Alberta minister says gender policies need more consultation with 2SLGBTQ+ groups
'I want to continue the dialogue', Tanya Fir says
There needs to be more consultations with stakeholders from the 2SLGBTQ+ community regarding Premier Danielle Smith's policy changes affecting transgender and non-binary youth, an Alberta cabinet minister said Tuesday.
Tanya Fir, Alberta's minister of arts, culture and status of women, met with 2SLGBTQ+ community groups in Edmonton on Tuesday to discuss gender policies affecting transgender and non-binary youth.
It was the first time someone from the government had met with Edmonton stakeholders since Smith announced her government would implement a slate of policies and guidelines around gender identity, gender affirmation surgeries and new rules for transgender women athletes.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Fir said meeting with stakeholders in Edmonton was important.
"There needs to be further consultation," she said. "I want to continue the consultation and I want to continue the dialogue."
Smith's policy proposals have drawn criticism from 2SLGBTQ+ advocates, Alberta's Official Opposition and the federal Liberal government, but have been defended by parent groups and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Under the proposed guidelines, gender-affirming surgeries would be banned for minors aged 17 and under. Puberty blockers and hormone therapies also would not be permitted for children aged 15 and under.
Parental notification and consent would be required for schools to alter the name or pronouns of any child under age 15. Parents also would have to "opt-in" their children when teachers plan to teach about gender identity, sexual orientation or sexuality.
Transgender women will be banned from competing in women's sports leagues.
Fir, who told stakeholders she supports Smith's policy proposals, said the meeting had been delayed until after Smith's announcement so stakeholders in Edmonton could learn about the policies first before sharing their thoughts.
Fir said the policies and guidelines are compassionate and balanced, noting Smith's commitment to bringing in counselling for families and trans youth, and recruiting medical professionals skilled in gender-affirming surgeries to practice in Alberta.
"When we talk about these decisions, some of these are life altering, irreversible decisions that can affect reproductive health going forward," she said.
Fir said there would be further consultations with the ministries of health, education and sport.
CBC News requested comment from the province to ask what consultations would be happening and with whom.
In an emailed statement, Sam Blackett, press secretary for the premier's office, said the province is still in the early development stages of these policies.
He said officials need to engage with various stakeholders to determine exactly how they would be implemented.
"More information will be shared when it's available," Blackett said.
Kevin Lee, press secretary for the minister of Tourism and Sport, said in an email to CBC News some policy implementation will require consultation and feedback from various stakeholders, including provincial sport organizations.
"Minister [Joseph} Schow will work through this process, together with the premier and his cabinet colleagues, with the goal of having these policies fully implemented by the end of the year," he said.
Advocates who participated in Tuesday's meeting, which is part of a series of consultations Fir has been holding with 2SLGBTQ+ communities since last year, said they should have been consulted before Smith went public with the plan.
Kristopher Wells, Canada Research Chair for the Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth at MacEwan University in Edmonton, said some asked for Fir to resign "given the harm that these policies will do to young people."
He told CBC News after the meeting Fir did not provide any evidence used to develop the policies.
"It's clear [the premier] had no consultation with her own ministers because they know nothing about these policies," Wells said.
"The minister was asked if she is prepared to have blood on her hands when these policies are enacted and 2SLGBTQ young people take their own lives. That is what is at stake here."
Wells said those in the meeting called on the provincial government to provide more access for 2SLGBTQ+ health, including a small number of people who need access to gender-affirming care.
Cheyenne Mihko Kihêw, executive director of the Edmonton 2 Spirit Society, said it seemed "a little ironic" that the province wanted to consult stakeholders after the policies had already been created.
Kihêw said groups and individuals that were consulted didn't reflect the majority of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. They wish the premier had been present for the meeting to hear from community members who will be most affected by her decisions.
"If she was an active ally of our community, then she would have been in that meeting," Kihêw said.
Kihêw said they hope the government will continue to hear the voices of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, but noted a number of organizations, including those serving youth, weren't invited to Tuesday's meeting.
"Where were the youth at this conversation? None of them were at the table," they said.
"We're, as adults, trying to use our voices to speak up for the youth, but we should be … allowing them to speak for themselves."
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With files from Andrea Huncar