Civil liberties group threatens lawsuit, N.B. premier stands by changes to LGBTQ policy
Policy will come into effect before any legal action, Canadian Civil Liberties Association says
The changes made to Policy 713 are "unlawful and unconstitutional and should not stand," Harini Sivalingam, director of equality for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said Thursday outside the legislature, where the group held a news conference.
"I am here ... to deliver a final message to the government of New Brunswick," she said. "Canadians from all across the country are watching."
Education Minister Bill Hogan has announced changes to the school policy that sets out minimum requirements for a safe learning environment for LGBTQ students.
He said the changes to Policy 713 ban teachers and staff from using a child under 16's chosen name and pronoun, even informally and verbally, unless parents consent.
Under the revised policy, if a child says no to including parents, they're to be directed to a school psychologist or social worker to come up with a plan to eventually include the parents.
CBC News has sought a response from government.
The changes are expected to come into effect on July 1, before any legal action begins.
Higgs and Hogan have previously said they changed the policy to protect "the rights of parents to know" what's going on with their children. They said teachers were keeping secrets from parents by not notifying them when a child requests to use a different pronoun informally in class.
Since it was introduced in 2020, Police 713 has always required parental consent for official name changes for children under 16 in school records.
New
Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs previously said the changes to the
policy on gender identity is meant to protect 'the rights of parents.' (Stephen MacGillivray/The Canadian Press)
Education, legal, child welfare and mental heath experts have all spoken out against the changes. The child and youth advocate called the changes "shoddy" and "inadvertently discriminatory."
The union representing school psychologists said rejecting a child's request for a specific pronoun will "increase the risk of self-harm and suicide," and it's grieving the changes because it "coerces" members to contravene the children's human rights.
Sivalingam said lawyers for the civil liberties group are looking at the new policy and compiling a legal strategy for a lawsuit. She did not share a specific timeline for a legal challenge.
Evie
Robinson-Dyck, a Grade 12 Saint John High School student, spoke at the
news conference in Fredericton about what could happen if the policy
changes are applied next school year. (Hadeel Ibrahim/CBC)
Sivalingam said the review to the policy began because of an anti-LGBTQ "vocal minority," and the premier did not protect LGBTQ children from this group.
"[Premier Blaine Higgs] capitulated to extremist views and he forgot that New Brunswick is not Florida," she said, referring to the anti-transgender legislation that's been passed in the state.
Trans students 'will start disappearing'
Evie Robinson-Dyck, a Grade 12 Saint John High School student, spoke at the news conference about what could happen if the policy changes are applied next school year. She said said kids will have to stay in the closet because getting their parents' consent is not an option.
"These amazing friend and community members that I have known …Will start disappearing and disappearing, they'll have to change their names and their pronouns, they'll stop being themselves," she said.
She said she's lucky to have supportive parents, but some of her friends could only use their chosen pronouns in school because their parents would not accept them.
"I know so many parents who would kick out their children," she said. "Why do these parents have to know? The ones who will treat their child differently. Who will be physically mentally or verbally abusive based on names, pronouns, their sexualities, and things that are truly just who we are."
That's why they're called minors.
we know praying doesn't change a thing and time to face reality for a few
This was not going to come between children and parents, incidentally. If you don't already know your own child's identity, you've already placed something significant between yourself and them. And it's not the school.
Incidentally, we know that a respectful environment enhances learning. The original policy would have provided that. Now it does not. So the original policy's opponents have no ground from which to claim they care about learning.
That is precisely what the change to this policy does.
As New Brunswick changes its LGBTQ policy in schools, advocates worry it's just the beginning
'There's nothing stopping a government from passing discriminatory legislation,' says professor
A policy about LGBTQ students at the heart of a political battle in New Brunswick could have a ripple effect across Canada, according to experts who say they're concerned it could open the door for other provincial governments to make similar changes.
New Brunswick's Policy 713, which was introduced in August 2020, outlines minimum requirements for a safe environment for LGBTQ students. Earlier in June, the province's Progressive Conservative government made changes to the policy, scheduled to take effect on July 1.
If those changes go forward, similar "attacks against the transgender and the non-binary community" could happen elsewhere in Canada, said Kristopher Wells, an associate professor at MacEwan University in Edmonton, and the Canada Research Chair for the Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth.
"Once one government makes a change, then it becomes often easier or more popular for other governments to consider those changes as well," he told CBC News.
"I think other provinces are obviously watching very closely to see what the potential fallout will be," said Helen Kennedy, the executive director for LGBTQ advocacy group Egale Canada.
New Brunswick's recent changes to the policy mean it's no longer mandatory for teachers to use the preferred pronouns or names of transgender or non-binary students under the age of 16.
A teacher or school would need to obtain parental consent for any child who wants to change their name at school. A student who refuses parental involvement would be referred to a school psychologist or social worker to develop a plan to inform the student's parents.
Premier Blaine Higgs has said that the changes reflect the government's desire to ensure parents play a role in the "formative years" of their children.
Higgs defended the changes again Tuesday during an interview with CBC's Power and Politics, saying he was seeing "a tremendous outpouring of support" for his position.
"Nationally, people are saying, 'Why wouldn't parents play a role?'" he said.
Backlash, political debate
The change has caused turmoil in Higgs' cabinet, including two resignations. On Tuesday, he dropped two ministers who had voted against him on the gender-identity policy. Unionized school psychologists and social workers have filed two grievances with the provincial government.
It has also sparked federal debate, with both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre chiming in. Speaking at a Pride even in Toronto earlier in June, Trudeau spoke out against the changes.
"Trans kids need to feel safe, not targeted by politicians. We need to stand against this," he said.
On Tuesday, Poilievre told reporters that Trudeau should stay out of it, saying "the prime minister has no business in decisions that should rest with provinces and parents."
"So my message to Justin Trudeau is, 'Butt out and let provinces run schools and let parents raise kids.' "
The changes have drawn national attention, with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) saying it will cause harm to trans and non-binary kids — not just in New Brunswick, but potentially across Canada.
"Make no mistake that this decision sets a dangerous precedent and that could instigate similar attempts to harm the rights of children across the country," Harini Sivalingam, lawyer and director of the Equality Program at the CCLA, said in a June 9 press release.
Meanwhile, a conservative Christian group based in B.C. is calling it a test case for its own efforts to roll back school LGBTQ policies.
Court challenges an option that take time
LGBTQ rights in Canada are protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are protected in every provincial and territorial Human Rights Act.
According to Wells, this means any public institution by law must provide a discrimination-free environment.
According
to Kristopher Wells, an associate professor at MacEwan University in
Edmonton, and the Canada Research Chair for the Public Understanding of
Sexual and Gender Minority Youth, 'there's nothing stopping a government
from passing discriminatory legislation.' (MacEwan University)
"But that doesn't mean that the rights won through the courts and through government can't be stripped away or taken away," he said.
Wells points to what happened after Jason Kenney was elected premier in Alberta — his United Conservative Party passed a controversial education bill that rolled back previous protections for children who join Gay-Straight Alliances in schools.
While politicians can pass legislation or policies that can be seen as discriminatory, these can also be challenged in the courts, Wells said, noting that there are checks and balances in the system.
In New Brunswick, he said, the only recourse the community really has is to either file a human rights complaint or go through the court system.
"But the reality is it takes a long time to challenge a government in court to get legislation ruled as being unconstitutional and stricken down," Wells said.
"There's nothing stopping a government from passing discriminatory legislation. That's why people need to to be very careful about how they vote."
Just the beginning?
Egale Canada's Kennedy says she worries the changes to Policy 713 are just the beginning.
"Do I see a political trend here to scapegoat members of the 2SLGBTQI community? Absolutely," Kennedy said. "We forget that there are human beings attached to the other end of all these political opportunist actions."
It's a hostile environment right now for the LGBTQ community, she said, noting the recent targeting of Pride flags as just one example.
Several communities across Canada, including Norwich, Ont., and Hope, B.C., have recently decided not to fly Pride flags. There have also been reports this year of flags in various provinces being stolen, damaged and burned.
Earlier this month, students in Vaughan, Ont., walked out over the York Catholic District School Board's decision not to raise a Pride flag at its education centre.
As far as Policy 713 is concerned, Kennedy says other provinces are likely looking at both the political response — will an election be called? Will Higgs fall? — and the community response, such as parental pushback. And while she says it's been encouraging to see some opposition, she also says the damage has been done.
"It's out there. We all know how [Higgs] feels about members of the 2SLGBTQI communities, and it's disturbing," she said.
"Every child, every student, has a right to a safe and inclusive education."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files Marie-Jose Burgos and the Canadian Press
Front Burner Transcript for June 29, 2023
Host: Jayme Poisson
SAROJA COELHO: Hi, I'm Saroja Coelho.
SOUNDCLIP
BLAINE HIGGS: Mr. Speaker, we're seeing a rapid onset of gender dysphoria. It's expanded the last several years, and it's becoming popular and trendy.
SAROJA COELHO: What you're hearing is the top politician in New Brunswick, Premier Blaine Higgs, in an address that is laden with misleading comments about trans people. He's defending changes to a policy that was designed to protect LGBTQ students. But as of this Saturday, his government says that children under 16 will need permission from their parents if school staff are going to use their preferred pronouns.
SOUNDCLIP
BLAINE HIGGS: It really came to light, Mr. Speaker, when the story-time issues became more prevalent, more pronounced. When it came into policy in 2020, it kind of slid into the system without much being known about it.
SAROJA COELHO: The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has said reviewing a policy like this is unprecedented in Canada. LGBTQ advocates say forcing kids to come out to unwelcoming parents is a real danger. And on the national stage, this has drawn fire from the prime minister.
SOUNDCLIP
JUSTIN TRUDEAU: Trans kids in New Brunswick are being told they don't have the right to be their true selves; that they need to ask permission. Well, trans kids need to feel safe, not targeted by politicians.
SAROJA COELHO: And then there's the reaction from the official opposition.
SOUNDCLIP
PIERRE POILIEVRE: My message to Justin Trudeau is butt out and let provinces run schools, and let parents raise kids.
SAROJA COELHO: Some MLAs in Higgs' own party are in revolt over a long line of controversies, and it appears enough leaders have signed letters to trigger a vote on his leadership. So why is Blaine Higgs bent on changes that critics are calling discriminatory? And what could this mean for the wider identity of conservative politics in Canada and the future of LGBTQ rights? To explain, I am joined today by two of my colleagues from New Brunswick. Hadeel Ibrahim has been covering the impacts of the upcoming changes, and Jacques Poitras is the provincial affairs reporter. Hi, Hadeel. Hi, Jacques.
HADEEL IBRAHIM: Hi.
JACQUES POITRAS: Hello.
SAROJA COELHO: So Hadeel, I'm going to begin with you. Policy 713 was originally enacted in 2020. The idea was to protect LGBTQ students. Then in May of this year, we found out that the education department under Premier Higgs was reviewing it. The next step to this story is that this month, what three specific changes were announced.
HADEEL IBRAHIM: So I'll start with the self-identification section of the policy. The original policy said that all school staff and teachers have to respect all children's chosen names and pronouns, and use them regardless of age or parental consent. It also stipulated that if a child under 16 wanted to change their name and pronoun officially in school records, they would have to get parental consent. But the principal has to explain to the child that means that their parents will have to be told about their identity. And if the child says no to including their parents, then the school would come up with a plan to continue to use their chosen name and pronoun informally, and continue to use their birth names in official records. The new policy, it keeps the mandate to respect students' chosen names and pronouns, but only for kids who are 16 years old and older. And the section about requiring parental consent for children under 16 for official changes is still there, and it says that if a child says no to including their parents, they now have to be, quote: "directed to a school psychologist or social worker to come up with a plan to include their family if and when they're ready." So the minister says that that effectively means that while the child is working to include their parents, the teachers and school staff would have to continue using their birth name and pronoun regardless of what they requested, even informally, verbally in the classroom. The second change was for-- The old policy said that kids should be able to participate in all extra curriculars in a safe and welcoming environment, and that are consistent with their gender identity. The minister of education removed the reference to 'consistent with their gender identity,' so now it just ends at safe and welcoming. And the third change was actually considered a win for the LGBTQ community, because they were worried that there would be changes to washroom access. But that policy remained pretty much the same. There was an addition of a requirement that each school would have to have at least one gender neutral or universal change room, on top of the requirement that was already there for at least one gender neutral washroom.
SAROJA COELHO: Jacques, I want to turn to you. Adding to this controversy, there has been Higgs' own comments to defend these changes. What has he said about transgender youth and why he thinks these changes are necessary?
JACQUES POITRAS: Well, he has talked almost exclusively about the role of parents. And one of the striking things in almost all of his comments that Hadeel pointed out to me, actually: you never hear him talk about the children or from the perspective of a trans student in schools. He-- There was a very contentious scrum with journalists at the legislature one day, where he essentially was questioning the journalists in the scrum who were parents, about their own parenting if they didn't understand where he was coming from on this.
SOUNDCLIP
BLAINE HIGGS: It's clear from this scrum, is that you feel parents play no role in their child's growing up and maturing. That seems to be the theme.
JOURNALIST: We're asking questions.
BLAINE HIGGS: Yeah, well, I'm giving a perception of what is very evident here.
JOURNALIST 2: We're asking questions, and most of us are parents, too.
BLAINE HIGGS: Right? Yes. You should be very concerned.
JACQUES POITRAS: You know, some of his colleagues who have supported the review have allowed for the possibility that there would be cases where a student would not feel safe talking to their parents about their gender identity or their sexual orientation. But the premier himself, that has not entered the conversation. So that's where he's coming from. And then, you know, he's made comments in the legislature during the debate on an opposition motion on this, where he talked about gender dysphoria, and said we have a situation that's growing because there's been such acceptance that this is fine.
SOUNDCLIP
BLAINE HIGGS: And, Mr. Speaker, there's also great evidence, I would say, that in later years when major surgeries have been done, when we see situations where there have been physical changes made and you can't go back, they're irreversible. That we see Europe looking at this now and saying, whoa, what's happening here? Because the suicide rate in those age groups is going up, dramatically.
JACQUES POITRAS: And so those are comments that have really provoked strong reaction from advocates.
SAROJA COELHO: I'm going to go back to Hadeel for that, because you're quite right, Jacques. Hadeel, just to be clear here, what does the research say about why we are seeing more youth come out as transgender?
HADEEL IBRAHIM: So there is a need for more research on this because it is a fairly recent phenomenon, I guess, where there's a big increase in the number of young people who identify as transgender. But the experts that I spoke to - psychologists, pediatricians - they said that there is no evidence that there is this idea of social contagion or this kind of rapid onset temporary gender identity confusion.
SOUNDCLIP
PSYCHOLOGIST: I don't think it's so much of, like, a contagion. You know, like, 'My child's friend was trans, so now they think they're trans.' I just think that children who have, and teens that have things in common, tend to spend time together.
HADEEL IBRAHIM: What the experts are saying is - like, most likely, and the leading theory - is that there has been an increase in representation, an increase in acceptance, and a decrease in discrimination, a relative decrease in discrimination, that is encouraging people to be more open about their identity. So it's not necessarily increasing the number of transgender kids, it's just allowing them to be more visible.
SAROJA COELHO: Jacques, do you think you could give me a bit of a backstory on Higgs? Before he came to the Conservative Party, where was he from and how did he spend his career?
JACQUES POITRAS: Well, his professional career was with Irving Oil, which is a, you know, very well-known, high-profile company in New Brunswick. They run Canada's largest oil refinery, which is where he worked in a senior management role. The other thing about Blaine Higgs is he was part of a, in effect, a protest party in the late 1980s. He ran for the leadership of the Confederation of Regions Party, which was an offshoot of the Progressive Conservatives back when they were divided on a number of questions, including official bilingualism. And they were briefly the official opposition in New Brunswick, and sort of populist, small-c conservative, and very vehemently opposed to New Brunswick's official bilingualism, which is entrenched in the Constitution. So when he ran for the Progressive Conservatives in 2010, he'd never held elective office. He joined the PC party that year to run. So he's always been regarded by some in the party - moderates and francophones, in particular - with a bit of wariness; as a visitor to the party who isn't necessarily someone who really has always appreciated sort of the bedrock values of the party as a centre party. A party that tries to bridge language differences and tries to be moderate in its approach.
SAROJA COELHO: I want to go straight to some of his personal beliefs, things that he's brought with him. Both of you have covered his beliefs on abortion. What have you seen there?
JACQUES POITRAS: Well, for one thing, you know, in 2014, the new Liberal premier made a change to abortion regulations, where he eliminated a requirement that a woman had to have the consent of two doctors to get an abortion covered by Medicare in a hospital. And Blaine Higgs, then an opposition member, gave a very impassioned speech, where his personal views was clear that he was against it, and would be called, you know, anti-abortion or pro-life.
SOUNDCLIP
BLAINE HIGGS: So I ask that, you know, is there a right to end life? And in many cases you have to say, we believe in all other aspects of society. There is not a right to end life. Is it convenient? Well, yes, it seems that we think it is. My question is to the premier....
JACQUES POITRAS: As premier, he's made that view clear, although he hasn't turned back any policies. He has also resisted a sort of growing push for more access.
SAROJA COELHO: Well, there's also a lot of growing discontent around him. Certainly a vibrant debate happening within the party before the 713 changes this month. Which have been the most controversial?
JACQUES POITRAS: Well, there are quite a number. But one is, you know, English schools in New Brunswick: there's a French immersion program - a second language program - for English kids to learn French. The government decided last fall that they would replace that with a new program. That-- There were a lot of labels attached to it, but in fact, it was going to mean a lot less second language French instruction in English schools. And there was a huge reaction to that.
SOUNDCLIP
REPORTER: For the third time in two weeks, New Brunswick's education minister found himself in the hot seat over proposed changes to French immersion. Over 300 people filling the room for the latest consultation.
JACQUES POITRAS: The government did eventually back down because it was clear that it was costing them dearly. So those are-- In some of the discussion about Policy 713, where some people within his party have talked about his, you know, his lack of consultation, his unwillingness to listen to experts, to civil servants, to people within his own cabinet and caucus, they've also said that the same thing happened with this French immersion change.
SAROJA COELHO: Hadeel, I'm going to come to you. Let's get into the current reaction over Policy 713. This month, six of Higgs' MLAs actually revolted and voted for the province's child and youth advocate to do a full consultation on the changes that have been suggested specifically around transgender children. So just before this, what did the advocate himself have to say?
HADEEL IBRAHIM: So the child and youth advocate came out with a reaction report calling for a complete reversal of all the changes. He said the changes in the new policy is shoddy and unclear; the minister's interpretation is not totally borne out by the written policy, so. He also said that, specifically, the new changes on self-identification can be inadvertently discriminatory, because it basically adds a specific special rule for name changes if the child was transgender. And there's no other, you know, similar rules for if it was a nickname.
SOUNDCLIP
ADVOCATE KELLY LAMROCK: Now you have two different processes. So if Kelly says, “Could you call me ‘Kel’?” -- that isn't covered. The people just respect that. But if there is a situation where somebody is choosing a name and you suspect it might be for gender-identity purposes, you have a whole different process and new barriers. That's textbook legal discrimination.
SAROJA COELHO: Meanwhile, we've had response from people who work directly with children. I mean, clearly this has caused an eruption of conversation and dissent. What have school psychologists had to say about these changes?
HADEEL IBRAHIM: So school psychologists and social workers were mentioned by name in the amended policy, and they said that they were not consulted. If they were, they would say that this is not something that they would want to participate in. So they came out with a statement saying that denying a child's request for a specific pronoun to be used can cause harm; that misgendering children can increase the risk of self-harm and suicide. And they said that they would not-- basically, would not be following this policy. And their union has filed two grievances against the policy, saying that it is unclear, and it also coerces psychologists and social workers into contravening the Human Rights Act. So they are asking that these changes don't apply to them, because they don't want to be complicit in harming children.
SOUNDCLIP
TRANSGENDER YOUTH: I came out at school first, just because it was a more comfortable space. One of my friends would most likely get kicked out of their house, and another one could be at risk of physical abuse. Like, that's the reality of the situation, and that's what this policy was originally trying to prevent.
SAROJA COELHO: If we go a little bit further here: even before Higgs shuffled his cabinet to oust two of the MLAs who had been part of that revolt - that was just this week - two other members had resigned. So why did the first resign? That was Social Development Minister Dorothy Shephard. And what did she say about what was the breaking point for her? Jacques, I'll come to you for that.
JACQUES POITRAS: She said that Policy 713 and the process on it - you know, the way the premier didn't listen to his caucus and cabinet - was the last straw for her. But she made it clear that it was really just the latest in a series of these examples.
SOUNDCLIP
DOROTHY SHEPHARD: I resigned because there is no process. Cabinet and caucus are routinely dismissed. I have been struggling with this since October of 2021. I have had colleagues and friends encourage me to stay in the inner circle, to do the best I can do. I feel I've done that, but I've run out of runway. There's no accomplishing anything more...
JACQUES POITRAS: She actually released a letter that she'd written to him a couple of years ago, where she said that, you know, he often ignores what civil servants and experts are telling him, what his caucus is telling him, and is sort of influenced by the last person he spoke to, who plants some idea in his mind that happens to conform with his existing way of thinking. And then a minister or some staff in a department have to spend time kind of getting him off that idea and back to square one, and then they have to start over explaining issues. So that, that seems to be the common diagnosis.
SAROJA COELHO: But the revolt against Higgs hasn't ended where you're describing it. In fact, I'm seeing lots of little fires here on the political landscape. Jacques, how have we seen MLAs and riding associations pushing for a leadership review, which essentially could lead to the ousting of Higgs?
JACQUES POITRAS: That's right. I mean, this has been going on in two tracks. There was in the legislature with the caucus and the cabinet -- that's kind of where it's at now because he shuffled his cabinet. But then separate from that - but influenced by it, obviously - is, you know, grassroots party members. There's thousands of them in the province, and they have been-- The presidents of the riding associations have been signing letters asking for a leadership review. Now, it's a long process and there's several steps, but the first trigger of that would be 20 riding association presidents signing this letter. Well, they-- they've surpassed 26, I think, at last count. That's more than a majority of the ridings in the province. So there is a considerable amount of support within the party to push forward and eventually get to a convention where party members would vote on whether they want to remove him as leader. But there are a lot of steps to go through, and I don't think we can take for granted that that vote would succeed. But there's certainly a growing constituency for that within the party.
SAROJA COELHO: I want to take a bit of a cynic's view here, because I'm not entirely understanding sticking to things like reducing or reviewing rights available for transgender children in the midst of all of this discontent and conversation. Is it possible that transgender children are being used as a piece of political leverage? Because I'm not really sure that kids are at the centre of this conversation.
JACQUES POITRAS: Well, I'll say this: he has backed down in the past. So we talked about French immersion and how he backed down on that. There were some difficult hospital reforms that were announced in 2020 that he backed down on, when it looked like he would lose a confidence vote in the legislature. On this one, he has stuck to it.
SOUNDCLIP
BLAINE HIGGS: It potentially could force an election. That's a possibility.
REPORTER 2: Would you do that?
BLAINE HIGGS: It's not without the realm of possibility. I believe that strongly, in the case of finding a solution here, where we do not exclude parents in their child's life.
JACQUES POITRAS: I mean, we could analyze that as a political move because maybe there is a lot of support among some Conservatives, among the party base. They are getting a lot of emails from different groups that are voicing support for what he's doing. Just today, I saw an email from a religious conservative activist who was asking her supporters to sign on to say they support Blaine Higgs on this. So they may be reading it as something that will help them win an election. But, you know, there's some debate about that because it's those voters in the middle who didn't vote for him in 2018, but who voted for him in 2020 because they liked his handling of COVID. Where would they go in an election fought on this? It's, it's really hard to say.
SAROJA COELHO: Hadeel, I want to broaden this out nationally. We've talked about what's happening in the United States with politicians attacking trans rights, and how that discourse has then enabled the emergence of extremist views. So why are there fears, as this discussion unfolds in New Brunswick, that the discrimination could spread outside the province?
HADEEL IBRAHIM: So it is a fact that there is a rise in anti-transgender sentiment -- not only in the U.S., but also in Canada. Generally, anti-LGBTQ sentiment. But it seems to be really focused on transgender people. In this case, in New Brunswick, this is the first time in the country that an elected politician is kind of using some talking points that we are hearing in places like Florida where there was a ban on transgender care for children under 18. He's not going that far. But basically, what advocates are saying is any challenge to the right of these vulnerable children, any talk about bringing them back or rolling them back, is really scary because they are the most recent rights that have been asserted. And so with an elected politician saying things like, you know, gender dysphoria is trendy and popular, and, you know, lamenting the risk of children getting hormone treatment and then regretting it later, not addressing that there are safeguards in place and that actually surgery can only be done on people 18 and over -- all of that is kind of scaring people because it's adding to those talking points.
SAROJA COELHO: Well, you're speaking there really to an information and misinformation campaign that is very effective when it comes to issues like this. The murkier it gets, the more frightening it is for people. What is happening with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association in the meantime?
HADEEL IBRAHIM: Right. So they are making an announcement today. I don't know exactly what they will be announcing. But before the review results were announced they said that they would seriously consider legal action depending on what the results are. They've told me that their lawyers have been reviewing the changes. They have been talking with the local LGBTQ organizations, and they said they might either file their own legal action or support a legal action on behalf of a local organization. They're already suing the province for abortion access, so I guess they're kind of familiar with the landscape here.
SAROJA COELHO: Ultimately, this comes down to a question about what parents have the right to know about their child, versus the rights of children to safely make decisions about their own identity. What are experts saying about why children's rights need to take precedence? Why what's happening to them emotionally and psychologically is really where we should be placing our concentration?
HADEEL IBRAHIM: Well, experts are saying the way that children transition if they are questioning their gender identity: they would usually open up first in an informal way at school or among their friends or to one trusted adult. And teachers can be that trusted adult, and that is just the first step in coming into their identity. So if the parent is going to be supportive, the experts say, you know, your kid will tell you eventually. Also, there's this fear that this is going to, you know, start them off on a path that's permanent, that they might regret, and making decisions based on, like, social media and things like that. But the psychological experts that I spoke to are saying that using a different pronoun is a natural part of a child's discovery of their identity. So not every kid who's going to use a different pronoun is going to be a trans child. Allowing them to explore that will help them know. We also don't have any evidence that, quote unquote, "indulging that request" will hurt them. It causes harm to reject this request, and there is no proven harm to using the pronoun informally.
SAROJA COELHO: I want to thank you both for helping us understand what's happening in New Brunswick and what it might mean for the wider country. Thank you so much for this conversation.
JACQUES POITRAS: Thank you.
HADEEL IBRAHIM: Thank you.
SAROJA COELHO: And that's it for this edition of Front Burner. I'm Saroja Coelho. Thanks for listening.
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2015/09/v-behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html
Friday, 18 September 2015
David Raymond Amos Versus The Crown T-1557-15
153Alvin Avenue
Little David Amos’ “True History Of War” Canadian Airstrikes And
Stupid Justin Trudeau
Canada’s and Canadians free ride is over. Canada can no longer hide
behind Amerka’s and NATO’s skirts.
Prime Minister Harper will not permit this country to do so now
From: dnd_mdn@forces.gc.ca
Date: Fri, 27 May 2011 14:17:17 -0400
Subject: RE: Re Greg Weston, The CBC , Wikileaks, USSOCOM, Canada and the War in Iraq (I just called SOCOM and let them know I was still alive
To: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com
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---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 27 May 2011 13:55:30 -0300
Subject: Re Greg Weston, The CBC , Wikileaks, USSOCOM, Canada and the War in Iraq (I just called SOCOM and let them know I was still alive
To: DECPR@forces.gc.ca, Public.Affairs@socom.mil, Raymonde.Cleroux@mpcc-cppm.gc.ca, john.adams@cse-cst.gc.ca,
william.elliott@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, stoffp1 <stoffp1@parl.gc.ca>,
dnd_mdn@forces.gc.ca, media@drdc-rddc.gc.ca, information@forces.gc.ca, milner@unb.ca, charters@unb.ca, lwindsor@unb.ca, sarah.weir@mpcc-cppm.gc.ca, birgir <birgir@althingi.is>, smari <smari@immi.is>, greg.weston@cbc.ca, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>,
susan@blueskystrategygroup.com, Don@blueskystrategygroup.com,
eugene@blueskystrategygroup.com, americas@aljazeera.net
Cc: "Edith. Cody-Rice" <Edith.Cody-Rice@cbc.ca>, "terry.seguin"
<terry.seguin@cbc.ca>, acampbell <acampbell@ctv.ca>, whistleblower <whistleblower@ctv.ca>
http://www.blueskystrategygroup.com/index.php/team/don-newman/
Anyone can call me back and stress test my integrity after they read
this simple pdf file. BTW what you Blue Sky dudes pubished about
Potash Corp and BHP is truly funny. Perhaps Stevey Boy Harper or Brad Wall will fill ya in if you are to shy to call mean old me.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2718120/Integrity-Yea-Right
The Governor General, the PMO and the PCO offices know that I am not a shy political animal
Veritas Vincit
David Raymond Amos
902 800 0369
Enjoy Mr Weston
http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/2011/05/15/weston-iraq-invasion-wikileaks.html
"But Lang, defence minister McCallum's chief of staff, says military
brass were not entirely forthcoming on the issue. For instance, he
says, even McCallum initially didn't know those soldiers were helping
to plan the invasion of Iraq up to the highest levels of command,
including a Canadian general.
That general is Walt Natynczyk, now Canada's chief of defence staff,
who eight months after the invasion became deputy commander of 35,000 U.S. soldiers and other allied forces in Iraq. Lang says Natynczyk was also part of the team of mainly senior U.S. military brass that helped prepare for the invasion from a mobile command in Kuwait."
"I remember years ago when the debate was on in Canada, about there being weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Our American 'friends" demanded that Canada join into "the Coalition of the Willing. American "veterans" and sportscasters loudly denounced Canada for NOT buying into the US policy.
At the time I was serving as a planner at NDHQ and with 24 other of my colleagues we went to Tampa SOUCOM HQ to be involved in the planning in the planning stages of the op....and to report to NDHQ, that would report to the PMO upon the merits of the proposed operation. There was never at anytime an existing target list of verified sites where there were deployed WMD.
Coalition assets were more than sufficient for the initial strike and invasion phase but even at that point in the planning, we were concerned about the number of "boots on the ground" for the occupation (and end game) stage of an operation in Iraq. We were also concerned about the American plans for occupation plans of Iraq because they at that stage included no contingency for a handing over of civil authority to a vetted Iraqi government and bureaucracy.
There was no detailed plan for Iraq being "liberated" and returned to its people...nor a thought to an eventual exit plan. This was contrary to the lessons of Vietnam but also to current military thought, that folks like Colin Powell and "Stuffy" Leighton and others elucidated upon. "What's the mission" how long is the mission, what conditions are to met before US troop can redeploy? Prime Minister Jean Chretien and the PMO were even at the very preliminary planning stages wary of Canadian involvement in an Iraq operation....History would prove them correct. The political pressure being applied on the PMO from the George W Bush administration was onerous
American military assets were extremely overstretched, and Canadian military assets even more so It was proposed by the PMO that Canadian naval platforms would deploy to assist in naval quarantine operations in the Gulf and that Canadian army assets would deploy in Afghanistan thus permitting US army assets to redeploy for an Iraqi operation....The PMO thought that "compromise would save Canadian lives and liberal political capital.. and the priority of which ....not necessarily in that order. "
You can bet that I called these sneaky Yankees again today EH John
Adams? of the CSE within the DND?
Kristopher Wells
Tier 2 - 2019-07-01
MacEwan University
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Sexual and gender minority children and youth—and their families—are not always well understood by their communities. Dr. Kristopher Wells, Canada Research Chair in the Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in Canada, is trying to increase the public’s understanding of these groups. To determine how to best create welcoming, safe, respectful and inclusive environments, he is using evidence-based resources, policies and recommendations designed to reduce risk and build resilience.
Wells and his research team plan to develop new courses, create research opportunities and develop new and innovative resources and tools. Their studies are multidisciplinary, touching on inter-related areas of education, health and sport.
Dr. Kristopher Wells
MacEwan University congratulates Dr. Kristopher Wells , associate professor in the Bachelor of Child and Youth Care program , on being named a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Issues. The CRC program was established by the Government of Canada to attract and retain world-class researchers and to reinforce academic research and training excellence in Canadian post-secondary institutions.
This is MacEwan’s first-ever Canada Research Chair, and the university looks forward to the incredible work that Kris will continue to do given the funding and support provided by the prestigious position.
“The awarding of our first Canada Research Chair marks the further maturation of MacEwan as an undergraduate university,” says Dr. Craig Monk, provost and vice-president, Academic. “We are proud that Dr. Kristopher Wells has been recognized as an emerging scholar of exceptional achievement and further promise, and his influence is felt throughout Alberta and beyond.”
Kris’s Tier II Canada Research Chair (which grants $500,000 in total over the next five years) will focus on three key areas in support of the public understanding of sexual and gender minority youth by investigating and supporting inclusive and responsive policies, developing equitable and evidence-informed practices, and encouraging the full and equitable participation of LGBTQ2S+ youth in all aspects of our society.
Kris says that he hopes to develop new courses, create research opportunities for undergraduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and develop new and innovative resources and tools to help increase the public understanding of sexual and gender minority youth in Canada.
“I also hope that this Canada Research Chair will serve as a springboard for MacEwan to grow and support the development of other faculty members and CRCs to address some of the most pressing research questions and challenges currently facing our society,” he says. “We in the academy are in a unique position to use research to help ensure that evidence comes to bear on important policy developments and to help shape and inform public discourse. I strongly believe that research can be used as a catalytic force to both serve and benefit the public good.”
Kris says there is much to learn from youth when we listen, support and nurture them to become leaders in their schools, families and communities. “By using research to inform policies, practices and participation, especially in the domains of education, health and sport, sexual and gender minority youth will be afforded the opportunity to do more than simply try to survive in hostile and uninviting environments — they can be supported to thrive and live up to their full and amazing potential.”
https://experts.macewan.ca/faculties/Faculty%20of%20Health%20and%20Community%20Studies
Office of Communications & Marketing
communications@macewan.ca
Kristopher Wells
Associate Professor Canada Research Chair, Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Faculty of Health and Community Studies Department of Child and Youth Care
Expert In
Noah Kenneally
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Health and Community Studies
Department of Human Services and Early LearningExpert In
11110 – 104 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
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