Let's Talk About It: Premier Smith's Proposed Policies

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in a video posted to social media announcing the new policies.

Dear readers,

Now that we have had some time to process them, I’d like to get your input on the policies proposed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to tackle the issues of child gender transition, care for adult transitioners, and female sports.

Here is a quick overview of the proposals:

• Banning “top” and “bottom” surgery for minors aged 17 and under.

• Banning puberty blockers and hormones for minors aged 15 and under. Requiring parental consent and physician and psychologist approval for those aged 16 or 17.

• For minors aged 15 and under that want to change their name or pronouns in school, parental notification and consent will be required. For minors aged 16 or 17, parental notification for name or pronoun changes is required.

• Parental notification and an "opt-in" requirement for formal instruction on gender, sexual orientation, or human sexuality in schools.

• All such third-party resource material needs to be pre-approved by the Ministry of Education.

• The Alberta government will work with sporting organizations to ensure women and girls have the choice to compete in athletic competitions in female-only divisions.

• The expansion of co-ed or gender-neutral divisions to ensure “transgender athletes” are included in participation.

• Attracting one or more professionals to Alberta who specialize in transgender surgery.

• Building a private registry of medical professionals who specialize in transgender healthcare.

• A pilot project to provide appropriate counselling services to support youth who identify as transgender and their parents.

I strongly support these policies as a whole and I have already written and said as much at the roundtable I attended and to the media. I also believe the conversation this has ignited is more important than the specifics.

But if you’re curious about what I do think about the specifics…