Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, speaks in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. /The Canadian PressPhoto by Spencer Colby

Not possible to depoliticize Alberta transgender rule debate, federal minister says

Marci Ien, the federal Liberals' minister for gender equality, says creating the legislation itself is a political act

by · Calgary Herald

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she wants to depoliticize the debate around upcoming legislation affecting transgender youth, but a federal minister says that’s not possible.

Marci Ien, the federal Liberals’ minister for gender equality, says creating the legislation itself is a political act.

“In Canada, the freedom to be who you are isn’t about politics — it’s a right,” Ien said in a social media post directed at Smith on Tuesday.