My Friend Launched a Lawsuit Against "Gender Affirming Care" in Canada and I Couldn't Be More Proud

A few short months ago, I was naive enough to think that gender ideology was steadily on its way out, at least before it could cause a massive blowback against all things LGBT. Now, I am not so sure, especially after what has happened to Amy Hamm (and note that since I wrote the linked post, her employer has used the decision against her as an excuse to fire her, without severance). In Canada, it seems, activists are digging in their heels and are hell-bent on destroying anyone who doesn’t agree with them in the name of compassion and inclusion.

This is why a lawsuit brought forward by my friend Lois Cardinal couldn’t be more important and more timely. Lois is suing the hospital in Montreal where she had vaginoplasty surgery, two physicians and one nurse involved in her “treatment”, and the province of Alberta for coercing her to undergo the procedure.

For those who aren’t familiar with Lois, she describes herself as a transsexual, but she is not a trans activist. Lois has been outspokenly against gender ideology for a long time, particularly on issues like the transitioning of children, men in women’s prisons, and men in women’s sports. Lois’ situation also draws attention to the issue of people who transition as legal adults but regret it, in many cases because they were not properly informed about what it all entailed.

Understandably, most people in this fight focus on children. They are, after all, the most vulnerable. And, at a certain point, we do have to set a somewhat arbitrary age at which someone becomes an “adult” and is responsible for their actions. But this doesn’t mean someone over the age of 18 is then automatically mature enough to make all of the correct choices for themselves (hell, no one ever actually reaches an age where this is completely true). It also doesn’t mean that an adult cannot be misled, misinformed, and pressured into making harmful decisions by people in positions of responsibility. This is what happened to Lois.

Her statement of claim describes how she was pushed through the process of transition despite it being evident at every stage along the way that she did not fully understand the ramifications. The doctor who oversaw most of her substandard “care” did not provide Lois with adequate information, particularly about the implications of “gender affirming surgery” (GRS). In fact—and if I hadn’t seen the notes with my own eyes, I would have a hard time believing it—he once noted that Lois was depressed but claimed that her depressive feelings would be eliminated once she was put on estrogen. The statement of claim details several other similar failures in the care Lois received.

The main failure occurred in 2009, when the Alberta government was going to stop funding GRS. Despite the fact that Lois did not meet the criteria for surgery that was in place at the time, her doctor pushed to secure the funding before the program would be discontinued. So, Lois flew to Montreal to undergo the procedure. While there, she expressed hesitation to the hospital medical team but felt she had no choice but to go through with the surgery. She went as far as to verbally protest the procedure right before the surgery, only to be told by the nurse that everyone felt anxiety prior to going through with it.

Unsurprisingly, Lois regretted the surgery immediately. She has also experienced mental and physical pain as a result ever since. The whole ordeal even caused her to seek out MAiD, which, thankfully—in my opinion—was denied.

I have to admit, it was hard reading everything that my friend went through, and I wish things could have gone differently for her. I am proud, however, that Lois is using her experience to not only try to get much-deserved justice for herself but to draw wider attention to this issue. “Gender-affirming care” is not care. All too often, people, even adults, are not properly informed about the path they are embarking on, and therefore, they can not give proper consent. This lawsuit will hopefully shine a light on what is actually happening and cause providers to rethink the services they are willing to provide and how they provide those services. Governments, likewise, should consider what they are willing to fund.

I want to close with this—I get a lot of hell from my own “side” for my friendship with Lois. But our friendship has been one of the most positive things in my life. I feel like we have accomplished so much together and, aside from everything we have done on the activism front, having Lois to talk to and share some of my most meaningful experiences with (like getting married!) is something I wouldn’t give up for any level of respect or admiration (or basic human decency) from the crowd.

I know how lucky you have to be in life to find people you truly connect with. I love you, my friend, and I hope you get the justice you deserve.