Two Canadian LGBTQ+ advocacy organisations have initiated a legal challenge seeking to overturn Alberta’s recently passed law that restricts transgender healthcare for minors. The case, launched Monday, claims the law violates the rights of transgender youth.
The legislation, Alberta’s Bill 26, became law last week. It prohibits sex reassignment surgeries for minors and bars puberty blockers and hormone therapies for individuals aged 15 and under as treatment for gender dysphoria or gender incongruence. However, children already receiving such treatments prior to the law’s enactment are exempt.
Egale Canada and Skipping Stones, alongside several Alberta families, have criticised the legislation as unprecedented and harmful. In a joint statement, they said, “No government in Canada has ever enacted legislation prohibiting essential and life-saving gender-affirming health care.”
They accused the Alberta government of ignoring expert advice and public input. “The Government of Alberta has deliberately disregarded expert guidance and evidence, as well as the voices of Albertan families, introducing policies that use fear and disinformation to target a small and vulnerable part of the community,” the statement read.
Alberta’s justice ministry defended the law. Spokesperson Chinenye Anokwuru stated that the government “carefully considers the rights of Albertans when drafting legislation, and we believe this legislation strikes an appropriate balance.”
Anokwuru declined further comment, citing the ongoing court proceedings.
When introducing the bill in October, Alberta’s government framed it as a measure to support transgender minors. Premier Danielle Smith said the law aims to help youth make “informed, potentially life-altering decisions as adults” during a challenging time in their development.
Premier Smith has made transgender policy disputes a central theme of her political campaigns, a stance that has drawn national attention and criticism. In February, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced Smith’s platform as “anti-LGBT.”
Smith also faced scrutiny for hosting a controversial event featuring right-wing journalist Tucker Carlson and Canadian academic Jordan Peterson, both of whom have voiced contentious views on transgender rights.
