Community members, advocates fear rise of transphobia in Sask. after election
Pratyush Dayal | CBC News | Posted: October 30, 2024 12:00 PM | Last Updated: October 30
Sask. Party said gendered change room policy in schools is '1st order of business'
As the Saskatchewan Party remains in power after Monday's election, some advocates, experts, families and trans teens worry for the future.
Premier Scott Moe made a campaign promise that if re-elected, his party's "first order of business" would be a policy restricting students to change rooms based on their assigned sex at birth. Moe said this is a safety issue.
Shala Nufeld said she is scared and disappointed about what future lies ahead for her non-binary trans kid, Zipp. Zipp said change rooms and bathrooms at their Saskatoon school are "already stressful" as they are not gender neutral.
"We should just have neutral spaces for kids that are non-binary, transgender and the policy just moves the mark farther and farther away from spaces that can include everybody ultimately," Shala said.
"How do you walk that out without invading kids, checking their genitals?"
Zipp said the policy would impact the mental health of kids and how much they participate in schools. The 12-year-old said the enforcement of the policy will be "disgusting."
Their family moved from rural Saskatchewan to escape the transphobia Zipp was facing when they came out in Grade 2. They worry they'll have to move again if the policy comes through.
"It does seem Scott Moe's just pushing trans kids farther into mental health struggles. Like, he's doing it on purpose," Zipp said, noting transphobia at school has escalated. "This is just a step backwards".
Shala worries that the next four years can make Saskatchewan even "more homophobic and transphobic."
'Dangerous and unsafe': trans girl
A trans girl, who CBC is not identifying, said she already hears from "religious peers" that they don't feel comfortable changing in her presence even when she has transitioned.
"I've been added to group chats where I've been bashed, insulted and mocked just for being trans. This policy will create a huge disconnect between students and their safety," she said.
The Grade 9 student in Saskatoon was already "negatively affected" this year due to Bill 137, or the Parents' Bill of Rights, which makes parental consent required before a child under 16 can use a different gender-related name or pronoun at school.
"With this [change room] policy, I would have to change in the boys' washroom. It's very dangerous and unsafe," she said. "It's hard to put into words when the government is actively working against you."
'I feel scared': parent
Chris said her Grade 9 kid, Ray, faced bullying and transphobia since Bill 137 was enacted. CBC is not using their real names because they fear speaking publicly will garner them more hatred.
"I feel angry that my child is being used as a political pawn for their game. I feel scared transphobia will only increase," Chris, who is an educator herself, said.
"It's heartbreaking to watch your child come home day after day being told they're not OK the way they are."
LISTEN | 2SLGBTQ+ concerns should be a top priority this election, advocates say:
Ray, who is gender-non-conforming, said many trans kids in their Saskatoon school are traumatized due to deadnaming or being outed.
"Change room policy will make our lives extremely uncomfortable," they said.
Ray said change rooms at their previous school were unsafe as peers would "click pictures over the stalls."
"When I was in Grade 7, I was called tranny," the 14-year-old said. "Now, I've just been walking home from school or walking the hallways and people bark or meow at me."
Ray said barking or meowing is a recent form of dehumanizing bullying against queer kids.
'Politically impotent': Regina councillor
Andrew Stevens, the city councillor for Ward 3 in Regina, wrote a "very harsh" letter to Moe shortly after the initial announcement.
"Essentially what I said is that you're intellectually and politically impotent because you cannot handle these serious issues. He deserved it," Stevens said.
WATCH | Regina councillor calls Sask. Party change room policy plan 'offensive':
To make a political position on the shoulders of trans kids, Stevens said, is "sickening."
Stevens said he has been receiving positive responses to his letter.
"The level of victimization [for] kids who are struggling with the realities of life right now is astounding," he said.
Stevens said it's unfair to perceive the issue as an urban problem, as kids in rural communities are affected. He urges Moe to pause his policy and focus on issues like classroom complexity at schools.
2SLGBTQ+ groups condemn policy
2SLGBTQ+ groups are also voicing their opposition. In a Facebook post, Prince Albert Pride condemned "anti-trans violence fuelled" by the government.
OutSaskatoon also took to social media denouncing the potential policy. Analu Alvarez, the education manager there, said Moe's "discriminatory" comments to promote his career are concerning.
The organization has been fielding calls from students because they don't feel safe at school.
"Creating safe spaces is so important, especially in schools," Alvarez said.
She said more trans youth have been accessing services at the organization during the past year.
"We've been seeing more youth trying to speak up, feeling heartbroken, attacked and afraid of who they are and not being able to be safe at school," she said.
Alvarez said the "transphobic" policy discriminates specifically against trans girls who are already most vulnerable.
"We know that he's discriminating the most for the most vulnerable people in the community," she said. "It is going to be dark."
'Want to leave Sask.': Mother of trans kid
Amy, a parent of a trans child, said she is contemplating leaving the province permanently. CBC is not identifying her in order to not out her kid.
"My first thought when the policy was announced was, 'When will this end? How much farther is it gonna go?'" she said. "It's heart wrenching."
Amy said her trans kid had transitioned before the pronoun bill was passed.
"When Bill 137 was enacted, we immediately legally changed everything so that all his documentation, his health card, birth certificate, passport, everything is consistent," she said. "Basically out of fear that inconsistent documentation would be harmful."
She said fear "and fierce anger" is common amongst other parents.
"It's hard to live in a province where you have to be secretive," she said. "You don't feel like you can encourage your children to just be themselves. Your nerves are elevated all the time."
'Misdirection of focus'
Rachel Loewen Walker, assistant professor and program chair of women's and gender studies in the political studies department at University of Saskatchewan, said the policy promise was "a ploy to get votes."
"This is just a complete and total misdirection of focus and sets up an incredibly dangerous future for lots of kids in our province," she said.
Loewen Walker said New Brunswick had put forth similar policies against trans kids and it backfired with Premier Blaine Higgs losing the election.
"Saskatchewan now remains an outlier, continuing to put forth anti-trans policies," she said, stating Saskatchewan is leading "the way as the most transphobic province."
"It is really embarrassing to have a government that is attacking kids," she said.
"It shows us that we have a government that has no regard for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and no regard for the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code."
Loewen Walker said that change rooms often have shower spaces, and if the policy is implemented, it would undoubtedly impact bathroom usage. She said the argument is beyond safety.
"Scott Moe frames that safety as exclusion, segregation, separation."