Canadians overwhelmingly want to be informed by the school if their child wants to change pronouns

According to a study by the Angus Reid Institute, Canadians overwhelmingly want to be informed by the school if their child wants to change their pronouns.

[Editor’s note: For more on mental health issues among trans and nonbinary kids that stem from family rejection, and how parents can be better advocates, please click here.]

78% of Canadians say parents should be informed if their child wants to identify differently, including 43% who believe they should also give consent for this change.

14% of Canadians believe parents should neither be informed nor have a say if their child wants to identify differently.

“Last week Saskatchewan joined New Brunswick in adopting a new gender and pronoun policy for schools, which would require parental consent for students who wish to change their preferred name or pronouns. In both cases, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said it is considering legal action to fight the policies. Advocates in both Saskatchewan and New Brunswick worry the new policy violates the rights of children in the provinces.

“The school policy changes in New Brunswick sparked a political spat between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre. Trudeau spoke out against the policy, saying ‘trans kids in New Brunswick are being told they don’t have the right to be their true selves, that they need to ask permission.’ Poilievre responded by telling the prime minister to stay out of provincial policy and Trudeau needed to ‘let parents raise kids.’

“Across the country, most provinces advise schools to recognize children by their preferred pronouns and names even without parent knowledge and consent, often in recognition of the protections offered to gender identity under the Canadian Human Rights Act.”

Vast majority say schools should inform parents if children wish to change their pronouns, are split over issue of parental consenthttps://t.co/AmvPdrRAiD pic.twitter.com/IafKYZGPvF

— Angus Reid Institute (@angusreidorg) August 28, 2023

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from July 26-31, 2023 among a representative randomized sample of 3,016 Canadian adults who are members of  the Angus Reid Forum.

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