About 100 people gathered in front of the legislature in support of parental rights regarding gender identity. The rally took place at 9 a.m., three hours before a union-endorsed rally against the use of the notwithstanding clause..Tracey Sparrowhawk, a former People’s Party candidate who ran against Andrew Scheer in Regina-Qu’Appelle in 2019, said she was rallying behind the provincial government’s pro-parent educational policy..“I'm here to stand in support of the Saskatchewan Party government, who is invoking the notwithstanding clause to pass a law that parents have rights over their children and should be informed of any gender sexual identity issues that are going on at school,” she explained..“I don't agree that the teacher should be allowed to keep that from parents under the guise of safety, because they're painting all parents with the same brush…There are already laws about safety.”.The Pink Floyd song Another Brick in the Wall played in the background as Sparrowhawk suggested schools should get back to basics..“They're creating more layers of regulations and policies at school to try and marginalize these kids and march and basically make it unsafe for the rest of the kids in trying to change their language, you know, teach them about gender identity,” she said..“These same teachers are saying their classrooms are underfunded. But they're wasting their time and not teaching them reading, writing and arithmetic, the stuff they need in the real world.”.Sparrowhawk said she helped one of her daughters navigate gender issues..“I went through this with my daughter when she was 10 because she came to me and thought she shouldn't be a boy. And we have this discussion. She was more athletic than her two older sisters were in their teens. She was about 10. They were into boys and makeup and clothing and she wasn't she just wanted to go play soccer,” she recalled..“I told her, ‘No, it's okay for you to be all these things. You're only ten. You're gonna change over time.’”.The young girl is a woman today and has no doubt about her identity..“She's the girliest girl you could ever imagine, hair, nails, boyfriends. I didn't go out and cut her hair, change her name, start calling her he/him and put her on puberty blockers and tell everybody to do that. No, I told her she was born in the right body, she's gonna change over time.”.Sparrowhawk said she hoped people kept coming to rallies because changing schools is harder. She said she was part of a group of parents that met with school administrators in May with concerns over gender teaching in school..“They didn't care what we had to say. They heard us, they paid lip service, but they had no data about what they were promoting. And it was about human rights…[and] anecdotal stories.”.Mother of two Gizelle Pinel drove in from White City, Sask. to attend the meetings. Although her children no longer attend school, parental rights issues still concern her..“I just feel that the parents have had no rights. They've been taken away from us,” she said..“Children are innocent and volatile. We raise them. I gave birth to my child, and I have a say in what's being taught to them. And all we're asking is don't indoctrinate them. They have a choice once they're an adult. It's no different than they have to wait ‘til a certain age to get a driver's licence. They have to wait until a certain age to be able to work.”."There's just a lot of confusion that what we're really here for, it's just gone too far. And we just, we want to put a stop and say hey, no, it's our children. Please let us raise them on our standards.”.The rally had a few speakers, including a Sikh named Sunny Chhina..“It doesn't matter what their opinion is, against what biological truth is, right?” he said..“Parents, please stick together. And also we appreciate your support for the government tabling the law, parental rights to know what our kids are being taught.”.Chhina said gender ideology being taught in schools does not align with the values of new Canadians..“Visible minorities do not endorse or practice these things. This is highly inappropriate in our culture. Yes, we take our kids to temples, to churches, to teach them good values and good ethics that are engraved in our heart and mind. And we will not let them push their agendas down our kids' throats. Leave our kids alone,” he said..“Once my kid becomes 18 and if they decide to become ABCD, or I'm sorry, LGBTQ, whatever it is. I would respect their choice. But until then, you have no right to tell my kid who they are and what they can become.”
