Full Breakdown
Saskatchewan Rallies Call for Repeal of Bill 137
By Drooid · · How we work
Background and Context
Bill 137, the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” was enacted in 2023. It bars children under 16 from using a preferred name or pronoun at school without parental consent, permits parents to opt their children out of sexual-health classes, and prohibits third-party sexual-health educators. The province invoked the Notwithstanding Clause to shield the law from Charter challenges, a step noted by multiple reports.
Core Event: Province-wide Rallies
On a Saturday, demonstrators gathered at Saskatoon City Hall and the Legislative Assembly in Regina to demand the law’s repeal. The rallies were organized by the Red Bear Party and Queer Momentum, with participants including former students, parents, and LGBTQ + advocates. Organizers said the law has created “unsafe spaces” for transgender youth and re-traumatized trans adults who experienced similar restrictions while growing up. Attendees called for stronger support and safer environments for gender-diverse students across Saskatchewan.
Official Statements & Responses
Opposition leader Carla Beck (Saskatchewan NDP) announced that an NDP government would repeal Bill 137 within 100 days of forming government. Nathaniel Teed, the province’s first openly gay MLA, echoed the need for repeal, describing the law as unnecessary.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I was stealth originally and it was for my own safety. So I felt like I didn't feel safe going to school anymore. And as a result of that, I dropped out,” — Valerie Sutton
- “Despite how many bills suppress us, despite how many bills out us, how many bills want to just erase us completely, We are here. We have always been here and we will continue to be here,” — Valerie Sutton
- “I know how difficult it is just as a trans person. And this bill, Bill 137, it does not help. It blatantly targets trans kids and I don't want to live in a world where that happens,” — Kai Creighton
- “I’ve heard a lot of things from various trans youth that they don’t feel like it’s safe to try and be themselves at school, and then they’re just kind of running out of places to be themselves,” — Thios Mwunvaneza
- “I think it’s really important that we continue speaking out on the harms of Bill 137 and the way it’s affecting our youth as well as re-traumatizing trans adults who are living in this province and dealt with things similar to what the bill enforces while they were growing up,” — Blake Tait, Saskatoon Pride co-chair
- “Kind of embarrassing for the province with the highest rates of syphilis and HIV to be letting kids have less access to sex ed,” — Thios Mwunvaneza
These statements illustrate the personal impact on transgender youth, the perceived targeting of trans children, and broader concerns about reduced access to comprehensive sexual-health education.