Thousands of people gathered in cities across Canada on Wednesday for competing protests, yelling and chanting at each other about the way schools instruct sexuality and gender identity and how teachers refer to transgender youth.
Protesters accused schools of exposing young students to 鈥済ender ideology,鈥� and said parents have the right to know whether their children are questioning their gender identity. Counter-demonstrators, meanwhile, accused protesters of importing United States culture wars into the country and trying to deny students important lessons about inclusion and respect for gender-diverse people.
鈥淭rans people 鈥� they exist in society, and they deserve inclusion, just like everyone else,鈥� said activist Celeste Trianon, who helped lead a counter-protest in downtown Montreal, where police inserted themselves between the two factions outside the offices of Premier Fran莽ois Legault.
鈥淲e need to talk to people, teach them the right vocabulary, the proper words, at an age-appropriate time, in order to explain that inclusion is a good thing. We need to make sure that their trans and queer peers at school feel welcome.鈥�
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted about the Canada-wide protests, saying 鈥淭ransphobia, homophobia, and biphobia have no place in this country. We strongly condemn this hate and its manifestations, and we stand united in support of 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians across the country 鈥� you are valid and you are valued.鈥�
It was New Brunswick鈥檚 government that helped spark a debate across Canada about the way schools engage with transgender and nonbinary students. In June, the government changed the province鈥檚 LGBTQ+ policy, requiring students under 16 to get parental consent before their teachers can use their preferred first names. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has filed a lawsuit against the province over the policy.
Premier Blaine Higgs attended the protest Wednesday outside the legislature, in Fredericton, telling reporters that he has a hard time understanding why his government鈥檚 policy is controversial.
鈥淚 think our parents should become knowledgeable about what their kids are being taught and what is important for them to learn in schools and what鈥檚 important for parents to make decisions on with kids that are under 16 years old,鈥� he said.
New Brunswick鈥檚 initiative was copied by the Saskatchewan government, which has also prohibited teachers from referring to students under 16 by their preferred first names and pronouns. An injunction application that aims to stop the policy is before the courts, arguing it violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by causing teachers to potentially misgender students or out them to their parents.
In Regina, hundreds of people gathered outside Saskatchewan鈥檚 legislative building for the march. Some protesters held signs opposed to SOGI 123, an educational resource that teachers in some provinces can use to create more inclusive classrooms.
Jashandeep Dhillon said she doesn鈥檛 want her children to be exposed to gender issues.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want them to be educated on whether they are a girl or a boy,鈥� she said. 鈥淟et them be what they want to be. If he decides in his life, when he鈥檚 an adult, if he wants to change, I鈥檓 OK with that.鈥�
In Ottawa, thousands of people faced off in front of Parliament Hill, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh led a group of counter-protesters down Wellington Street. A heavy police presence separated the protesters from counter-demonstrators, with competing chants about protecting trans youth and keeping gender ideologies out of schools.
鈥淲e know that there鈥檚 a lot of folks that don鈥檛 feel safe because of the rise in hate and division that鈥檚 targeting vulnerable people,鈥� Singh said. 鈥淏ut then you see a lot of people coming together, and it shows the strength of solidarity, of us supporting each other, of having each other鈥檚 back.鈥�
Hours later, Ottawa police said they arrested two people for inciting hatred at the protest 鈥渂y displaying hateful material,鈥� and arrested another person for causing a disturbance. 鈥淗ate or bias-motivated crimes will be fully investigated,鈥� police said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Halifax police said demonstrations in that city led to the arrest of a 16-year-old who is scheduled to appear in youth court on charges of assault with a weapon, mischief and causing a disturbance.
In Toronto, a large group of counter-protesters walked toward the legislature at Queen鈥檚 Park, where anti-LGBTQ+ protesters had gathered.
Protesters held up signs supporting the People鈥檚 Party of Canada and shouted slogans such as 鈥渓eave our kids alone.鈥� Some protesters held up signs promoting various conspiracy theories and criticizing Trudeau.
Adrienne Kulling, a counter-protester, said she had the day off work and came out to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
She said Canada has started 鈥渕imicking鈥� the culture wars in the United States, including on gender identity. 鈥淚 really think we were moving in a progressive direction, and then all of a sudden things started shifting,鈥� Kulling said.
鈥淲e need to show support for the trans and nonbinary kids. They need help because there鈥檚 suicide, depression 鈥� all these things are coming up with queer youth.鈥�
READ ALSO:
READ ALSO:
