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Opinion: UCP laws have put a chill on transgender visibility

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March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility. This day is devoted to celebrating trans and gender-diverse people and recognizing their contributions to society. It is a day to take stock of the progress we have made on trans rights and recommit to eradicating anti-trans discrimination for good.

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Trans Day of Visibility is complicated in Alberta, especially for trans and gender-diverse youth.

In 2024, the UCP passed a suite of laws banning gender-affirming care for youth, limiting inclusive education, and excluding trans women and girls from sport. In 2025, the government used the notwithstanding clause to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to shield these three controversial laws from court challenge.

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As researchers, we have been studying the impact of this legislation since it was first introduced, and our evidence shows that the politicization of trans rights in the province is coinciding with the deterioration of the social climate for trans and non-binary people.

In interviews and focus groups with parents of trans and gender-diverse youth, we hear the same story over and over: There is a chilling effect on 2SLGBTQIA+ visibility across the province.

Many trans and gender-diverse youth and their families no longer feel safe to be “out” or visible. According to our survey data, almost 62 per cent of youth have hidden their identity since the announcement of the legislation, and 69 per cent of parents have hidden their children’s identity.

Parents report that kids are going “back into the closet” and that families have moved schools, towns and even provinces to find safety. Youth who were once loud and proud of their trans identity are now cautious because of safety concerns. Even going to a rally to protest the UCP’s policies is too much for some trans and gender-diverse youth because they fear that someone will see them and “out” them to their classmates or sports team.

Many trans and gender-diverse youth also don’t want their parents being too visible about their support for trans rights in fear of being “outed” or targeted for harm. Parents have told us that they have put away their “Protect Trans Kids” T-shirts and removed their “Trans Rights are Human Rights” stickers from their water bottles at their children’s request.

When youth are harassed and bullied by their peers, parents are now less likely to speak to teachers because they fear retaliation from misinformed or bigoted parents. Parents of trans and gender-diverse youth also don’t speak up because they worry that the issue will be spread across mainstream or social media and they will lose what little safety and security they have. Given that right-wing social media influencers — some of whom have been guests of UCP MLAs in the legislature — call on Albertans to surveil schools for “indoctrination,” this fear is based in reality.

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Parents who love and affirm their children are stuck between a rock and a hard place in Alberta: Stop advocating for the rights and dignity of trans and gender-diverse youth or risk the harassment and violence that may come from speaking up.

In this context, it is imperative that allies show their visible support for trans and gender-diverse communities, especially for youth who are living in fear across this province. On this Trans Day of Visibility, allies need to speak loudly about their support for the community and continue to challenge misinformation and disinformation in every place it is being spread — at the dinner table, among colleagues, online, or in provincial politics.

Everyday Albertans can help to change the negative social climate by taking active steps to show their support, build awareness, and create welcoming spaces where everyone belongs.

Corinne L. Mason and Leah Hamilton are professors at Mount Royal University.

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