The UCP’s Proposed Policies on Gender Work Against Alberta’s Interests
Moraine Lake in Banff, Alberta. Photo by Andy Holmes on Unsplash.
Alberta is a beautiful province that is full of opportunity. It’s a place where Two-Spirit, queer and trans people and organizations succeed and thrive. But the community’s resolve is currently being tested by Alberta’s UCP Government, which has proposed a suite of policies that threaten health and safety in the province.
If one sees 2SLGBTQIA+ communities as distinct and separate from the rest of society, then it’s easy to believe these regressive policies only impact a small group of Albertans. However, they also have implications for the broader population:
They won’t attract people to Alberta.
In 2022 the province spent $2.6 million on its still-active ‘Alberta is Calling’ campaign to encourage relocation to Alberta. It promotes benefits like the lowest housing prices and rental costs among Canadian urban centres. Much of the campaign’s content takes aim at the high cost of living in Canada’s largest city. But the policies proposed by Premier Smith make Alberta less attractive to those who want to live in diverse and inclusive communities, which contradicts the objectives of the campaign stated on its own website.
Walterdale Bridge and downtown Edmonton, Alberta. Photo by Saqib Ameen on Unsplash.
They will make Alberta less productive.
There is something 2SLGBTQIA+ activists, advocates and allies in Alberta would rather be doing instead of protesting transphobic policies: literally anything else. We would all prefer them to be working towards better outcomes for themselves and their communities through positive action. But, it’s hard to make improvements on a house when someone has set the roof on fire. When 2SLGBTQIA+ are kept on the defensive, positive momentum is impossible. The current situation adds significantly to the minority-stress felt by 2SLGBTQIA+ people and their allies, which hampers productivity at home and in the workplace.
They will make Albertans sick.
The evidence is clear: policies that reduce access to healthcare produce worse health outcomes, including worsening already poor mental health outcomes including increasing the rates of suicide. Alberta’s doctors, nurses, and social workers have all come out against the policies due to this health risk. Similarly, policies that stigmatize 2SLGBTQIA+ communities contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS, which lead to poor health outcomes in the broader population. The World Bank paused payments to Uganda in response to its Anti-Homosexualty Bill becoming law last year because the legislation works against the Bank’s goal to end HIV/AIDS in the country; not necessarily because of a moral objection.
They will cause problems for employers.
As duty-bearers, Albertan employers make significant investments to maintain compliance with employment standards and human rights legislation. All employees maintain the right to a safe workplace, regardless of their gender identity or gender expression. The proposed policies target those with trans experience, so they are flatly discriminatory. Employees may ask: If the provincial government doesn’t need to respect human rights, why do we? This makes enforcement of workplace policies difficult.
Calgary ProPride‘s Panel Discussion “The Next Generation” with Michelle Robinson (she/her), Amelia Newbert (she/her), An Tran (she/her), and Jade Pichette (they/them) in September 2022.
So, what can you do?
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- Provide direct support to people in Alberta who need it.
- Support the Alberta Trans Affirming Legal Fund.
- Donate money to organizations in Alberta making a difference:
- Educate yourself on the facts around gender-affirming care:
- Human Rights Campaign – Get the Facts on Gender-Affirming Care
- Canadian Pediatric Society – An affirming approach to caring for transgender and gender-diverse youth
- Send a message to Premier Smith:
- Tell Premier Danielle Smith: Retract Harmful Anti-Trans Policies Now