On December 3, 2024, Alberta introduced three new bills significantly impacting transgender youth in the province. First, doctors are now banned from prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to anyone under the age of 16. Second, transgender athletes are no longer allowed to join women’s sports teams. Finally, youth under 16 require parental consent to change their name and pronouns at school. These bills fall under the three newly introduced acts: the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, and the Education Amendment Act, 2024.
The bills — which have passed the last stage of debate in the Alberta legislature — have incited intense debates. Supporters claim they protect children and ensure fairness, while advocacy groups, medical professionals, and 2SLGBTQ+ organizations argue it harms vulnerable youth. I believe that instead of introducing restrictive legislation, Alberta should focus on creating environments that support all youth, no matter their gender identity.
How restrictive policies harm transgender youth
The bill’s restriction on gender-affirming medical care is concerning for a few reasons. Puberty blockers and hormone therapy are widely recognized as essential for many transgender youth. The American Academy of Pediatrics highlights that access to gender-affirming care significantly reduces depression, anxiety, and suicide rates among transgender youth.
Denying access to these treatments can lead to severe mental health struggles, as young people are forced to experience physical changes that misalign with the gender expression they wish to experience. This increases the effects of gender dysphoria: a phenomenon where individuals experience significant distress due to a mismatch between their gender identity and their biological sex.
While Alberta has promised to set up co-ed or gender-neutral sports divisions, I believe excluding transgender athletes from women’s sports is problematic as it can discourage trans youth from participating in sports and fostering a sense of belonging. Staying active and learning teamwork are the physical and social benefits of sports, however, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport found that transgender women face significant barriers to returning to sports after they transition due to gender-based discrimination. This exclusion only reinforces the harmful idea that transgender athletes don’t belong in certain spaces, which can further marginalize these identities.
Another troubling issue of the new bills is that they require parental consent before youth under the age of 16 can change their name or pronouns in schools and for access to gender-affirming care. For many transgender youth, school is often the only place where they feel safe expressing their gender identity, especially if they face rejection or abuse at home. Academic healthcare journal LGBT Health found in 2016 that family rejection increases the odds of substance misuse and suicide attempts in transgender individuals.
Requiring parental consent can thus be problematic for students in unhealthy domestic situations. Students may become forced to suppress their gender identities at school, become discouraged from seeking support from teachers or counsellors, and experience increased stress, anxiety, and isolation.
Expert critiques and the politics of exclusion
Many experts are criticizing Alberta’s Fairness and Safety in Sports Act, which seeks to bar transgender women from participating in women’s sports divisions.
A review from the Canadian Centre for Sports Ethics warns us of the dangers that might arise from weakly founded discriminatory legislation. It finds that “available evidence indicates that transgender women who have undergone hormone suppression have no clear advantages over cis[gender] women in elite sport.” Senator Kristopher Wells — Canada Research Chair for the Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth — consequently argues that “The moment somebody thinks you’re not portraying your gender correctly based on stereotypes, they’re going to challenge you.”
The Canadian Non-Binary Youth in Sport Report from 2023 found that one in six non-binary youth in Canadian sports have witnessed someone being physically harassed due to their gender. Amelia Newbert — managing director of Skipping Stone, an Alberta organization that supports transgender and gender-diverse individuals — notes that the Alberta government’s actions will only “[compound] something that’s already a crisis within our communities.”
Critics of the new legislation also point out that it reflects a broader political strategy to target marginalized groups. Similar policies have passed in other provinces, such as New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, where governments now require parental consent for students under 16 who want to change their names or pronouns at school.
In Saskatchewan, the government used the notwithstanding clause to enforce this policy, allowing them to bypass certain rights outlined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, like equality rights.
Building a supportive future for transgender youth
Instead of introducing restrictive policies, Alberta should focus on creating an environment that supports everyone, including transgender youth.
One way to do this could be to improve education on transgender issues, which could better communities’ understanding of the challenges transgender youth face. Schools could adopt policies that respect students’ privacy regarding their gender identities, like allowing name and pronoun changes without restrictive barriers like mandatory parental consent.
Offering family counselling and resources could also help parents better support their transgender children, fostering a more accepting and understanding environment at home. Establishing more inclusive mental health services could also provide much-needed support to transgender youth, whose struggles with mental health are often exacerbated by discriminatory legislation — like that enacted by Alberta.
The well-being of transgender youth should be at the forefront of certain policy decisions, specifically policies regarding gender, gender expression, and human rights. Policies that restrict self-expression, bar access to care, or exclude certain individuals from certain opportunities are counterproductive and harmful. By promoting acceptance and inclusion rather than repression and exclusion, Alberta could create a society where all youth — regardless of their gender identity — can thrive.
Matt Lee is a third-year student at Innis College studying English, history and philosophy of science and technology. They are a CIUT.FM production team leader and a CIUT.FM board of directors student representative.