University of Regina Pride Centre Challenges Saskatchewan’s Pronoun Policy in Court

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The University of Regina’s Pride Centre (UR Pride) is poised to initiate legal proceedings against Saskatchewan’s recently introduced scheme regulating the alteration of students’ names and preferred pronouns. Announced just a week ago, the contentious policy decrees that parental consent is required for children below the age of 16 intending to change their pronouns or name within the school system.

UR Pride is gearing up to submit a lawsuit to the Court of King’s Bench, asserting that this policy infringes upon the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In this impending legal showdown, advocacy organization Egale Canada and law firm McCarthy Tétrault LLP will represent UR Pride.


Bennett Jensen, Director of Egale Canada, expressed unequivocal condemnation of the policy to CTV News, stating “This policy is deeply problematic and undermines humanity and dignity— and we won’t stand for it”. He further added that the state’s pronoun and naming policy infringes upon the Charter’s Section 15 – Equality Rights and Section 7 – Life, Liberty and Security of the Person.

While awaiting the filing of the lawsuit, UR Pride has beseeched the province to put the policy on hold. Should the government fail to suspend the policy by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, the organization is committed to escalating the legal dispute by seeking an injunction to prevent the policy from taking effect.

Jensen articulates deep concern regarding the impact this policy might have on students when school resumes on September 5th. He fears for the children who are openly queer at school but haven’t yet revealed their identity to their families. Arguing for students’ rights to explore their identity independently and privately, he asserts that parents should be included but not authoritative in this process.

The province’s premier, Scott Moe, defended the policy as inclusive and aimed at engaging parents in their child’s school life. Unfazed by UR Pride’s stand, he said, “We’re not considering a pause on the policy,” following a cabinet reshuffle announcement that included the reassignment of Dustin Duncan as education minister.

The legal proceeding, according to UR Pride, is due to be filed in the subsequent few days.