A prominent advocate from this province for the rights of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community has written an open letter to the premier of Alberta about what they call “harmful legislation” set to be introduced in the province soon.
Gemma Hickey will be in the province on October 18 to become the first transgender recipient of the Governor General’s Award in commemoration of the Person’s Case.
They plan to use the accolade to bring attention to “alarming concerns” they have about proposed legislation that they say “threatens the rights of transgender individuals.”
Earlier this year, Premier Danielle Smith outlined changes her government plans to bring in, which would restrict things such as hormone treatment, puberty blockers, and gender affirming surgery for teenagers, as well as restrictions and rules around the use of pronouns in schools.
Hickey is urging Smith to understand what they call the “dire consequences” of such changes, saying that “lives hang in the balance.”
Hickey calls medical treatments such as the use of puberty blockers safe and reversable, which in turn lets people make informed decisions about their bodies alongside health care providers and families.
They argue that restricting access “is “not only unjust but fundamentally undermines medical ethics and patient autonomy.”
Hickey is calling for an in-person meeting with Smith during their visit to the province later this month.