Egale Canada said it and the Skipping Stone Foundation (SSF) are opposed to the gender identity bills the Alberta government has put forward. In response, Egale Canada said it and the SSF will be taking legal action and using every tool at their disposal to stand up for the rights, freedoms, and safety of sexual minority youth in Alberta. “Every person has the right to feel safe and free to be their authentic self, including young people,” said Egale Canada in a statement.“All deserve the ability to access healthcare and participate fully in their communities.”The Alberta government spent the first two days of the fall legislative session emphasizing the fundamental rights held by all Albertans to bodily autonomy and self-determination. Despite this, Egale Canada said it “has acted directly counter to expert guidance and evidence, as well as the voices of Albertan families, and introduced policies that use fear and disinformation to target a small and vulnerable part of the community: (Sexual minority) young people.”The Alberta Medical Association, Canadian Pediatric Society, the Alberta Teachers’ Association, and other professional associations spoke out when the gender identity policies were first announced. These groups said they were not consulted, are concerned, and urged the Alberta government to reverse course. Egale Canada said it now has evidence confirming these warnings. A study published in Nature Human Behaviour found gender identity legislation in American states similar to those in Alberta caused up to a 72% increase in suicide attempts among transgender and non-binary young people.Through the Alberta government’s proposed legislation, Egale Canada said it “is intruding into the personal lives of its citizens in ways that violate fundamental freedoms.” It added governments should not be interfering in medical decisions young people and parents have a right to make with doctors and healthcare professionals. Unlike the Alberta government’s view, it said governments should not be forcing students to choose between being outed at school and being misgendered and deadnamed every day. It said they should not be excluding children and youth from the health and social benefits sports provide based on their sex assigned at birth. Egale Canada concluded by saying all youth deserve the opportunity to grow up in a society where they are accepted for who they are. “But when governments bully vulnerable people, and particularly vulnerable young people, it gives permission to others in society to do the same,” it said. The three bills the Alberta government vowed to introduce about gender identity came out on Thursday..UPDATED: Alberta government introduces three bills with gender identity policies .The Alberta government tabled a bill to restrict gender transitions in minors to what it says will preserve choices for them. Since the Alberta government wants to build a healthcare system responding to the changing needs of Albertans, it said the amendments introduced in the Health Statutes Amendment Act reflect this.
