REGINA - While there has been some opposition rallies held against new parental inclusion and consent policies in Saskatchewan, one group has expressed its support: the Saskatchewan Pro-Life Association.
The group representing 3,500 members has issued a statement supporting the government’s move on August 22 to bring in the policy, which the Association believes “restores the rights of children and youth to be protected by their parents.”
“Requiring parents/guardians to be informed about the sexual health education curriculum and have the option to decline their children's participation will ensure family values are respected and foster greater communication between school and home,” the Pro-Life association stated in a release on August 29. “Parental permission for name or pronoun changes for students under 16 will safeguard them from undue pressure at school by peers, teachers, or third-party presenters to adopt a gender non-conforming identity. Pausing school involvement with third-party organizations whose agendas may not align with those of parents or curriculum outcomes is a reasonable and necessary measure.”
The organization says the new policies are “consistent with recent moves by other jurisdictions in Canada and around the world and recognize that parents are the experts on their own children and that they play the most important role in their education." They called the Ministry of Education policies “a step in the right direction.”
“We are grateful that Minister (Dustin) Duncan listened to parents regarding their concerns not only about gender and sexual diversity policies, but about sexually explicit materials being presented to students in Saskatchewan schools. Respecting parents as primary caregivers for their children and recognizing that parents are the strongest advocates for their children is something that should never be in question,” said Saskatchewan Pro- Life Association President, Frances Stang in a statement.
While in support of the policy changes, the SPLA is calling for additional measures They want to see the government permanently ban the ARC Foundation and SOGI 1 2 3 from Saskatchewan schools “because they have demonstrated a distinct bias in the sexual health arena.” The SPLA is also calling for the age of consent for medical and surgical transitioning to be raised to 18.
“How can it be a good thing for a minor child to step onto the transgender track leading to medical and surgical interventions without a parent's consent?” Stang said in a release. “How can we allow this for young people who are not even allowed to vote, whose brains will continue to develop into their mid-20s? It is only reasonable to reflect this legal and developmental reality in our legislation.”
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