Alberta legislature sees rally opposing Bill 9, use of the notwithstanding clause

A group of trans community members and advocates rallied at the Alberta Legislature against the UCP government's proposed Bill 9.

Trans allies and supporters were at the Alberta legislature Sunday morning rallying in opposition of the government’s recent use of the notwithstanding clause when tabling Bill 9.

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Bill 9 introduces a ban on hormone therapy for youth under 16 and gender-affirming surgery for those under 18, barring transgender athletes over 12 years old from competing in female sports, making sexual-health classes opt-in only and requiring parental consent for pronoun changes in schools.

“I have so many trans friends and so many queer people in my life that it’s really important to me that they know we support them,” said Matilda Barron, a 16-year-old activist who co-organized Sunday’s rally.

“It’s really great to know that something I helped organize has gotten so much traction and that there are so many people who are willing to give up their Sunday morning to come here,” she said. “So many people are also just feeling so brought down by this that they need to show up and say something.”

Barron also co-organized a rally at the legislature in October in support of Alberta teachers who were forced back to work by the provincial government using the notwithstanding clause.

Brooks Arcand-Paul, the MLA for Edmonton-West Henday, called the province’s use of the notwithstanding clause “unprecedented.”

“It is a stripping away of the Charter rights of Albertans and the ongoing use of it really causes us concern,” said Arcand-Paul at Sunday’s rally. “They’re shown time and time again that they don’t want to listen to dissent, they don’t want to listen to the courts.”

A statement from the Government of Alberta said its legislation preserves the choices of children and youth and strengthens the role of parents as a child’s primary caregiver.

“Alberta’s government understands that these laws affect real people and real families in deeply personal ways,” said the Heather Jenkins, press secretary to the Ministry of Justice. “These conversations deserve respect, patience and compassion — never anger or judgement."

Carly Vos attended the rally in support of her trans friends and family.

“It’s horrifying and it was incredibly disappointing to see that,” said Vos of Bill 9. “Schools are a safe place for so many students … These were places where students who can’t come out, they had that safe place. Somewhere they didn’t have before, and that was taken.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Gates Guarin