Parents and advocates 'gutted' by Alberta's proposed changes to trans youth policy and gender-affirming care: 'I'm so scared'

Catie Jones lives in Calgary and is a mother to her 10-year-old transgender daughter.

Jones was at work when she heard about Premier Danielle Smith's recently proposed policy changes regarding transgender youth and gender-affirming care in Alberta. "I went through a lot of anger, passion, confusion, frustration and anxiety," the mom recalled her first reaction.

She and her daughter, Samantha, had recently seen a doctor to ask about puberty blockers, as Samantha didn't want to grow facial hair or for her voice to deepen. It's something the family discussed as a possibility for when she reached puberty age, at around 13.

After reading Smith's proposed changes, which include a ban on puberty blockers and hormonal therapy, among many other barriers created for transgender youth, Jones cried — she knew she would have to talk to her daughter about it later that day.

When she told Samantha, she said she watched her "close in on herself, both physically and mentally.

"As a parent of a transgender child, we come across different topics of conversation because our child's priorities are slightly different," Jones said. "They are looking to feel comfortable in their own skin and they want to feel beautiful. And right now, my daughter does not."

Jones started a petition to safeguard transgender children's rights to self-identify and bodily autonomy in Alberta. Since it was created on Jan. 31, it has received more than 13,000 signatures.

"Every child deserves acceptance, love, safety, and freedom from discrimination regardless of their gender identity," Jones wrote in the petition.

Jones and her family, along with advocacy groups and professionals have been rallying since Smith's announcement took place.

Experts and advocates tell Yahoo Canada that Smith's proposed policies can be a matter of life or death for transgender youth. Here's what you need to know.

What exactly are Alberta premier's proposed policies?

United Conservative Party leader Smith announced the gender policy at the end of January, which has since sparked backlash from advocacy groups, teachers, athletes and doctors, among other groups.

Alberta will ban hormone therapy and puberty blockers for children 15 years and younger who have not yet begun those treatments. Teens aged 16 and 17 can begin hormone therapy if they have permission from their parents, a physician and a psychologist. Top and bottom gender reassignment surgeries will be banned for minors aged 17 and younger.

"Making permanent and irreversible decisions regarding one's biological sex, while still a youth can severely limit that child's choices in the future," Smith said in a video. "Prematurely encouraging or enabling children to alter their very biology or natural growth, no matter how well-intentioned and sincere, poses a risk to that child's future that I as premier am not comfortable with permitting in our province."

In schools, students aged 15 and under will have to receive permission from their parents before using a name or pronoun not assigned at birth. Students who are 16 or 17 won't require permission but schools will notify their parents.

Lessons in the classroom around sex education, sexual orientation and gender identity will require parents to opt their children in (currently, parents will be notified and have the option to opt out). Teachers will also have to get any third-party instruction material around the same topics approved by the education ministry before being used in the classroom.

Transgender women will also be forbidden from competing in women's sports leagues. Smith said the government and the leagues will eventually set up a co-ed or gender-neutral sports division.

A firm timeline has yet to be set for implementing the new policies. Smith said they still have legislation and consultations to consider before the new changes are made. Still, she defended the policies following days of backlash and called the approach "very balanced" at a press conference following her announcement.

"We'll be supporting transgender adults in their journey. We'll be supporting families so that they can have the journey with their loved ones as well. And in addition, we're going to make sure that there's a bit more rigour in our school system as we talk about these kinds of really difficult topics," Smith added.

Mental health of transgender youth is already in a critical state: Expert

According to research, the mental health state of transgender and nonbinary youths is already at crisis levels.

A 2022 study published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal shows that transgender and nonbinary youths are at a sharply elevated risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts than their cisgender peers.

Smith's suggested policies have been criticized by advocates for further putting people at risk of depression and suicide.

Transgender and gender-diverse youth are also at elevated risk for anxiety and eating disorders, as well as exposed to higher levels of harassment and violence. These elevated risks are thought, in part, to be attributed to "minority stress," which is the distinct, chronic stressors minorities experience related to their stigmatized identities, including victimization, prejudice and discrimination.

B Adair, an equity, diversity and inclusion consultant, educator and advocate for queer and trans rights, said he feels "absolutely gutted" by Smith's announcement.

"I'm so scared," Adair said. "We're talking about kids."

Adair provides queer and trans mentorship across the province, particularly in rural east central Alberta where, as an adult, he navigated 'coming out' as transgender. "It never feels like enough," he said.

"We need allyship beyond rainbow flags in June. We need support year-round. We need people with loud voices to speak, for those with full pockets to contribute, and folks with privilege and power to transfer it to those without it."

Adair said youth shelters, transgender support groups and organizations, that are underfunded and already struggle to provide safe spaces, are all preparing for the worst.

"Kids who aren't supported at home often confide in other adults they can trust — often teachers," he said. "Without anywhere to turn for support, we're inevitably going to see a rise in other statistics that were blatantly ignored — youth mental health concerns, homelessness, self-harm and suicide rates."

An 'immensely difficult time' for advocacy groups and trans youth

Hundreds of people in Edmonton and Calgary have been rallying in support of trans rights following Smith’s announcement. In a joint statement, more than 40 groups across Alberta have demanded the province halt the proposed policy changes.

Amelia Newbert, the managing director at Skipping Stone based in Calgary, said her organization has seen an influx of people reaching out for support. Skipping Stone runs extensive support for transgender people in Alberta, offering support groups, peer mentorship, affirming voice classes and assists people with navigating things like healthcare, name changes and gender-affirming gear or clothing.

"It's an immensely difficult time," she said. "Anytime policies like this come up, our community is basically being told that our right to exist is something that's up for debate... These policies are going to cost lives."

Newbert said she's seen people come for support as young as five, along with their families, or as old as 75.

She said that one of the arguments people present around gender-affirming care is that youth need more time to decide who they are. But Newbert said that even if that is the case, one of the things puberty-suppressing medication does is give pause to puberty, and gives people more time.

"Puberty-suppressing medication is 100 per cent reversible. There are no irreversible changes," she added.

In school, Newbert said kids and teens can sometimes feel more comfortable trying different names and pronouns and getting support from their peers which can sometimes be a bit lower stakes than coming out to their family.

When they do decide they want to tell their family, perhaps they have had the space and time to feel more comfortable with their identity, she adds. "So we're not talking about cutting parents out of the loop," Newbert said. "A lot of it is just kind of recognizing if kids need a little bit more time, and a bit more support."

Despite the policies Smith announced, Newbert said she still has hope for the trans and gender-diverse community who has been able to rally and overcome things as a community in the past.

"Should these policies attempt to be implemented, we've made it really clear as an organization that we will challenge those policies in court as a violation of people’s charter rights," she said.

"And I do think that we have a track record of coming together and overcoming and winning those rights. It might not always be as easy or as quick as we wanted but as a community, we have an amazing resilience and ability to stand up for ourselves."

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