The Rise of Anti-Trans Laws: How Allies Can Support Canadian Trans and Gender-Expansive Youth

In recent years, we have seen a wave of anti-trans laws around the world. This year, the United States passed 48 bills targeting trans and gender-expansive people, limiting their rights in education, sports, medical care, and public spaces (such as gendered bathrooms).[1] Unfortunately, Canada is following suit.

Three Canadian provinces have recently introduced laws and policies that restrict trans rights. In October 2023, Saskatchewan passed a law requiring parental consent for students to use their affirmed names or pronouns at school. New Brunswick proposed a similar policy, while Alberta’s proposed bills went further, limiting access to gender-affirming care and sport participation for trans individuals. As of today, Alberta’s policies are poised to become law, raising serious concerns about 2S/LGBTQIA+ rights in the country.[2]

What is important to know is that these initiatives contradict existing scientific evidence. We know that trans and gender-expansive people, especially youth, already face significant health challenges, including higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts compared to cisgender individuals.[3] Research consistently shows that social exclusion and unfair treatment cause stress in minority groups, leading to mental health issues.[4] For trans individuals, this stress often stems from not being able to access gender-affirming care, family rejection, and daily experiences of misgendering and discrimination.

The introduction of anti-trans laws exacerbates existing health inequalities. By institutionalizing discrimination in schools, healthcare settings, and sports and reducing access to supportive environments, these laws increase minority stress. In fact, a recent U.S. study in Nature Human Behaviour showed that enacting anti-trans laws can increase suicide attempts among trans and non-binary youth by up to 72%.[5]

The impact of Canada’s recent anti-trans policies can be far-reaching. Not only do these laws promote misgendering, but they also put youth with unsupportive families at risk of violence, abandonment, and homelessness. Young people need safety and support to thrive, and these laws shrink the safe spaces available to trans and gender-expansive youth.

Meanwhile, research demonstrates that social support and gender affirmation significantly improve mental health outcomes. For trans youth, social affirmation, including the use of affirmed pronouns and names, can reduce suicide risk by more than 70%.[6] This is why it is particularly important to create affirming environments, especially for those who lack support at home.

In light of these challenges, allies have an important role to play. Here are some actionable steps: 

  1. Educate yourself: Attend free online workshops offered by organizations like CBRC and Egale to learn about gender diversity and ways to support 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities.
  2. Speak up: Contact your MLAs and MPs and let them know that protecting trans rights is both a human rights and a public health issue.
  3. Support trans-led organizing: Connect with organizations like Momentum by donating, volunteering, and signing up for updates.

These discriminatory laws raise significant concerns about the health and well-being of trans and gender-expansive youth. Creating affirming and supportive spaces for trans and gender-expansive youth is now especially important. By taking action through education, advocacy, or direct support, we can work together to reduce the harmful impact of anti-trans laws.

Written by Marina Khonina

This blog post was adapted from Marina Khonina and Dr. Travis Salway's article in the Canadian Journal of Public Health.

Marina Khonina (they/them) is a PhD student in Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Marina's work aims to promote greater trans and gender-expansive participation, safety, and affirmation in Canadian sport through evidence-based policy and practice.


References

[1] Translegislation. (2024). 2024 anti-trans bills tracker. Retrieved December 9, 2024, from https://translegislation.com/

[2] Mason, C. L., & Hamilton, L. (2024, October 28). Alberta’s impending anti-2SLGBTQIA+ legislation is stoking fear and anxiety. The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/albertas-impending-anti-2slgbtqia-legislation-is-stoking-fear-and-anxiety-241874

[3] McNeil, J., Ellis, S. J., & Eccles, F. J. R. (2017). Suicide in trans populations: A systematic review of prevalence and correlates. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 4(3), 341-353.

[4] Chodzen, G., Hidalgo, M. A., Chen, D., & Garofalo, R. (2019). Minority Stress Factors Associated With Depression and Anxiety Among Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 64(4), 467–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.07.006

[5] Lee, W. Y., Hobbs, J. N., Hobaica, S., DeChants, J. P., Price, M. N., & Nath, R. (2024). State-level anti-transgender laws increase past-year suicide attempts among transgender and non-binary young people in the USA. Nature Human Behaviour, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01979-5

[6] Bauer, G. R., Scheim, A. I., Pyne, J., et al. (2015). Intervenable factors associated with suicide risk in transgender persons: A respondent driven sampling study in Ontario, Canada. BMC Public Health, 15(1), 525.

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Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) promotes the health of people of diverse sexualities and genders through research and intervention development.
The Rise of Anti-Trans Laws: How Allies Can Support Canadian Trans and Gender-Expansive Youth
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