A coalition of community organizations has called on Calgary city council to declare the city a Sanctuary City for sexual minority individuals. In a letter addressed to Mayor Jyoti Gondek and councillors, Queer Citizens United, along with Skipping Stone and Calgary Pride, urged the city to adopt the designation as a way of affirming support for transgender, non-binary, two-spirit, and queer residents.The letter, delivered Thursday, asks council to take a stand against recent provincial legislation that the groups say places gender-diverse youth and families at risk..It specifically points to Alberta’s Education Amendment Act (Bill 27) and the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act (Bill 28), along with what advocates have referred to as a “pronoun ban” in the English Language Arts curriculum.“These policies threaten the safety and well-being of 2SLGBTQI+ youth, families, and community members by restricting access to gender-affirming care, banning queer and trans educators and librarians from the classroom and libraries, and mandating the outing of queer and trans youth to unsupportive parents,” the letter states. The groups said Calgary has an opportunity to “lead by example and protect the most marginalized communities among us.”Bill 27, passed in late 2024 and set to take full effect this school year, requires parental consent for students under 16 who wish to use different names or pronouns, and obliges schools to notify parents even when older students request such changes..It also mandates ministerial approval for external resources and presentations dealing with gender identity, sexual orientation, or human sexuality. Supporters of the law, including Premier Danielle Smith, have said the measures are meant to “put students first while supporting the important parent–child relationship.”Critics, such as Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling, argue the legislation “creates barriers rather than supports for some of our most vulnerable kids in Alberta schools.”Bill 28, also enacted last year, requires sports organizations to establish “biological female-only” categories, restricting girls’ and women’s teams to athletes whose sex was recorded as female at birth..Provincial officials say the law is intended to ensure fairness and safety in competition, but opponents warn it will exclude transgender athletes and force families into invasive disclosure requirements..They say a Sanctuary City designation in Calgary would provide an important layer of protection by limiting municipal cooperation with provincial directives they view as harmful.City council has not yet responded publicly to the request.
