Polievre confirms opposition to puberty blockers, says Trudeau is attacking her rights – Winnipeg Free Press

OTTAWA — Political battles over gender identity took center stage Wednesday when Pierre Poulevre spoke out against treating young people with puberty blockers — a move Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made.

The Conservative leader wants to take away the rights of both parents and children, Trudeau Poilevre said after explaining his position on the controversial gender therapy course.

Trudeau said transgender children are suicidal and governments should not consider ways to take away their medical access.

The prime minister also took aim at Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who last week announced plans to ban puberty blockers and hormone therapy for children 15 and younger who have not yet started such treatment.

Taking those options away from families and their doctors is “ideologically entrenched and not about protecting the most vulnerable,” Trudeau said before question period.

“Our government is doing everything it can to protect the most vulnerable.”

Puberty blockers, as they are known, are used to prevent the body from producing the sex hormones that ensure male and female development.

The Alberta Medical Association issued statements of concern over Smith's policy, saying transgender and gender-diverse youth who lack access to such care are at higher risk of depression and suicide.

Smith also proposes rules requiring parental consent for children under 15 who want to go to school under a different name or pronoun. 16- and 17-year-olds can make such changes without permission, but schools must notify their guardians.

The proposals sparked protests in Alberta and Ottawa and drew condemnation from Liberal politicians, including Trudeau, who accused Smith of pushing an anti-LGBTQ+ agenda.

The proposal also sparked a flurry of media questions this week about Polievre's views on gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender youth.

Asked Wednesday if he opposed the use of puberty blockers for transgender youth under the age of 18, Poilevre said, “Yes.”

“We need to protect children and their ability to make decisions as adults,” she said.

For months, the federal Conservative leader has said he supports the right of parents to raise their children as they choose and called on Trudeau to “back off” from provincial decisions about schools and hospitals.

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has become the first provincial leader to change the announcement policy at schools for transgender children who want to go by a different name or pronoun. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe followed suit last fall.

Polievre said he is a prime minister who attacks families trying to protect their children.

“He will eventually give up on this,” he said.

“I think we should protect the right of parents to make their own decisions about their children, and I think adults should have the freedom to make whatever decisions they want about their bodies.”

Liberal cabinet minister Randy Boissonneau, an openly gay MP for the riding of Edmonton, mocked Puyevre's position Wednesday ahead of the party's weekly caucus meeting.

The decision to use puberty blockers should be based on a conversation between a young person and their doctor, Boissonnaul said.

“I don't see an MD after the name of Pierre Poilevre or Daniel Smith,” he said. “So none of their business.”

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said health care decisions should involve the individual and their doctor: “Based on evidence, based on science, based on best practice and not based on Pierre Poilevre's opinion.”

In a position statement last summer, the Canadian Pediatric Society recommended that health care providers adopt an affirmative approach to care for all children and youth and advocate for “timely access to gender-specific care.”

Recommendations include ensuring that providers are sufficiently familiar with gender-affirming hormone therapy to discuss the benefits and risks of such interventions, or ensuring timely referrals to those who can offer this counseling.

Poilevre and Smith, executive director of Egale Canada, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, said they are “playing politics with the most vulnerable members of our society.”

In a written statement, Helen Kennedy said these policies contradict expert guidance, violate the constitutional rights of LGBTQ+ people, and “cause irreparable harm and suffering.”

Since becoming leader, Polievre has tried to focus his party on the cost of living and crime – two areas the party sees as central to its winning strategy.

However, some of his supporters pressed him to enter into a debate about how schools deal with issues of gender diversity and sexual orientation among students.

At last year's political convention in Quebec City, primary party members overwhelmingly voted for a resolution calling on the incoming Conservative government to ban “medical or surgical intervention” on gender-differentiated and transgender children.

Polievre has not yet said whether he plans to include this party policy in a future election platform.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, you can call or text 988, the national suicide prevention hotline, for 24/7 support.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 7, 2024.