Repeal Bill 137
In October 2023, the Government of Saskatchewan passed Bill 137, the Parents’ Bill of Rights. Framed as enhancing parental rights over children under 16, the bill requires schools to obtain parental consent before students may use preferred names and pronouns. It also enables parents to entirely opt their children out of sexual health education in schools and prohibits third parties, like community based organizations, from providing education in schools, including sexual health education. Over 600 letters were submitted to members of the Saskatchewan NDP, the official opposition, in protest of the bill and the government’s plan to invoke the Notwithstanding clause. This report, prepared by the Social Innovation Lab on Gender and Sexuality at the University of Saskatchewan in partnership with MLA Nathaniel Teed, analyzes those letters to better understand community concerns and to amplify the many voices who spoke out against Bill 137 and consequently, spoke for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and their rights.