As Canadians, we hear a lot of news coming up from south of the border about policy changes that impact 2SLGBTQ+ people. However, here at home, the well-being and education of youth who are a part of this community are also at risk. The growing issue became clear during protests that erupted across Canada on Sept. 20.
In Toronto, two groups gathered in Queen’s Park, one to protest, and the other to counter-protest. The protesters were speaking out against the inclusion of 2SLGBTQ+ topics in Canadian school curriculums, calling for the topics to be removed from lessons.
READ MORE: Hundreds rally in Toronto to support 2SLGBTQ+ education in Canadian schools
The counter-protesters, composed of 2SLGBTQ+ folks, including allies, believe that the inclusion of these topics is vital to queer youth, raising the alarm about policies in schools in some Canadian provinces.
Officials in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan have recently implemented rules requiring schools to gain parental consent before using students’ preferred names and pronouns before they turn 16.
Political events surrounding this continued to unfold this week in the prairies. On Sept. 28 in Saskatchewan, Justice Michael Megaw put an injunction in place for the controversial policy. However, on the same day, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said he would recall the legislature on Oct. 10 and invoke the notwithstanding clause to overrule the judge’s decision. The premier has continued to say that the new rules were created following meetings with people like parents and teachers. Megaw has said there is no evidence those consultations happened.
While policies like this are being implemented in other provinces, earlier this month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told attendees of “Ford Fest” that it is a parent’s right to ensure “they are informed when their children make a decision.”
“It’s not up to the teachers, it’s not up to the school boards to indoctrinate our kids,” the premier said. However, Ford has told media outlets that his government is not looking into making any changes to the current legislation in Ontario. Counter-protesters say that this legislation in other parts of the country is something that could put 2SLGBTQ+ kids in harm’s way.
Rolyn told Now Toronto that as a community organizer, he knows many queer youth cannot come out to their parents and guardians. He worries that new policies requiring schools to inform parents about their children’s pronoun changes could force some youth to come out before they are ready.
When it comes to some protesters who have voiced concerns that this curriculum will “convince” their children to identify as 2SLGBTQ+, Rolyn says he is confused by that statement.
“Why would someone choose to be trans, or gay, when there are so many people out there wanting to harm them, demean them, and kill them?” the advocate questioned, adding that the statistics are very clear about the adversity and obstacles queer youth face.
Data shows that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth in Canada are five times more likely to consider taking their life, and seven times more likely to attempt to do so, compared to their heterosexual counterparts. At the same time, trans people are twice as likely as their LGB counterparts to contemplate or attempt to end their life. The Canadian Centre for Suicide Prevention lists several contributing factors for the prevalence of this in the LGB and trans communities, including bullying, physical violence, rejection, isolation, and a lack of support from family members. The centre also reports that 2SLGBTQ+ youth are at a higher risk of self-harm than queer adults.
“People’s lives, queer lives, trans lives are not a chess move, they are people,” Rolyn told Queer & Now, reminding us that, “This is life-or-death for them.”
Rolyn shared that he wants parents to understand that educating straight and cisgender youth about 2SLGBTQ+ topics won’t make them queer, but it will make them more understanding of their peers who may identify that way.
A woman who was counter-protesting named Deb Singh told us she worries that changing policies could harm children who need to see themselves represented in school curriculums and feel safe in the classroom.
“To be able to support kids to be who they are, as they are. All children,” she said, explaining why it was important for her to counter-protest. Singh shared that as a mom of a nine-year-old, she believes that all children, regardless of their gender or sexuality, have a right to full education about their development.
Vanessa, another counter-protester, agreed. She explained that access to a fulsome sexual education is crucial, and should include topics like gender identity and safe sex practices for queer people. Vanessa also shared that it’s strange that people are calling trans people a new phenomenon.
“Queer [and] trans people are everywhere, they’ve always been here. Nothing is going to stop us from being who we are.”
SCHOOLS AS A SAFE HAVEN FOR 2SLGBTQ+ KIDS
It’s time for a Queer & Now anecdote. After hearing from members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community out protesting, I’m reminded of a time when my peers and I felt unsupported at school.
During a health class, one of my friends who had already come out as non-binary asked the teacher if we would also be covering queer sex while discussing safe sex practices. The teacher scoffed, telling my friend that they could go online themselves to look it up. She also shared that she was surprised my friend would be willing to “out themselves like that.”
The discomfort was palpable, and it made a group of teenagers who were already comfortable in their sexualities and identities wonder if they really should be. At our school, many students had come out to teachers, school staff, and peers long before coming out to their families. My friends and teachers knew I was a lesbian for years before my parents and siblings.
Instances like this are not uncommon, and most queer people I know have at least one story of an authoritative figure dismissing their experience. Be it a doctor, a teacher, or a parent, many 2SLGBTQ+ youth have found themselves in a situation of having their identity dismissed at a formative time in their lives. This becomes more relevant when considering new policies pertaining to queer youth in Canada.
Lauren Pragg, Ph.D. (ABD), MA, is the Interim Executive Director of LGBT Youthline, an organization providing support services for gay and transgender youth across Ontario. Pragg told Queer & Now that they are concerned about the impact recent legislation will have on queer youth in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.
“[They] have essentially handed over power for parents to make the final decision about how young people self-identify socially,” Pragg told Queer & Now.
They explained that experts in their field understand that gender identity and pronouns are always the sole decision of the person, regardless of the wants or needs of parents and families.
“So, these policies really create an environment of surveillance for trans youth and remove any degree of safety that is possible at school. So, it kind of tries to turn something that is as personal as a gender identity into a collective conversation.”
Pragg also has concerns about the impact on especially vulnerable youth who cannot express their sexuality or gender identity safely at home.
“Home is not always a safe space for young people, and schools are well positioned to provide a kind of safe haven, where young people can be included, valued and have some sense of equity in that space.”
Pragg believes that these policies will inevitably cause queer youth who are not supported at home to stop leaning on school communities for support for fear of being outed, leaving them further isolated.
Pragg explained that these spaces are all the more crucial when considering that 2SLGBTQ+ youth often face unsupportive and unhealthy homes. In addition to higher rates of suicide, this community statistically also faces more violence, homelessness, and homicide compared to their straight, cisgender counterparts.
READ MORE: Get to know Friends of Ruby: An organization helping unhoused 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Canada
“We know that queer and trans youth face higher rates of being street-involved, not having stable housing, mental health challenges and suicide rates, because they don’t have a safe home environment.”
This, Pragg says, can be combated by ensuring that 2SLGBTQ+ youth have a safe space to learn academically, and to learn more about themselves.
WHAT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYING?
Experts and queer people have shared their stances on the topic, calling for legislation to protect 2SLGBTQ+ kids. But what is the federal government’s position? Queer & Now reached out to Canada’s Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien to find out.
“Since day one, we have stood in solidarity and cooperation with 2SLGBTQI+ community across Canada. We have actively worked alongside advocates and community leaders to push for – and create systemic change,” Nanki Singh, press secretary, Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, told Queer & Now in a statement.
Ien previously told The Canadian Press that policies in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick put transgender youth in a life-or-death situation.
“As a parent herself, Minister Ien understands how important it is for parents to be involved in the lives of their children, but also how that should be balanced with the needs of protecting vulnerable young people,” Singh continued, adding that the safety and well-being for children of all genders must be prioritized.
This reminds me of something I saw on a sign during the Sept. 20 protests at Queen’s Park.
“The trans agenda is an average life expectancy.”
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