The LGBTQ lobby and law firm McCarthy Tétrault LLP have teamed up to file a lawsuit against the government of Saskatchewan over its recently announced ‘pronoun’ policy. Egale Canada, an LGBTQ advocacy group, argues that the policy violates the Charter of Rights of sexual minorities. They wrote a letter on behalf of UR Pride, stating that the policy will cause “devastating and irreparable harm” to gender diverse students who do not feel safe coming out at home.
The policy in question states that parents in Saskatchewan must give their permission for students under the age of 16 to change their name or pronouns at school. However, there are concerns about the legality of this policy, and the CCLA equality program director, Harini Sivalingam, believes it is important to challenge it. The group also supports the legal challenge by UR Pride.
The LGBTQ advocacy groups argue that these types of policies have a discriminatory impact on transgender and gender-diverse students as they specifically target and apply only to them. In response to the legal action, Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Education remains committed to implementing the policy, emphasizing the importance of parental rights in protecting and supporting children.
It’s not just Saskatchewan that is facing legal challenges regarding pronoun policies. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is also considering legal action against the New Brunswick Tories over a similar policy implemented on July 1. In June, six government MLAs voted against the policy, leading to a review by New Brunswick’s child and youth advocate, who found it to violate children’s rights.
Saskatchewan is also undergoing a review of its provincial policy by its advocate. These legal actions highlight the fundamental flaws in these policies that restrict and violate students’ rights in schools, and they should be carefully evaluated.
The application for the injunction against Saskatchewan’s policy will be heard on September 14 at the King’s Bench in Regina.
In conclusion, the LGBTQ lobby and McCarthy Tétrault LLP have filed a lawsuit against the government of Saskatchewan over its pronoun policy. The LGBTQ advocacy groups argue that the policy violates the Charter of Rights of sexual minorities and causes harm to gender diverse students. There are concerns about the legality of the policy, but the Ministry of Education remains committed to implementing it. Similar legal challenges are taking place in New Brunswick. These actions highlight the need to carefully evaluate policies that restrict and violate students’ rights in schools. The hearing for the injunction will take place on September 14.
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