Local Outreach society sounding alarm about transgender policies
By Lethbridge Herald on February 2, 2024.
Protesters take part in a Gay Straight Alliance rally at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton on Wednesday June 19, 2019. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has announced changes to rules surrounding transgender youth. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason FransonAlejandra Pulido-Guzman – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – apulido@lethbridgeherald.com
The OUTreach Southern Alberta Society is sounding the alarm about the negative implications new provincial government policies will have on the transgender community.
During a phone interview Friday, President of OUTreach Kim Siever said the society was very disappointed about the lack of consultation from the government regarding the policies that affect members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
“We didn’t get an opportunity to provide any feedback on this process and we are disappointed in that,” said Siever.
Siever shared with the Herald a letter the society sent to both city MLAs – Lethbridge East Nathan Neudorf and Lethbridge West Shannon Phillips – asking them for their public support in asking the government to reverse their decision.
Siever said he hopes that both the UCP’s Neudorf and NDP’s Phillips stand up for Lethbridge citizens and convince the UCP government to completely cancel all the policies that were introduced.
The letter reads in part “we were saddened to learn of the new policies that the Government of Alberta intends to introduce that will restrict the rights and freedoms of 2SLGBTQ+ young people in this province. We were shocked at how extensive and draconian they are.”
The letter states they are particularly opposed to the policies regarding the following items:
· Mandatory parental notification and consent if a child 15 years or younger changes name and pronouns at school.
· Mandatory parental notification if a child 16 or 17 changes name and pronouns at school.
· Parents must opt-in for classroom discussions and instruction on gender identity, sexual orientation, or human sexuality in their child’s classroom
· Banning trans girls from playing on girls teams.
· No gender affirming surgeries under the age of 18.
· Puberty blockers & hormones banned for anyone under 16, and parental permission required for 16 & 17, unless already under treatment.
Siever said that the vast majority of responses they have been getting are from people opposed to the policies and who are worried for their own safety.
“There are youth who are not out to the parents, so they are worried that this could lead to them being outed by school officials, and they are worried that their parents will react in violent ways,” said Siever.
He said many are also worried about having to “stay in the closet” which could impact their mental health.
“Some people are worried that they’re not going to be able to physically transition, let along socially transition, which will make their mental health worsen as well and could increase risk of suicide,” said Siever.
19-18
The UCP only consult with people who already agree with them. This typically means that expert advice is avoided. This typically means that policy is focused on social engineering, rather than governing for the public good. This typically means bullying the voiceless and the vulnerable.
Perhaps our Premier’s time might be better spent on issues of homelessness, the impacts of severe drought, crumbling infrastructure, policy chaos in K-12 education and health provision, the imperative of lowering carbon emissions … The list goes on and on and on.
Yep and in this case approximate 90% of all Canadians agree with the UCP. Called the majority, live with it. It’s like who declares an expert an expert. Who peer reviews the peer reviewers or are the all “grant” buddies. Perhaps your time would be better spent taking in a couple of homeless, shower once every two weeks, go out and fill some potholes, write some education policy, and put your efforts towards reducing wait times. You have all the complaints nailed maybe throw your hat in the ring and get at solving all these things you have issues with. You know, money where the mouth is.
uncivilized
Nice. All you have ???
it is least important what percent of canadians, or albertans agree. it is most important that the rights of a person are absolutely protected. indeed, there are often times when preferences of a majority run counter to the preferences of another – but that is not what underscores democracy: human rights are what underscores freedom, and democracy is supposed to be a system that safeguards freedoms. we have long had, and continue to have, a system that too often fails human rights. here we have such an example. so long as we are quite certain those not of age are protected from harm, preferences are not a basis for what is or is not to be permitted. once one gets to age of consent, one should be able to affect their body as one wishes.
very good points and concerns
It also protects kids from parents (and there are many out there!) who are pushing their child/ren to identify as trans and to transition when they aren’t and don’t want to.
And you have evidence to support this statement?
haha! yes, that vast underground of parents that force their kids to switch sexes…”damn, really wanted a boy, and byjeezuz you are going to be our boy!” kind of like forcing one’s religion on their kids, that would be, but nowhere are parents actually forcing sex changes on their kids…but they sure do force their religion.
This Smith UCP/TBA government is authoritarian and undemocratic and fully under the control of their Take Back Alberta/David Parker so-called christian ultra right wing masters.
List of ‘bigger-fish-to-fry’ issues that the Smith UCP/TBA government is not dealing with include:
-“skyrocketing rent
-homelessness
-rising food cost
-emergency rooms crisis
-no family doctors
-drought with thousands of farmers and irrigated agricultural acres at risk, and still entertaining excessive water use by fracking and open pit coal mining, and along with the degradation of our waters and environment
-electricity supply.”
-skyrocketing insurance and power rates
-already out-of-control forest fires with more to come
-not making the polluters pay for old and contaminating well sites and wanting us taxpayers to foot the bill
And then they’re doing this distracting bs re: trans kids? Unreal.
Everything you state is across the country. Where it may not be is where people pay more for you to pay less. So all these wells just showed up the day as Notley left office. What did they do about it. You have a mix of local provincial and federal and dump it on Smith. You can do better. For example the doctor shortage is Canada wide. CBC has an article from around 2003. You need to get real.
There is no down side to involving parents when the future of a kid is at stake.
Propaganda and peer pressure can be bad. Beyond bad even. When a boy thinks he might be a girl or a girl wants to be a boy there is a problem. Especially if they are 13 or 14 years old. Single digit IQ and government thinks they can make life altering decisions. Parents need 2 be involved
Quite simply put, the UCP’s has put out a “proposal”, legislation to follow in the fall. In the meantime the NDP and the AFL will be doing mental gymnastics attempting to dodge this subject in trying to cater to the masses who wholeheartedly agree with most of what is in the proposal. They will cater to the minority and that is where the NDP will be relegated, a minority. There are many decent NDP supporters who will agree with the “proposal”.