Yes, you read that right. The new Alberta NDP (think socialist without the actual name involved) has decided that transexual rights trump the rights of anyone and everyone else in the education system and has decreed that they have the right to the following.

1. To use the restroom or changing room of their choice (this goes for K through 12).
2. To be allowed on to the team of their choice based on their gender identity (boys playing on girls teams and vice versa).
3. In relation to #2 any team trips would involve all players staying together. So, if there was a transgender guy on a girls team he could sleep in the same hotel room as girls.
4. School dress codes and/or uniforms are basically gone.
5. If a student doesn't want to use the same restroom as a transgender person then they are required to use a separate facility and not the trans-gendered person.
6. Allowed language in schools will change. Male and female nouns and pronouns (Mother, father, brother sister, he, she etc.) are to be done away with.
7. Parents and/or siblings are also allowed to use the restroom that matches their gender identity. This means grown men have access to use the same restroom as girls.


And you want to know how they determine who is allowed to switch to using the gender of their "preference"..... "Self-identification is the sole measure of an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.” SELF IDENTIFICATION! This means that if the student (or parent) feels like a boy or girl on any given day then they can use the restroom they identify with. If they change their mind the next day then there is nothing the school can do about it.

This is all done in the name of creating "safe spaces" for trans-gendered students except it creates unsafe spaces for the entire rest of the student body. Needless to say I am furious about this. It is to the point where my wife and I are strongly considering home schooling instead of allowing our kids to attend any school that allows this. I refuse to allow my daughters to be in a place that allows men to decide to be women and enter the girls restroom on a whim.



***Note - I am not overly concerned about the students who truly have gender identity issues. I'm concerned about the male students who will suddenly develop gender identity issues in order to have access to girls restrooms and change rooms.

[edit] I missed this part "Wherever possible, before contacting the parents or other adults involved in the care (such as social workers or caregivers) of a student who is trans or gender-diverse, consult with the student to determine an appropriate way to reference the student’s genderidentity, gender expression, name and related pronouns." So, the administrators at the school can not verify the gender identity of a minor with the parents meaning if a student decided to switch genders the faculty has no way to verify it's authenticity.

I have one word for this situation. The word is garbage. This has bad written all over it in bright red permanent marker.

1. You are either male or female. With the rare exception of transgenders. But for Christ's sake,do we not have enough coddling and lowering of standards?
2. Again same as the first post. I can see the potential for this to be abused hard.
3. That is going to be interesting for all parties involved. I hope the Alberta NDP is offering therapy.
4. Uniforms exist for a reason. To promote sameness,no better,no worse.
5. Oh great,punish the normal kids...
6. More coddling BS.
7. This has bad written all over it. It is like a feast for pervs and freaks.

This is completely unacceptable. I would not blame you in the slightest to home school your kids. That school system will churn out all kinds of entitled and confused freaks. Whatever happened to being freaking normal? This is why we need to cut out all this specialist garbage and go back to being generalists. Thank you,you stupid pieces of special interest and SJW garbage. You have just made the world even more f--ked up than it already was. What next?

Now if the person is born transgender,they actually have my sympathy. They did not ask for that. But I think this was spawned from freaks like Amber Rose and anyone involved in the s*** walks.

Okay, we are in an era of changes, but don't you think putting this decree out of the blue is an excessively sudden change? I mean, it should be applied in phases, otherwise many people will have a hard time to detach from their normal routine, which can lead to misunderstandings, drama and so on.

I can agree with some of the points, specially with all the bullying cases and such, but honestly, #6 and #7 are insane. Do they really plan to do away with a big chunk of our everyday language in such a small time gap, when it took us several years of learning and to some degree failed success? And well, better not talk about #7, that is just out of our world. Society at large isn't ready for these changes, even less all of them at the same time.

I'm personally expecting some big trouble hailing from any of those points. While transgendered people are free to claim for their rights, they can NEVER mess up with the majority, something all those points do. I bet a ton of parents will oppose these points as you do, which would lead to a heavy downfall of children attending school. I don't know what are they trying to remedy with this, but they're going to fail so much.

EX Palen : honestly if enough people pull their kids out of the school system I could see this government mandating that all students must attend a publicly funded school (public and private receive public funding and have their curriculum given to them by the government) and if you don't then you could wind up losing your kids. However, if enough people home school at that point I would love to see them try that.

The main reason they are pushing these things as hard as they are is that they have a majority government in a usually conservative area of the country and so they are changing it as much as they can before the next election. Undoing changes like this will be 10 times harder than implementing it in the first place.

I also agree with your assessment of making changes like this more slowly. I don't have an issue with people who have real transgender issues and gender identity issues. I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through. However, pushing this kind of change through is not smart and the ramifications don't even seem to matter.

Oldschool777 : yeah, and this was done in SCHOOLS and parents have basically no say in the matter. You want to piss a bunch of people off then mess with their kids and see how that works out for you. I personally hope that lots of people take their kids out of school and I also hope that the older students (middle and high school) protest these changes. I can't imagine being a teenager and knowing that at any moment while I was changing or using the bathroom that a girl could come through the door. I feel even worse for the girls though. This whole thing is a joke that needs to be stopped. The thing that worries me though is that there is very little recourse to stop it at this point other than the general public causing a big enough of a fuss about it.

geeogree :

Hey, my mom homeschooled all seven of me and my siblings, in a ten grade curriculum. I scored 1 - 3 years into college level on all my classes except one on the final state test. And my mom only spends about three hours a day homeschooling us because with the curriculum we basically could teach ourselves. (depends on how old we were though. I think fourth grade and up we didn't need our mom to teach us as much.) I totally support homeschooling over public school just because of how much smarter it makes kids. Though I can understand if that's not exactly what you wanted to talk about here. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I'm sorry to hear about this though and hope things go better for you. Yeah, it's stupid what they're doing, but intelligence fails in the face of political correctness.

There'a a difference between being reasonably polite and being politically correct.

You never know,I cannot see this staying for very long. This is a bigger joke than common core. Someone must have lost their damned minds to even contemplate this. I think they will see many protests over this BS.

In ALBERTA? Damn, those socialist my have been inhaling pretty strong stuff.

How the hell are we suppose to ask children FIVE YEARS OF AGE what their gender is? They do not even know how to write or read (well, most of them)!! The South Park episode about sex education was supposed to be a parody...

In fact, I am surprised it has not happened in Quebec. That province is the summum of political correctness, and I have tasted it when I was in college. Basically, anything that was not worshipping the government was cast aside, revile, denigrated, etc. The Social Science department at Université Laval is even more polarized than a magnet; I would not be surprised to see demands for unisex rest rooms soon.

Is this part of the cultural relativism that is plaguing our societies? If not, then this "sexual relativism" is a plague nonetheless. Notwithstanding the VERY rare people born with two sexes, you are either a male (XY) or a female (XX). And until you hit puberty, questioning whether you have the "right" sex seems ludicrous.

Sword legion : not so much home schooling but just having a choice. Charter schools are doing miracles despite public unions constantly hindering their expansion. I highly doubt such political correctness would exist in these schools.

geeogree : unfortunately, especially in public schools, I highly doubt you will see student protesting AGAINST the measure. They are taught from a young age about the multiculturalism / moral relativism nonsense, and as the year go by it gets stronger and stronger. Schools in Ottawa have started gender-neutral bathrooms not too long ago; if they have not gone down to "letting choose" your own bathroom, it should not take much time.

Oldschool777 : You have no idea what a transexual/transgender person is, do you?
Also, your arguments seem close-minded to a degree.

1. No, there are people who identify as the other gender. Get over it. And yes, I mean Gender, the social construct, not biological sex.
2. Same as the first post too.
3. They probably are, considering it's a big change.
4. Either way, there are some schools that don't have this and also don't have uniform.
5. "Normal" kids. Normal kids aren't being punished. If someone is transgender, it's a big deal to misgender them and not respect them. Ergo, it's bullying. Normal kids aren't being punished. Bullies are.
6. I surprisingly agree with you on this one.
7. And of course there will be rules for this, so pervs and freaks can't abuse the system.

I think this is a good idea. Most of it, anyways. It's a big change, yes.
6. Allowed language in schools will change. Male and female nouns and pronouns (Mother, father, brother sister, he, she etc.) are to be done away with.
I think that that is a pretty stupid rule, however.

However I think it's good. The biggest concern for some people is someone abusing it, like for example a male boy saying he's a girl one day to spy and/or sexually harass a girl in the girl bathroom. But guess what? There are rules against that. Of course they are going to make rules. Of course they aren't going to let something like this happens.

I agree, it was a very big change in a short amount of time. That's my only complaint. If it was something that was done little by little, then it would be better. So people would have time to adapt and grow, instead of just bashing it. But I also thing this is a big step forwards towards equality and understanding. It shows we as a society are "Hopefully" evolving.

maguc : but why do such massive changes for, what, less than 2 percent of all students? And why start in kindergarten when they do not even know how to read and write?

Also, doing away with gender "charged" pronouns is only the next logical step when suppressing genders around.

Compare this situation to homosexuality. Other than loving people of their own sex, homosexuals / lesbians do not require such extensive social changes. They are a minority, and they now have legal equality just like everyone else. Demanding anything further (like forcing to bake a cake) is NOT equality, that is fascism.

The same thing goes for transgenders. As long as they have legal equality (they do, do they not?) and that REASONABLE accommodations can be made (single, unisex toilets or changing rooms), pushing anything further is nonsense.

janus : That's exactly why. It's 2% of the students, max. Which means, it's not a big deal. It's a small minority, so these changes aren't going to affect a lot of people.

Second off, I think it's a good idea for little kids to get into the idea of transexuality/transgenderism at a young age. However, only if it's without prejudice and hate.
And it's good. Why? Because it allows kids to know themselves. If you introduce them to something like this without hate, they can learn to accept it and not be hateful towards it. Some kids, even at a young age, are very confused about this sort of thing. It's not gonna affect anyone in a negative way, and it's only going to help kids who are confused come to terms with who they are.

And, this really isn't pushing further. It's doing what's equal.

janus : it is written into our charter of rights and freedoms in alberta that discrimination can not be based on basically anything.

maguc : the issue I have is NOT with anyone in the LGBTQ group. The problem I have is with the functionality of the system.

Problem #1 - kids are in charge of what gender they are. There is no consultation with parents, physicians, psychologists or psychiatrists. We have kids self-diagnosing a mental illness. That makes no sense.

Problem #2 - administrators are not allowed to disagree with the self-diagnosis.

Problem #3 - adults are also allowed to pick the restroom of choice while inside a school. Again, with no oversight.

geeogree : I know; the same thing exists in Quebec. A gay bar in Montreal once got sued by the "human rights" commission for refusing to allow women. And SK recently upheld the censorship of (admittedly) fiery pamphlets from a very conservative pastor.

maguc : But, again, why start at age 5? When I was in school, we started talking about sexuality (the "basic" stuff about puberty) with the school nurse in grade 6 when people actually start getting concerned with the stuff. As geeo pointed out, how the hell can a child aged 5 can know anything about gender identity and whether his or hers is "correct"?

geeogree : I hate sandwich posting, but I want to reply.

I can see where you are coming from. You're a worried parent. and I respect that.
But, I still think it is a kind of close minded thing.

This is totally an assumption, but I'm guessing what you are more concerned about is someone abusing the system and harassing someone of the opposite gender. or an adult harassing someone of the opposite gender, and a minor.

But of course, there will be rules against harassment, sexual things and whatnot. It's a subject that certainly will happen if there are no rules against it, but there will be rules.

And, I don't want to mettle with how you raise your child or anything, because I myself am a teenager and not a parent, nor am I in a place to tell you how to raise your kids, but it is my personal opinion that taking them out of a school because of this sounds a bit prejudice, and might lead them into a hate for transgenderism and such.

janus : Because it gives them time to explore and think. An aged 5 child won't know, yes. But, if you plant the idea, he/she will think about it and learn of themselves as they grow. We don't expect a 5 year old to know that. But a 5 year old will grow up. He doesn't have to decide at that age, he/she will decide as he gets older.

What I'm trying to say here, we're not telling him to decide at 5 years of age. We're giving him the tools for him to decide as he grows up and gets older.

maguc : no, there aren't. I've seen the guidelines as they are written by the government. They specifically state that the administrators of the school CAN NOT divulge any student who claims to be changing genders to parents, physicians, psychologists or psychiatrists.

The same regulations state that once the individual in question self-diagnoses as the opposite gender the administration can't question that. Self-diagnosis is the only thing that matters. That also makes no sense!

And to go even further, the idea that we are supposed to encourage people to explore being another gender instead of getting them the help they need to fix this mental health issue is ridiculous. The idea that people are born as being the wrong gender is a joke. It is a mental health problem not a physical problem and should be approached as such. However, most places consider therapy as a solution to this as being abusive but hormone replacement and gender reassignment surgeries are the right way to go. Insanity!

geeogree : I mean, there will be guidelines and rules against people ABUSING the system. Which is what i'm trying to say.

Well, self-diagnoses to being transgender is the only thing. because only the individual knows.

" The idea that people are born as being the wrong gender is a joke." Yeah. No. The joke is your ignorance towards the subject. Gender is not biological sex. Gender is a social construct, made by society, gender roles, and all of that. It's not a mental heath problem.

Remember when being gay was considered a mental health problem? Well, it's the same deal. It's new, so people discredit it. but, being transgender is a real thing.

depends on who you ask. I've read opinions from doctors who don't agree with the current opinions on gender dysphoria or how to treat it. I'm sure you haven't bothered though because it doesn't fit the "I am what I feel" opinion that seems to cover just about everything in society currently.

[edit] Also, self-diagnosis meaning that the person is in charge of the diagnosis and NO ONE ELSE has a say in it. That makes no sense. Doctors or psychologists should be involved as well as parents. These are minors we are talking about, not adults.

geeogree : Oh. Gender dysphoria. then yes, that in itself is an actual mental health problem, yes. However, while gender dysphoria and transgenderism are connected, they are not the same and exact things.

There are some things that can't be self-diagnosed. Mental illness, like depression, anxiety, PTSD, BPD can't be self diagnosed. While seeking professional help to see if you are transgender or not will help, it is something you can know about yourself. Once again, like homosexuality. You don't go to a psychiatrist to see if you're gay or not, you just know. And once again like homosexuality, you can be confused about it.

maguc : do you see the problem I see though.... I don't care about the ACTUAL students who are transgendered or actually have gender dysphoria as long as they are under the care of a doctor and are figuring out their own stuff.


The thing I have a problem with is the idea that it is up to the individual with absolutely NO consultation with the faculty or parents or doctors about the issue. This means that ANYONE can claim to have this problem, student or adult, and use any restroom they like. THAT is my problem with this. The guidelines are written specifically in a way that is very clearly stating that self-identification is the over-riding factor in this entire situation. If someone claims they are a girl or a boy today then they are and no one can disagree. Regardless of prior history or anything.

geeogree : Yes, I actually do see that point, and I think I've addressed it in my other posts.

Yes, it's something new. And with any new rule or anything of the sorts, there will be people who will try and abuse it.

Like I've said, there will be rules and guidelines. I don't mean guidelines about the person's gender or anything. I mean, guidelines against the very behavior you are describing.

If someone abuses the system, they will be punished. If they say they are an other gender to harass, or something of the sorts, they will be suspended, expelled, or something of the sorts.

There aren't guidelines or rules towards *using* the system, there will be towards *abusing* the system.

maguc : The real problem is that, whatever rules the government makes for abusing the system, there will be people which STILL abuses the system. The risk exists, and will always exist, but this is a step forward that not everybody is ready to make, even less if it's this sudden.

And by the way, I really doubt a 5 year old kid knows the difference between gender and sex. As you can see, not even a percentage of the adult population actually understands it, how can you expect a kid that is barely starting school to know such things?

I'm totally against this sudden change. If transgendered people wants to be treated fairly, they need to change society at large, and that isn't something you can do in the blink of an eye, like this decree geeo has posted. It took a lot of time for gay people to be respected, and even today their battle is still going.

This decree will go nowhere, it just can't. 98% of the population won't change it's mind this quickly, even less when there aren't any rules against those who abuse this system right now. I'm expecting what geeo said, empty classrooms because their parents are in disagreement with this decree, NOT the people it affects. If kids can know the difference between gender and sex, they can understand where our hate comes from.