Debate over pronouns pits parental rights against the rights of children, experts say

Those opposed say the issue is not about the rights of parents at all, but rather the protection of children — particularly transgender and nonbinary students who may not feel safe revealing their gender identities at home.

Young people have agency and autonomy over their bodies, how they navigate the world and their identities, said Owusu-Akyeeah, and part of navigating that autonomy is with whom they decide to share things with, including their gender expression, and when.A landmark 2018 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found transgender youth who are able to use their preferred names and pronouns reported a 34 per cent drop in suicidal thoughts and a 65 per cent decrease in suicide attempts.

"It's a question of whether or not the provinces are using a scalpel, or whether they're using a sledgehammer," said Kerri Froc, an associate professor at the University of New Brunswick who specializes in constitutional law.Froc said courts have recognized that parents have a fundamental interest in being able to parent their children and make decisions for them, including those surrounding medical procedures and schooling.

Froc said these so-called parental rights policies need to be balanced in the best interests of the child.At the recent Conservative party convention in Quebec City, delegates voted in favour of a future Conservative government prohibiting"life-altering" medical and surgical interventions for gender-diverse and transgender people under the age of 18.

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