A private member’s bill that sought to restrict gender transition-related care and policies for minors has been voted down in the British Columbia Legislature.The Protecting Minors from Gender Transition Act, introduced on October 8, 2025, by OneBC House Leader Tara Armstrong, was defeated 48–40 before advancing to first reading, an uncommon outcome for proposed legislation.The bill would have prohibited doctors from providing puberty blockers and other gender-affirming treatments to individuals under 19, barred schools from allowing students to use preferred pronouns, and banned the use of public funds for gender transition procedures for minors. .It also included a provision allowing children and parents to sue for compensation related to transition treatments for up to 25 years after the fact. A summary released by OneBC said the proposal was intended to safeguard children from what it called irreversible medical decisions.In her remarks to the legislature, Armstrong argued that the province was “sleepwalking through the greatest medical scandal in modern history” and described the bill as an effort to “restore sanity.”Conservative Party Leader John Rustad also voted in favour of advancing the bill but later admitted he did not know all of its details. He said his vote was meant to give his caucus a chance to examine the proposal, citing his party’s broader focus on protecting women and girls..Attorney General Niki Sharma strongly opposed the legislation, saying health decisions should remain between parents, children and doctors. During question period, Sharma told the legislature it was “another sad day” when conservative politicians attempted to dictate private family decisions, calling it harmful to vulnerable children.She emphasized that individual health choices for minors are a right to be made with medical guidance, not political interference.The OneBC Party, formed earlier this year by Armstrong and fellow former Conservative MLA Dallas Brodie, has positioned itself as a critic of gender transition for youth..Brodie was expelled from the Conservative caucus after making comments about residential school survivors, while Armstrong later left, accusing Rustad of abandoning his “moral compass.” Following the bill’s defeat. Brodie told reporters she found it “exciting” that the Conservatives were following her party’s lead, while Armstrong suggested the party would face political backlash if it failed to support similar measures.The bill’s introduction came after a presentation by activist Chris Elston, known for campaigning against gender transition for youth.
