jensen, Director of Legal
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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.