It is a text whose resulting program was described in February this year as “anti-LGBT+” by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Since then, the controversy has continued to grow over a law – in a province in western Canada – on transgender minors. Two associations defending the rights of LGBT+ people want to overturn an Alberta law which, according to them, violates the rights of these minors.
The province’s Conservative government last week imposed new restrictions on the care that health professionals can provide to minors who identify as transgender. These ban gender reassignment surgery as well as the use of puberty blockers and hormonal therapies for young people aged 15 or younger.
“Policies based on fear”
The associations Egale Canada and Skipping Stone as well as several families from Alberta have launched a joint appeal against these measures that “no government in Canada has ever adopted”. “The Alberta government has deliberately ignored the advice and evidence of experts, as well as the voices of Alberta families, and implemented policies based on fear and misinformation to target a small, vulnerable section of the community” , they added.
A spokesperson for Alberta Justice, Chinenye Anokwuru, responded Monday that “the government carefully considers the rights of Albertans when developing legislation, and we believe this legislation strikes an appropriate balance.” . The province in October described its bill as an effort “to support minors who identify as transgender so that they can make informed, life-changing decisions as adults.”
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Tensions over transgender policies are a central theme in the campaigns of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who has said she wants to support “youth development at a time that can be difficult and confusing.”
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