Trudeau calls Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's transgender policies 'the most' anti-LGBTQ2S+ in Canada

There are a lot of issues preoccupying Canadians' lives that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith could be working to address instead of "fighting" against transgender youth, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday.

Asked to comment on Smith's plans to impose pronoun policies in schools and restrict transgender youth from accessing certain medical care or participating in women's sports teams, the prime minister questioned the United Conservative Party's focus on these issues.

"If Premier Smith wants to fight someone, stand with us and fight for Canadians on lower grocery prices, on affordable fuel, on more housing, on fighting climate change," he said. "Fight with us to defend the rights of vulnerable Canadians, don't fight against vulnerable LGBT youth."

• Capital Dispatch: Sign up for in-depth political coverage of Parliament Hill

Trudeau's comment came in response to a question about what the federal government plans to do about Alberta's proposal, to which the prime minister — much like members of his cabinet when asked Thursday — did not get specific. 

"As a federal government, we will always be there to protect the most vulnerable, particularly vulnerable LGBT youth who need to know that there are people across the country there to fight for them," said the prime minister.

He also pointed to the doctors, teachers, and community organizations that have already stepped up to voice their concerns about the suite of measures Smith intends to enact in the coming months.

Going beyond what other provinces have put in place, Smith's government is pursuing: requiring parental notification and consent for students aged 15 and under who want to change their names or pronouns at school; banning "top and bottom" gender-affirming surgeries for all Albertans ages 17 and under; and imposing parental opt-ins for LGBTQ2S+ education, among other measures.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday following a flurry of condemnation from progressive politicians at all levels, and signals from advocacy groups that legal action is afoot, Smith stood by her plans as centred on "preserving the choices children have regarding their gender identity, until they are mature enough to make them."

Trudeau wouldn't say whether he plans to invite Smith to meet while she's in Ottawa next week to raise his concerns with her directly, but said it is "telling" that the Alberta premier unveiled this package of "the most anti-LGBT policies of anywhere in the country," a week after sharing the stage with far-right fired Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Doctors are among those that have said these kinds of changes interfere in the decisions transgender and non-binary youth make with their families and care providers, while advocates and teachers have warned they could create unsafe environments for them in school and at home. 

"Canadian parents love their kids… and we want them to be kept safe. LGBT youth across this country are among the most vulnerable to homelessness, to suicide, to a range of things that can harm them," Trudeau said. "Canadians need to know that the federal government and all Canadians will be there to protect youth."