Canada’s minister for women, gender equality and youth says policies in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick that require parental consent before students under 16 can have schools use their preferred pronouns and names puts transgender and nonbinary kids in a “life-or-death situation.”

And while Marci Ien declined to comment on whether Ottawa sees a role for itself in any potential court challenges, the cabinet minister said the Liberal government is keeping an eye on what unfolds.

“What I can tell you is that we’re watching closely as this develops,” she told The Canadian Press in an interview Wednesday.

“Obviously anything is possible, but I’m not going to comment on anything hypothetical at this time.”

Saskatchewan recently became the second jurisdiction to change its policy around pronoun use and name changes for students younger than 16, making it a rule that teachers must first seek permission from those students’ parents. The provincial government says the change originated out of concerns from parents and a desire to apply one uniform policy across all school divisions.

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CTV News
August 31, 2023