The results of a recent survey reveal that the majority of Manitobans believe parents should be forewarned and permitted to give their blessing if their offspring desire to alter their pronouns. This study, orchestrated by the Angus Reid Institute, indicates that 43% of the assessed Canadian populace expressed that parents should be made aware and must give their approval before a child alters their identification, while 35% expressed that parental notification is necessary, albeit parental consent should not be obligatory.
The research holds that 14% of the populace surveyed maintained that parents should neither be informed nor have any influence, advocating that the decision firmly resides with the child. Of the total population surveyed, 8% refrained from expressing an opinion.
When focusing specifically on the Manitoban populace, the figures increased to 49% in favour of parents being informed and authorising the change, with 27% supporting the idea that parents should solely be enlightened, and that consent is not required. Sixteen percent were of the belief that the decision should ultimately be left to the child with no parental involvement, and a modest 7% refrained from giving a response.
Royce Koop, a political studies academic from the University of Manitoba, expressed little shock regarding the Manitoban outcomes, calling it a complex debate and insinuating that when prompted, parents are likely to advocate for more involvement in their children’s education.
The survey’s release coincides with pronoun change policies in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick which call for parental approval for those students desiring adjustments to their preferred names or pronouns. Similar implementations are also being suggested in Ontario.
However, these laws have confronted criticism in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, with opposition vociferously asserting that these legislations infringe upon the Charter Rights for Children. Detractors warn that this could potentially place LGBTQ2S+ children at risk.
Although Manitoba has not formally announced any policies yet, the Progressive Conservative Party has expressed intentions to revise the Public Schools Act, should they be re-elected, in order to allow parents more influence over their children’s education. This, Koop believes, is a notion that PC supporters might receive well.
The survey, carried out online from July 26 to 31, utilized a randomized assemblage of 3,016 Canadian adults, members of the Angus Reid Forum. The data maintains a margin of error at +/-1.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Among the surveyed adult populace, 252 hailed from Manitoba.
