A group of people gathered in Calgary on Friday morning to speak out against the Alberta UCP’s proposed policies regarding transgender youth, gender-affirming care, sex education and parental notification.
The rally is organized by Queer Citizens United and was held outside McDougall Centre, where the premier was set to meet with members of the LGBTQ2 community regarding the proposed policies.
Earlier this year, the UCP unveiled a suite of policies it plans to introduce as legislation this fall.
There have been calls for more meaningful public consultation on the proposed policies. Organizers of Friday’s rally called the policies “discriminatory.”
“The UCP continues to choose not to speak to trans experts in the medical field and trans people and their families about the decisions they’re making unilaterally against us,” said James Demers, a community activist with Queer Citizens United.
“This is unacceptable. Citizens of Alberta do not accept this, as a form of discrimination, and we will be fighting them. Should these policies come into law, we will be taking them to court.”
A statement from the premier’s office said Smith “will be meeting with members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community to hear from them directly about what issues are important to them and how our government can continue to support them.”
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Demers said he has reached out to the premier and Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women Tanya Fir on multiple occasions in hopes of speaking with them about the policies.
He believes public consultation is happening “in secret” and would like to see the policies scrapped altogether.
“Removing these policies entirely from their legislative choices in the fall would be the only acceptable option. The only alternative to that would be both of their resignations,” Demers said of Smith and Fir.
The premier’s office told Global News that Smith will not be available to answer questions following the meeting, but Fir was supposed to be available for an interview.
The Alberta government intends to put forward legislation this fall to prevent young people under the age of 16 from accessing puberty-blocking therapy and ban anyone under the age of 18 from receiving gender-affirming surgery, top or bottom.
It is currently not possible for people under the age of 18 to access bottom gender-affirming surgery. Top surgery is permitted.
The UCP policies also address youth who want to change their name or pronouns in school. For children 15 and under, parental notification and parental consent will be required. For youth aged 16 and 17, parental notification will be required, but not parental consent.
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