Several advocacy groups have filed a legal challenge against Alberta’s freshly inked pronoun legislation, arguing the province has confused the concept of “parental rights” with “government-sponsored meddling.” The law, which requires parental consent for students under 16 to use a different name or pronoun at school, was introduced by Premier Danielle Smith, who insists children need parental permission for everything – except, apparently, living in Alberta.
Critics say the law endangers vulnerable kids, while supporters say it protects parents from being blindsided by words. “We just don’t want our children secretly identifying as Trevor in the classroom,” said one concerned parent who has yet to read the Charter.
The lawsuit will test whether Alberta can legally enforce linguistic paperwork for teenagers. Meanwhile, students are left wondering if they need a signed permission slip to call their friends “bro.”
Court hearings are expected to be exhausting, and possibly bilingual.
