Sask. LGTBQ2S+ group mounts court challenge to stop school 'outing requirement'
A Saskatchewan LGTBQ2S+ organization has made good on its threat to launch legal action in the hopes of blocking the provincial government's new policy on pronoun changes in schools.
On Aug. 22, Saskatchewan's education minister announced that students under the age of 16 seeking to use a different name or pronoun must obtain parental consent. The move has been widely criticized by LGBTQ2S+ advocates and is currently under review by the provincial government's youth advocate.
Earlier this week the University of Regina Pride Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity (UR Pride) said it would take the matter to court if the policy change wasn't walked back by 5 p.m. Wednesday.
With the deadline passing, UR Pride has filed its paperwork at Regina's Court of King's Bench with the assistance of Egale, which is a national LGBTQ2S+ organization, and McCarthy Tétrault LLP, aToronto-based law firm.
In its application, UR Pride asks the court for an interim order to freeze the new pronoun policy until its legal application can be fully reviewed.
The UR Pride application argues that the consent policy — referred to in the court filing as an "outing requirement" — violates section seven of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees security.
"The policy presents an impossible choice; be outed at home or be misgendered at school, even in one-on-one counselling sessions with school personnel," the application says.
"The policy represents a dramatic and regressive change from existing practices."
UR Pride also asks the court to rule that the prohibition against using preferred names and pronouns in schools should have "no force and effect" because, as the application claims, it effectively constitutes a "law" and that schools "have no discretion regarding the use of a student's preferred pronouns."
In its application, UR Pride, cites a recent message posted on X, formerly Twitter, as evidence that Premier Scott Moe "admitted the lack of expert consultation."
In the Aug. 27 message, Moe says he's been asked what experts the government consulted before the policy shift.
"I believe the leading experts in children's upbringing are their parents," Moe said.
Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Moe said the policy is inclusive and “designed to include parents in their child's school.”
When asked about the legal filing on Friday, the Saskatchewan government responded with a statement that did not directly adress the UR Pride's application to the court.
"The Government of Saskatchewan remains committed to implementing the policy it announced," the statement said.
The statement said the government "will do everything in its power to protect parental rights."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6954857.1720387155!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Alice Munro's daughter says mom kept silent when stepfather sexually abused her
The youngest daughter of celebrated Canadian author Alice Munro has opened up about sexual abuse by her stepfather and the deep hurt she felt when her mother chose to support her husband instead of her child.
Beryl makes landfall on Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane, National Weather Service says
Beryl made landfall on the Texas coast near Matagorda early Monday with a dangerous storm surge and strong winds, the National Weather Service reported.
France election: Leftists win more seats over far right, but leaves hung parliament
A coalition of the French left won the most seats in high-stakes legislative elections Sunday, beating back a far-right surge but failing to win a majority.
Russian missiles hit a children's hospital in the Ukrainian capital and kill at least 20 elsewhere
Russian missiles killed at least seven people and struck a children’s hospital in the Ukarinian capital, Kyiv, Monday, while another attack in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih killed at least 10.
Israel deepens its operation in Gaza City, as pockets of militancy confront the military
Israeli forces deepened an operation in the Gaza Strip's largest city in what the military said was meant to weed out militants, sending thousands of Palestinians fleeing on Monday from an area already ravaged in the early weeks of the nine-month-long war.
Jill Biden to rally veterans and military families as Biden team seeks to shift focus back to Trump
Jill Biden is launching U.S. President Joe Biden 's outreach to veterans and military families during a campaign swing through battleground states, drawing contrasts with her husband's Republican rival as the Biden team works to shift the conversation away from growing calls for the Democratic incumbent to drop his reelection bid after a damaging debate performance against Donald Trump.
Bus crashes into electrical pylon, causing massive power outage on the South Shore
Tens of thousands of households on Montreal's South Shore have been without electricity since Saturday night after a bus crashed into an electrical pylon.
Ottawa councillor, residents condemn arrival of 'hateful' group Diagolon 'Terror Tour'
A community group and an Ottawa city councillor have come forward to condemn the arrival of the far-right group Diagolon after it brought its 'Road Rage Terror Tour' to Ottawa over the weekend.
Planning a last-minute summer vacation? Here's how to save money
Summer is already in full swing, but there is still time to plan a vacation — and even save some money, while you're at it.