Are Alberta’s proposed policies for trans youth and parents "rights" based strictly on ideology? with Katie DeLucia-Burk

The Alberta Government recently announced their intention to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth under the age of 18, despite contemporary research and internationally recognized best practices, as set out by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), agreeing that this could end up hurting many of those vulnerable youth.

Additionally proposed measures for transgender minors also includes a ban on puberty blockers and parental consent for pronoun changes. Teachers and health professionals were largely not consulted, but more importantly, trans youth have had their voices completely ignored.

If legislated into law, these measures could have serious consequences and make Alberta similar to most U.S. states controlled by Republican politicians. The speaker will contend this is blatant government overreach and legislated bias.

Speaker: Katie DeLucia-Burk

Katie DeLucia-Burk (she/her), is a registered social worker with a BSW from the University of Calgary. She is the sole consultant and educator for Queer Consulting YQL, through which she works with an array of service providers and institutions to foster belonging, transform systems and spaces, and address the systemic oppression of 2SLGBTQ+ folks.

A self-identified queer, trans woman, Katie’s work centers around community-based advocacy, trans feminist theory and research, and developing resources and policies to support marginalized communities. She has spoken at several national conferences on topics related to gender and sexuality, including the 2023 Moving Trans History Forward Conference at the University of Victoria where she presented on a teaching resource manual, of which she is a co-author, entitled Teaching Beyond the Gender Binary: A Resource Manual.