Conservative B.C.-based group sees N.B.'s LGBTQ policy change as test case for Canada

The Higgs government's changes to its policy on LGBTQ students in New Brunswick's schools are drawing national attention. 

The controversy is leading at least one LGBTQ person to question whether they want to live here — while at the same time prompting some job recruiters to try to lure New Brunswickers to leave.

And a conservative Christian group based in British Columbia says the debate is a test case for its efforts to roll back school LGBTQ policies across the country.

"Provinces across the country are paying attention to what's going on in New Brunswick because these decisions will affect the rest of the country," said Tanya Gaw, the founder of Action4Canada, which has been flooding New Brunswick MLAs with emails.

"I believe that this program needs to be eradicated from the school system nationwide," Gaw said in an interview.

Education Minister Bill Hogan announced the results of the review of Policy 713 on June 7.

Among the changes is ending the obligation for teachers to respect the names and pronouns of children under 16 in the classroom — regardless of parental consent.

Wren Hicks, who grew up in Fredericton and runs a customer support department for a Montreal company, was thinking of moving back to the province to do that job remotely, until they heard about the Policy 713 review.

"Seeing some of the talking points that I'm seeing reflects stuff that we see from the States, and that's honestly terrifying," said Hicks, who identifies as non-binary and uses gender-neutral pronouns.

"And then on top of that, to be the very first place in Canada to actually roll back rights — it really makes you think, how big a portion of the province thinks like this? How many people are there that hate me without even knowing me?"

Hicks and their partner were "pretty much months away" from relocating, but sees the government's action as likely reflecting at least some level of public support.

"I hadn't considered what the sentiment was in New Brunswick around LBGTQ. Stuff like this doesn't really come up unless there's enough of a base that somebody thinks they're reaching out to." 

'We're welcoming,' minister says

Haley Flaro, the executive director of Ability New Brunswick, says she was recently contacted about a job outside the province by a recruiter who guessed correctly she was unhappy about the policy changes.

"They said, 'Listen, we're watching the dialogue happening in New Brunswick. We know you're passionate about inclusion and we can tell you our province is progressive. We've moving forward, equity is important and you should come to our province,'" Flaro said. 

"I thought, okay, this makes sense. The discourse is reaching the rest of Canada." 

Hogan told reporters Wednesday there's no reason for anyone to leave New Brunswick or hesitate about coming here.

"I think we're welcoming in New Brunswick for all cultures and all identities," he said.

"I don't see any evidence to counter that. … We want people to come to New Brunswick. We're on the move. This is the place to be." 

Liberal Leader Susan Holt warned in the legislature Tuesday that the policy review would have "a chilling effect on our province's efforts in critical health recruitment, teacher retention and economic development."

Thursday afternoon, MLAs in the legislature will debate a Liberal motion calling for the government to revert to the original Policy 713.

Holt is hoping that some Progressive Conservative ministers and MLAs who expressed "extreme disappointment" with the policy review process last week will vote for the motion.

Scores of emails sent to politicians

But all elected members are also being vigorously lobbied by Action4Canada, a group Gaw founded in 2019.

CBC News has been copied on 138 emails to the province's MLAs since Sunday night.

Most of them use a template that thanks Premier Blaine Higgs for the decision and urges him to stand firm and also keep groups like Pride in Education out of the province's schools.

Action4Canada espouses views on issues such as climate change and COVID-19 vaccines that are at odds with established science and says the United Nations and the World Health Organization are pushing gender identification policies on schools around the world.

In January, Gaw was banned from making presentations to a B.C. school board after trustees declared her material to be misinformation.

The group has three New Brunswick chapters in Saint John, Fredericton and Woodstock.

Gaw would not say how many members she has but said the number "way surpasses" the number of emails sent to MLAs so far.

"We're Canada-wide. Our goal is to be in every town and community and build communities of like-minded people with these same concerns for our children."

She says the policy change in New Brunswick will be an encouraging signal to supporters in other provinces to lobby their governments.

She also hopes Higgs will go farther.

She calls Policy 713 "the first step" and points out some countries, and some American states, are banning hormone therapy, which can be part of gender transitioning.

Gaw says she "100 per cent, absolutely" wants New Brunswick to do that.

Hogan said Wednesday the government has no plans for more changes on LGBTQ policies "as far as I'm concerned."

The health department did not respond to a request for comment on its Medicare coverage of gender-confirming surgery and hormone treatment.

Hogan and Higgs have both said repeatedly that Policy 713 is an issue of parental notification and they will respect all LGBTQ rights.

But Hicks says they don't seem to understand that they're feeding a broader backlash.

"As soon as you open up a discourse about anything that affects rights of anybody in the LGBTQ community, you're opening that up as a possible discussion," they said.

Flaro said during a recent work trip to Calgary, she faced several questions about "why all these steps back" on Policy 713.

"We have to be so cautious as leaders when we're looking at policy changes, our communicated messages," said Flaro, who opted not to take the job offer outside New Brunswick.

Hicks started thinking about returning to the province during the pandemic when it was impossible to visit.

"It just hit me that family is important enough that I wanted to move back home," they said.

Now they put chances of that happening at about 40 per cent. 

"And as I'm watching this, and getting sick to my stomach, and honestly losing sleep over this for the poor kids that they're targeting, I feel that it's dropping daily."