Dear Editor,
In November 2024, Okotoks United Church voted to become an Affirming Community of Faith. This means that we publicly, intentionally and explicitly not only welcome, love and support members of the 2SLGBTQ + community but affirm who they are and who they are meant to be.
As such, we are extremely concerned about what is happening to our neighbours to the south as well as here in our own province. Tolerance for trans and nonbinary youth is at risk of disappearing.
In America, an executive order recognizing only two genders, along with other discriminatory actions, directs federal agencies to significantly limit access to gender affirming care for trans and nonbinary youth under 19.
Another executive order could keep schools that affirm support for trans and nonbinary youth from receiving federal funding essential to those underfunded in poor communities. What little support that exists for trans and nonbinary kids in America is at risk of being thrown out.
Proposed legislation in Alberta would disallow students under 16 to change their names or pronouns without parental consent. Students would be unable to learn about sex education, gender identity and sexual orientation in school unless their parents had opted in to them receiving that instruction.
Proposed policies have already led to increased bullying as well as more young people feeling anxious, depressed and scared. Trans and nonbinary youth data shows they are five times more likely to consider suicide and over seven times more likely to attempt it than their cisgender peers.
Nearly 30 per cent of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals report their mental health as fair or poor compared to only 9.1 per cent among heterosexual/cisgender individuals, a disparity that demands supportive, inclusive policies, not restrictive ones.
We at Okotoks United Church prefer being supportive rather than confrontational, but we do disagree with and protest in the strongest terms Alberta’s proposed legislation, and we pray that governments everywhere will be led by principles of equality and inclusion.
Okotoks United Church Affirming Team
