Saskatchewan Premier Moe Shifts Focus Away from School Change-Room Policy as Top Government Priority
Newly re-elected Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has shifted his focus away from a policy mandating students to use change rooms according to their biological sex, stating that it is no longer the top priority for his party.
Initially, Moe had stated that his Minister of Education would issue a directive to schools stipulating that biological boys cannot share change rooms with biological girls. However, during a press conference on Nov. 7, he clarified that this issue was no longer at the forefront of the government’s agenda.
“I misspoke when I indicated that it was going to be the first order of business. It’s not,” Moe responded to a reporter’s question, emphasizing that his first priority was meeting with the lieutenant-governor and forming a cabinet, which he has already accomplished.
He admitted that he sometimes speaks impulsively and without much forethought, citing this incident as one of those times. Moe attributed his initial comments to learning about a complaint regarding two biological boys using a girls’ locker room in a local school.
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After the provincial school board elections on Nov. 13, Moe plans to engage in discussions on this topic.
During a press conference, he stated, “I will ask the Minister of Education to consult with the 27 school division chairs, whoever they may be post-election, to develop a policy in this area.”
Moe emphasized that any policy crafted must be inclusive and supportive of all children in every classroom and community across the province.
He anticipates ongoing conversations with the Minister of Education and the school division chairs in the weeks ahead.
Saskatchewan Pronoun Policy Lawsuit
Prior to his re-election, Moe’s administration had implemented policies on gender identity issues in schools. In August 2023, his Minister of Education introduced a policy that required schools to obtain parental approval before children could change their names or pronouns at school.
In response, the LGBT support group UR Pride initiated a legal challenge against this policy, leading Moe to convert the policy into legislation under the Parents Bill of Rights, utilizing the notwithstanding clause.
The legislation, passed in October 2023, mandates schools to seek parental consent for students under 16 wishing to alter their names or pronouns.
UR Pride criticized the policy as discriminatory, alleging violations of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and endangering gender-diverse students.
Similarly, Alberta has implemented a pronoun policy akin to Saskatchewan’s and is progressing with legislation to prohibit sex reassignment surgery for minors and bar puberty blockers and hormone therapies for those under 15.
Premier Danielle Smith disclosed that her party is also seeking to update the Education Act to necessitate parental approval for students below 16 seeking name or pronoun changes, with students aged 16 and above only requiring parental notification.
New Brunswick pioneered a pronoun policy for schools, with then-Premier Blaine Higgs modifying Policy 713 to mandate parental consent for students under 15 wanting to use pronouns different from their biological sex.
