As the Saskatchewan Party remains in power after Monday’s election, some trans advocates, experts, families and teens are worried about the future.

Premier Scott Moe promised during his election campaign that if re-elected, his party’s “first order of business” would be a policy banning students from changing rooms based on their assigned gender. birth. Moe said it was a safety issue.

Shala Nufeld said she is scared and disappointed about the future of her non-binary trans child, Zipp. Zipp said the locker rooms and washrooms at her Saskatoon school are “already stressful” because they are not gender neutral.

“We should just have gender neutral spaces for non-binary and transgender kids and the policy is just pushing further and further away from spaces that can ultimately include everyone,” Shala said.

“How do we get out of this without invading the children, without checking their genitals?”

Zipp said the policy would impact children’s mental health and their participation in school. The 12-year-old said enforcing the policy would be “disgusting.”

Their family moved from rural Saskatchewan to escape the transphobia Zipp faced when he came out in 2nd grade. They fear they will have to move again if the policy is implemented.

“It seems like Scott Moe is just pushing trans kids further into their mental health issues. He’s doing it on purpose,” Zipp said, noting that transphobia at the school has intensified. “It’s just a step backwards.”

Shala fears the next four years will make Saskatchewan even “more homophobic and transphobic.”

“Dangerous and dangerous”: a trans girl

One trans girl, who CBC did not identify, said she had previously heard “religious peers” tell her they didn’t feel comfortable changing around her, even after transitioning.

“I was added to group chats where I was denigrated, insulted and mocked simply because I was trans. This policy will create a huge divide between students and their safety,” she said .

This Saskatoon Grade 9 student has already been ‘adversely affected’ this year due to Bill 137, or Parents’ Bill of Rights, which requires parental consent before a child under 16 can use a name or a different pronoun related to their gender at school.

“With this (locker room) policy, I would have to change in the boys’ bathroom. It’s very unsafe and unsafe,” she said. “It’s hard to express when the government is actively working against you.”

“I’m afraid”: parent

Chris said her Grade 9 child, Ray, has faced bullying and transphobia since Bill 137 was passed. CBC is not using their real names because it fears speaking out publicly could spark more hatred.

“I’m angry that my child is being used as a political pawn for their game. I’m afraid that transphobia will only increase,” said Chris, who is an educator herself.

“It’s heartbreaking to see your child come home day after day to be told they’re not okay the way they are.”

Ray, who is gender non-conforming, said many trans kids at their Saskatoon school are traumatized by being outed or having been outed.

“The locker room policy is going to make our lives extremely uncomfortable,” they said.

Ray said the locker rooms at their old school were unsafe because classmates were “clicking pictures above the stands.”

“When I was in grade 7, I was called transsexual,” the 14-year-old said. “Now I walk home from school or walk down the halls and people bark or meow at me.”

Ray said barking or meowing is a recent form of dehumanizing bullying against gay children.

“Politically impotent”: Regina councilor

Andrew Stevens, Ward 3 city councilor in Regina, wrote a “very harsh” letter to Moe shortly after the initial announcement.

“Essentially what I said is you’re intellectually and politically impotent because you can’t deal with these serious issues. He deserved it,” Stevens said.

WATCH | Regina councilor calls Saskatchewan. The party locker room political plan is “offensive”:

Regina councilor calls Saskatchewan. The party locker room political project is “offensive”

Regina councilor Andrew Stevens sent a strong letter to Saskatchewan. Premier Scott Moe announced his “first order of business,” if re-elected, would be to establish a policy limiting the use of locker rooms by students in schools across the province to the sex they were assigned to at the time. birth.

Taking a political stand on the shoulders of trans kids, Stevens said, is “sickening.”

Stevens said he received positive responses to his letter.

“The level of victimization of children currently struggling with the realities of life is staggering,” he said.

Stevens said it’s unfair to perceive the problem as an urban problem because children in rural communities are affected. He urges Moe to suspend his policies and focus on issues such as class complexity in schools.

2SLGBTQ+ groups condemn the policy

2SLGBTQ+ groups are also expressing their opposition. In a Facebook post, Prince Albert Pride condemned “anti-trans fueled violence” by the government.

OutSaskatoon also took to social media to denounce this potential policy. Analu Alvarez, an education official there, said Moe’s “discriminatory” comments to promote his career were concerning.

The organization responds to calls from students because they don’t feel safe at school.

“Creating safe spaces is very important, especially in schools,” Alvarez said.

She said more trans youth have used the organization’s services in the past year.

“We’ve seen more and more young people trying to speak out, being heartbroken, being attacked and afraid of who they are and not being able to be safe at school,” she said.

Alvarez said the “transphobic” policy specifically discriminates against trans girls who are already the most vulnerable.

“We know he is most discriminating against the most vulnerable people in the community,” she said. “It’s going to be dark.”

“I want to leave Saskatchewan. »: Mother of a trans child

Amy, a parent of a trans child, said she was considering leaving the province for good. CBC is not identifying her so as not to reveal her child.

“My first thought when the policy was announced was, ‘When is this going to end? How far is this going to go?” she said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Amy said her trans child transitioned before the pronouns bill passed.

“When Bill 137 passed, we immediately changed everything legally so that all of his documents, his health card, his birth certificate, his passport, everything was consistent,” she said. “Mainly out of concern that inconsistent documentation could be detrimental.”

She said fear “and fierce anger” are common among other parents.

“It’s difficult to live in a province where you have to keep secrets,” she said. “You don’t feel like you can encourage your kids to just be themselves. You’re constantly on edge.”

“Poor orientation of concentration”

Rachel Loewen Walker, assistant professor and director of the women’s and gender studies program in the political studies department at the University of Saskatchewan, said the political promise was “a vote-getting ploy.”

“This is just complete misdirection and creates an incredibly dangerous future for many children in our province,” she said.

Loewen Walker said New Brunswick proposed similar policies against trans children and that backfired with the defeat of Prime Minister Blaine Higgs the election.

“Saskatchewan now remains an outlier, continuing to push anti-trans policies,” she said, saying Saskatchewan is leading “the way as the most transphobic province.”

“It’s really embarrassing to have a government that is preying on children,” she said.

“It shows us that we have a government that has no respect for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and no respect for the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.”

Loewen Walker said locker rooms often have shower areas and if the policy is implemented it will undoubtedly impact restroom usage. She said the argument goes beyond safety.

“Scott Moe defines this security as exclusion, segregation, separation.”