When you're divorcing or separating in Saskatchewan, why is it so important to put your values about affirming your child's gender in your Saskatchewan parenting plan?
"Education Minister Dustin Duncan announced earlier in the day that going forward, schools must now seek the permission of parents or guardians before allowing students under the age of 16 to change what the province refers to as their 'preferred' name and pronouns. ... [Lisa] Broda [Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth] said her office found out about the policy, titled Use of Preferred First Name and Pronouns by Students [PDF], through the media and had not been advised of the changes."
— Youth advocate reviewing Sask. policy requiring schools to get parental permission for pronoun changes: Province also banning outside groups from giving sex-ed presentations in schools. Alexander Quon, CBC News, Aug 22, 2023
According to Adam Goldenberg, a partner with McCarthy Tétrault and legal counsel for UR Pride, which has asked to block the new policy, the policy can't be enforced yet. A CBC article on September 29 quoted Goldenberg as saying that "gender-diverse young people in Saskatchewan" can currently ask a "trusted adult" to "refer to them by their chosen name, their chosen pronouns, even if they haven't come out to their parents so don't have parental consent."
[Justice Michael Megaw wrote:] "There is no indication...that the [Education] Ministry discussed this new Policy with any potential interested parties such as teachers, parents, or student" [and] "no indication any expert assistance was enlisted to assist in determining the effect of the Policy. Finally, there is no indication the Ministry sought any legal assistance to determine the constitutionality of the Policy with respect to any potential considerations regarding the Charter." [Meanwhile] "Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is reiterating his claim that his government's school pronoun policy was based on extensive consultations with parents, teachers and others..." However, when asked for evidence, Moe said only: "That evidence would ultimately be forthcoming, I would presume. ... I'll leave what happens in the courtroom to the lawyers."
Sask premier says school pronoun policy based on wide consultation, but judge says there's no evidence of that: Premier Scott Moe says he'll recall legislature Oct. 10 to invoke notwithstanding clause. Jason Warick, CBC News, Sep 29, 2023
Meghan McKie wrote about this on Medium: "Saskatchewan's New Series 'Transphobia': A Show About Nothing!" (paywalled; be a Medium member, please)
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