New Alberta rules around gender identity and amateur sports take effect
Starting Monday, athletes who wish to play in a female-only sports league may now be asked if they were recorded as female at birth.
The province will block transgender athletes from Alberta who are 12 and older from competing in female amateur sports.
It’s one of a suite of changes surrounding transgender health, education, and sport introduced last year by Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party government.
The policy directs organizations such as school divisions and sports leagues to create and implement regulations that align with the province’s requirements.
In a statement, Edmonton Public Schools says it will send home a confirmation form for student athletes who wish to participate in a competitive female-only sport.
“Parents of student athletes under 18 will have to confirm that they understand and meet the provincial eligibility requirement,” the statement read.
“There is no eligibility requirement for students to participate in their regular physical education classes or other non-competitive school events like intramurals,” the statement added.
Vanessa Gomez, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism of Sport, says those athletes will be required to confirm in writing that they meet the requirements set out in the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act and Regulation.
“Sport is for everyone, which is why Alberta’s government is working to make sport safe, fair and accessible for all Albertans,” Gomez said.
“Questions on how specific in-scope entities, such as school authorities, are implementing the new legislation should be directed to the individual organizations,” she added.
Under the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, the province calls it a balanced approach to protect the integrity of female athletic competitions.
The province also supports the expansion of mixed-gender leagues or divisions to ensure transgender athletes can participate.
—with files from The Canadian Press
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