Parent of Medicine Hat transgender youth disgusted and devastated by Alberta government bill

The set of three laws will police names and pronouns in school, ban transgender girls from participating in amateur female sports, and restrict gender-affirming health care for youth under 16.

The latter prohibits doctors from prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy for those under 16.

Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz told the house the bill is critical to give parents and students help navigating complex, potentially life-altering medical decisions.

“This is not about denying kids care,” Schulz said.

“We have a duty to ensure that care heals, that it stabilizes and protects, that it does not endanger,” she added.

“We also need to recognize the roles that parents play in keeping their children safe and supported, no matter what their choices are or who they decide to be.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Premier Smith reiterated in question period that her government needs to act to protect youth from potentially life-altering medical treatment decisions.

“We believe that children need to get of an age where they can understand if they’re going to make decisions that affect their ability to have children of their own one day,” Smith said.

“They need to be making those decisions as a mature minor.”

—

READ: Alberta legislature passes bill invoking Charter override for fourth time

—

Large said that these are the darkest days in Alberta.

“The notwithstanding clause was never meant to be used this way. It’s supposed to be used in like, rare, extreme circumstances, not four times in the last four or so weeks,” Large said.

“Never supposed to be used to trample human rights of marginalized Albertans. The government is supposed to be there for all Albertans, not just the ones they find palatable,” she added.

“Every Albertan deserves safety, dignity, and equal protection under the Charter, and this is not it.”

According to Large, gender-affirming care is supported by every single major Canadian Medical Association.

“It’s safe, it’s evidence-based, it’s life-saving. It’s regulated and approved by medical associations that govern doctors in Canada,” Large said.

“Politicians have no place overruling doctors or restricting medical care,” she added.

“They say that they’re putting back parental rights and choice. This is taking away my parental rights and choice.”

The Canadian Medical Association has challenged the law in court, saying it violates a doctor’s right to freedom of conscience.

The Alberta Medical Association has repeatedly said puberty blockers do not render a person infertile or sterile and protect transgender children from more permanent changes that come with puberty.

Large said that youth receiving gender-affirming care have the support and consent of their parents.

“There is no youth receiving gender-affirming care that doesn’t have consent from their parents or guardian. That is not a thing. And they’re making it seem like kids are getting gender-affirming care without the consent of their parents, and that is not a world that we live in,” Large said.

“They’re spreading misinformation saying that kids are getting surgery, gender reassignment surgery, and that is absolutely not the case. There is nothing like that done in Canada under 18,” she added.

“People have been right up front about that there have been rare incidences at 16 or 17, some youth receiving like breast augmentation and removal in rare cases with parental consent when there is a minor that is in such extreme dysphoria or that they’ve had suicide attempts.”

Large says to her that the restrictions on transgender youth are egregious in different ways.

“There are devastating effects from all of them. What they’re doing is they’re not allowing youth to have any form of gender affirming care. But that is what they so desperately need, some of them; it’s all an individual journey,” Large said.

“Not every kid needs intervention. Not every kid needs hormones. Not every person chooses surgery. It’s all a spectrum, and it’s what each individual wants and needs,” she added.

“It’s taking away their choice, their body. Once puberty hits, that is permanent. Puberty is one of the most permanent things that can happen in the sense that once those processes of puberty have set sail, you can’t reverse them without expensive and invasive procedures.”

Large said that the Education Amendment Act will out kids who are, in most cases, unsafe to be outed at home.

“That is changing their life trajectory in the sense that if they’re outed before being ready or before being safe, they can experience those consequences at home,” Large said.

“Some of them, it might just be such an awful environment that they don’t want to be who they are anymore, or maybe don’t want to live,” she added.

“Others will actually get kicked out of home or have to leave home, and then they become part of that 25 to 40 percent of unhoused youth that represent as 2SLGBTQIA+.”

Large said banning transgender girls from participating in amateur female sports presents issues for both cisgender and transgender girls.

“That’s bad all around for all women and girls, because what it’s doing is it’s giving anyone the right to say, I want this person’s gender checked. I don’t think they’re really a girl, because maybe they’re tall, or maybe they have a muscular build, or maybe they have a short haircut, and that’s absolutely what this does. Anyone can bring into question anyone’s gender,” Large said.

“Aside from the egregiousness to the transgender human beings, you have cisgender girls that are having their gender brought into question [as] a teenager, that’s a lot for a teenage girl,” she added.

“In Alberta, there were kids who made a choice, or their parents made a choice not to sign the forms, and so they’re not doing sports this year. Kids that said, I’m not comfortable doing this anymore, because I don’t want to be questioned, whether I’m a girl or not.”

– With files from The Canadian Press.

by Jesse Gill

Parent of Medicine Hat transgender youth disgusted and devastated by Alberta government bill

Our Community