Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has stepped into the firestorm. Her recent statements suggesting that using puberty blockers in transgender youth care should be illegal have set off a firestorm of discussion. Speaking on her radio show, Smith asserted that there is no consensus within the medical community about the necessity and effects of these treatments. Her comments come on the heels of a similar move by the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) to limit the use of puberty blockers for minors. She emphasized this step to bolster her case.
Smith’s comments have been roundly condemned by public health professionals and advocacy groups. Her assertions are firmly rejected by the Alberta Medical Association’s section of pediatrics. They stress that the effects of puberty blockers are reversible, and that they are key to providing care that supports the overall health and well-being of gender diverse youth.
As previously reported, the court had ruled that they believe that there will be irreparable harm if the law is allowed to move forward. I know that’s not true,” Smith said during her live coverage. She expressed confidence in her government’s position, saying, “We actually think that we’ve got a very solid case, we think we’ve been measured.”
The debate ignited further after an RHF’s recent appellate court ruling. This ruling put a temporary stop to a proposed provincial ban on providing gender-affirming health care to youth in Alberta. Smith has positioned her government as defenders of children’s rights, explaining, “I think we’ve been evidence-based and we think we’re on the side of kids, so we want to see how long the process will play out but we think it’s really important for these issues to be debated in court.”
Critics of Smith’s position point out that her approach threatens to deprive a highly vulnerable and often marginalized population of critical healthcare. Victoria Bucholtz, an advocate for transgender rights, criticized the government’s approach by stating, “Everyone was surprised that they were wasting taxpayer dollars on persecuting a very small population that really needs support, instead of Danielle Smith barging into doctors’ offices telling doctors what they’re allowed to do.”
“As Bucholtz noted, these policies would have harmful effects on transgender youth. ‘Our kids are already struggling day to day and made all of these spaces, and so when that was announced and these policy measures were announced and being prioritized by the government, it was blindsiding and it was like, how do we, what do we do with it?’ she said.”
Bravo Justice Kuntz, for issuing a definitive ruling prohibiting the proposed ban! He repeated warnings about the terrible damage this legislation would do to our country. “The evidence shows that singling out health care for gender diverse youth and making it subject to government control will cause irreparable harm to gender diverse youth by reinforcing the discrimination and prejudice that they are already subjected to,” Kuntz explained.
That judge stressed that the ban, regardless of the motive, unequivocally communicates a message. It is based on the idea that having a gender identity that doesn’t match someone’s assigned sex at birth is abnormal. “Intentionally or not, the ban will signal that there is something wrong with or suspect about having a gender identity that is different than the sex you were assigned at birth,” Kuntz added.
Against that backdrop, those developments have many advocates cautiously optimistic about the future of gender-affirming care in Alberta. Bucholtz told PM that she remains hopeful about the ongoing struggle for rights in the province. “We will be the ones that once again uphold human rights in this country because Alberta queers don’t lose these fights,” she stated passionately.
Even still, debate continues to rage over this explosive topic. What is obvious from either side is that both are absolutely passionate about the future of youth in Alberta. The important legal case that’s currently unfolding will no doubt dictate the future course of trans care in the province.
