FREDERICTON — As New Brunswick students begin a new school year, some families worry about the potential for a rise in bullying due to the province's policy on gender identity in schools.
Shawn and Amanda Rouse, parents of a transgender teen in Quispamsis, N.B., say their child has faced an increase in bullying since last spring, when the government first announced it would review Policy 713, which dictates gender identity rules in New Brunswick schools.
The province updated the policy in July to say students under 16 who are questioning their gender identity must get parental consent before teachers can use their preferred first names or pronouns.
"I understand every family has a different set of values, but it’s a very heavy burden on our child to be made to feel worthless," Amanda Rouse said in a recent interview.
Rouse, who said her 14-year-old has been called slurs and told to kill himself, expects bullying to continue as schools reopen from summer break.
New Brunswick Education Minister Bill Hogan has maintained the core elements of the policy despite a report saying it violates children's Charter rights.
Shawn Rouse said people with anti-trans opinions have been "emboldened" by the policy, which has begun to spread across the country.
The Saskatchewan government recently followed in New Brunswick's footsteps, implementing a similar directive requiring teachers to obtain parental consent before they refer to a student under 16 by a preferred first name or pronoun.
Heading into a provincial election, Manitoba's Progressive Conservatives have pledged to expand "parents' rights" in school-related activities, and Ontario's education minister has said parents should be "fully involved" in a student's decision to change pronouns.
In New Brunswick, a protest against "gender ideology in schools" is planned for Sept. 20, with an online flyer saying protesters will gather at the legislature in Fredericton and march around schools in Moncton and Saint John.
Gail Costello, a retired teacher and co-chair of Pride in Education, which promotes LGBTQ+ inclusion in New Brunswick's schools, said the province's policy on gender identity has "stirred up a lot of transphobic and homophobic hate."
Some students are nervous to go back to school, and "their parents are nervous for them," she said in an interview. "There's a lot of fear."
Costello said she's heard from parents who are worried about protecting their kids from bullying, but she said teachers will look out for their students — even if it means ignoring Policy 713.
"Teachers care deeply for their students," Costello said. "I firmly believe teachers are going to do everything that they can to protect kids and make them feel safe and affirmed and welcomed in the classroom."
Child and youth advocate Kelly Lamrock has said forcing nonbinary and transgender students to use a name they don't identify with is a violation of their Charter rights.
"You can't put teachers in a position where they intentionally harm kids," Costello said. "Teachers will not do it."
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2023.
— By Marlo Glass in Halifax.
The Canadian Press
