[TORONTO, ON – November 20, 2025] – Rainbow Health Ontario issued the following statement today in response to the Government of Alberta’s Bill 9, the Protecting Alberta’s Children Statutes Amendment Act, 2025:
Rainbow Health Ontario stands in firm opposition to Alberta’s Bill 9 and the government’s use of the notwithstanding clause to override the Charter rights and freedoms of trans and gender-diverse Albertans. This legislation constitutes an unconscionable violation of human rights that specifically targets trans and gender-diverse youth, effectively normalizing transphobia and discrimination.
Bill 9 sets a dangerous precedent by prioritizing political ideology over established clinical guidelines, expert consensus, and the sanctity of the patient-provider relationship. The legislation bans essential, evidence-based gender-affirming medical care, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, for individuals under the age of 16. It also mandates that schools inform parents if a child under 16 wishes to change their name or pronouns and prohibits trans women and girls from participating in school and amateur sports.
This legislation will exacerbate the significant health and social disparities already faced by trans and gender-diverse communities. By suspending Charter rights, it entrenches discrimination into law. The harmful impact of such policies is clear; a recent peer-reviewed study published in Nature (2024) found that similar anti-trans legislation in the United States was associated with a 72 per cent increase in suicide attempts among trans and non-binary youth.
Gender-affirming care is the well-established standard of care for trans and gender-diverse youth, supported by decades of clinical evidence. Delaying this care is known to increase risks of suicide, depression, and anxiety. Conversely, gender-affirming medical interventions are demonstrated to significantly improve mental health and social outcomes, with benefits that persist into adulthood (Budge et al., 2024). The medications involved have been used safely and effectively for decades to treat various medical conditions in cisgender and gender-diverse youth alike.
This political intrusion into evidence-based medicine is both unacceptable and dangerous. It directly targets the safety and well-being of trans and gender-diverse youth in Alberta, a policy that ultimately endangers the rights of every Canadian. The Charter protections that secure the rights of the most marginalized are the very foundation that secures the rights of all. To suspend them for one group is to erode them for everyone.
About Rainbow Health Ontario
Rainbow Health Ontario helps build a healthcare system that better serves 2SLGBTQ+ people across the province. We train healthcare and service providers to deliver culturally and clinically competent care, create accessible and evidence-based health resources, support policy change, and amplify research in 2SLGBTQ+ health. As a 2SLGBTQ+-led initiative grounded in lived experience and clinical knowledge, we work to close gaps in care and improve health outcomes for our communities.
Supporting Resources
- Budge, S. L., Abreu, R. L., Flinn, R. E., Bettergarcia, J., Sprott, R. A., & Allen, B. J. (2024). Gender affirming care is evidence based for transgender and gender-diverse youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 75(6), 851–853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.08.006
- Lee, W. Y., Hobbs, J. N., Hobaica, S., Kidd, J. D., Kazmierski, K. F., Do, D., Chan, P. A., Operario, D., & Montoya, M. N. (2024). State-level anti-transgender laws increase past-year suicide attempts among transgender and non-binary young people in the USA. Nature Human Behaviour, 8, 2096–2106. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01979-5
Media Contact
Nicole Madison, Communications Coordinator
communications@rainbowhealthontario.ca
416-324-4100 ext. 3303