WATCH: A new survey from Leger asking for opinions of gender-affirming care policy for children has been released. Craig Momney reports.A recent poll asking Albertans about issues related to Premier Danielle Smith’s proposed gender identity and education policies show opinions in the province are split.Andrew Enns, executive vice president for Leger in central Canada, said one theme stood out for him in the polling: the involvement of parents in decisions around transitioning gender.
Leger asked about opinions on access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy for two different age groups: 15 or younger and “mature teens” — aged 16 or 17 — in the same way the proposed policies split the ages.For teens 15 and under, 44 per cent of Albertans polled said those treatments should not be allowed. For youth 17 and under, that number changes to 34 per cent.
The proposed policies would block access to puberty blockers and hormone therapies for children under 15, and allow mature teens access with parental, physician and psychologist approval.Nearly two-thirds of respondents said parents “must be notified” when there’s formal instruction on gender, sexual orientation or human sexuality, but opinions were nearly split on whether parents should have to opt-in, as the new policies propose, or opt-out, as is the current practice.
One question that was not as closely divided was when Albertans polled were asked “Do you believe transgender athletes who were born as males should be allowed to compete in women’s sports and athletics?” Two-thirds said no, 15 per cent said yes and 18 per cent said they don’t know.The poll showed the Alberta results closely mirrored the rest of the country, and Enns said there wasn’t large regional differences in opinion about the policies as proposed. He noted that’s not always the case.
Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley said it’s no surprise parents generally want to know what’s going on in their children’s lives.“When you talk generally about the issue of should parents be involved and know what’s happening in their schools, you bet, every parent’s going to say yes to that,” Notley said Friday. “But that’s not the issue that’s at hand here.”