Red Deer Queer Community Association and allies will protest against the UCP government’s proposed gender identity policies outside City Hall on Feb. 25 at 1 p.m.
Vice-chair Stephanie Hodgkins said the association is absolutely opposed to the policies and wants to let young Albertans know that “RDQCA sees them, we value them, and we’re fighting for them.”
She said the policies are based on right-wing conspiracy theories with no medical basis, and people in the Red Deer area need to have an opportunity to show that they oppose the policies.
“There have been protests all over the province. We are coordinating and we have been working to fight what we feel is an infringement on our rights and the rights of young people in our province,” Hodgkins said.
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Transgender policy discussion at Red Deer town hall gets heated
Policies announced earlier this month include a ban on puberty blockers for anyone 15 and under, and a ban on gender reassignment surgery for those 17 and under unless they’ve already begun treatment.
The province says the policies are meant to preserve the choices children and youth have before potentially making life-altering and often irreversible adult decisions involving the alteration of their biological sex.
Other changes include parental consent for students 15 and under to change their names or pronouns at school; requiring parents to opt in for their child to be taught gender, sexual orientation and sexuality in schools; and ensuring women and girls do not have to compete against transgender female athletes.
Changes will be rolled out in the fall legislature sitting.
Related:
‘Preserving kids’ choices’: Alberta premier says transgender rules coming in fall
Jonathan Luseombe, founder and board director of Lacombe Pride Society, said youth in Central Alberta must go to Calgary or Edmonton to access gender-affirming care, and these policies will make it even harder for youth to receive services.
“This is not protecting them. It is a target on their back,” Luseombe said.
Luseombe said fear among children and youth in rural areas is growing even among those who have the support of their parents. Those who don’t have parental support, and can’t access the limited services of small town pride societies, are stranded.
“What is going to happen if they get kicked out (of their home) and they’re on a farm in the middle of nowhere and they have nowhere to go? They have no one to call. The people they know to call live in Edmonton or Calgary because that’s where so many queer people are pushed to,” Luseombe said.
Luseombe said the policies don’t make sense, are misleading and proposed under the guise of parental rights, but actually take away parental rights. People across Canada have gathered in protest.
Luseombe said unfortunately it can be scary for queer people in Central Alberta to attend protests in Red Deer and hopes a lot of supporters from across the province will attend.
“We’ve had a lot of instances when we’ve protested, or we’ve rallied, and we’ve been met with a lot of hate, a lot of harassment.”
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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