Legislation to Help Restore Some Sanity is on Its Way in Alberta

I still can't believe it's really happening!

Earlier this month, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith released a video announcing that her UCP government would be introducing trans-related legislation based on policies announced earlier this year in less than a month—which means it will be introduced this coming week.

If you are unfamiliar with the proposed policies or you want to brush up on the specifics, the government released some handy infographics for quick reference.

I also encourage you to watch the video because it provides an excellent overview, and I think the Premier touched on a very important point when it comes to the way that the policies are portrayed. I’ll just quote below because it was so well said.

Anyone who claims that these rules were designed to target or somehow harm you in any way are mistaken. Although questioning or disagreeing with these new policies is any person's democratic right, adults who choose to tell children and youth that these policies were designed to hurt them or marginalize them—that kind of rhetoric is irresponsible and harmful to the young people involved and it is entirely false.

I am so glad that this point was brought up, and brought up so well. I’ve long wondered how adults like activist senator Kristopher Wells can live with themselves telling kids that their government and their Premier hate them. This is exactly how we need to push back on the people who think their control of the narrative gives them a free pass to, quite frankly, act like terrible human beings. It doesn’t get much worse than trying to make kids believe that people with different beliefs and politics would like to see them commit suicide.

Back to the policies themselves—I’ve written before about how much it means to me that this conversation has finally reached a political level. Just over a year ago, it still seemed like a pipe dream. But it’s finally happening.

I’ve known it was coming for a while—since I first met with Premier Smith last November. After the policies were announced at the end of January this year, I also took part in a roundtable discussion in Edmonton (where I had the pleasure of meeting Kristopher Wells) and a much more positive roundtable discussion in Calgary.

The government has also done extensive consultations with parents, educators, healthcare professionals, and sporting organizations, as the Premier said in the video. It took a while, but I believe they are really trying to get it right.

Yes, it can feel a little frustrating to think that these sensible policies require extensive consultations when such obvious wrongs are being perpetuated against children and women. But as someone who appreciates minimal government involvement in people’s lives, I also appreciate the time and thought put into all of this. In this case, I completely support the actions that the government wants to take.

Hopefully, my next update on this will be to celebrate that the legislation has passed. And let me tell you—for all of this to be happening around the time of my expected due date honestly feels pretty special. My little girl will be born into a world that is moving back toward some sanity on this issue, and it’s starting to do that right here at home.