Who gets to claim parental rights?

Xtra and TVO’s Unravelled partnered on this mini-doc diving into what "parental rights" policies mean for kids and parents across Canada

“Parental rights” headlines dominated the news in 2023 with governmental policies in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan changing the way gender diverse youth can express themselves at school. Both provinces required parental consent in order for teachers and administrators to use a student’s preferred pronouns and name. It was the start of a contentious debate across the country with rallies and protests both for and against the policies taking place in many provinces. 

Alberta’s government joined the fray in 2024 and took things a step further, announcing a ban on gender affirming care for anyone under the age of 16 and preventing trans women from participating in sports across the province. All this in the name of “parental rights” – a rallying cry used over decades to advocate for an anti-LGBTQ2S+ agenda, that is seeing a resurgence now. Xtra partnered with TVO’s Unravelled to guide you through how we got here, what it means for kids and parents and what is next for these policies and legislation in Canada.

On occasion, the number of editors and other staff who contribute to a story gets a little unwieldy to give a byline to everyone. That’s when we use “Xtra Staff” in place of the usual contributor info. If you would like more information on who contributed to a particular story, please contact us here.

Keep Reading

Activist groups reportedly gave Alberta list of LGBTQ2S+ books to investigate

ANALYSIS: Action4Canada is calling Alberta’s move to investigate “inappropriate” school library books a “massive win”

Alberta to create standards for ‘age-appropriate’ school library books

Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer” and Alison Bechdel’s “Fun Home” are among the books flagged as “extremely graphic”

Rechie Valdez named Women and Gender Equality and Youth minister

Valdez will handle gender in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new cabinet

Aaron Gunn, Andrew Lawton among controversial MPs headed to Ottawa

ANALYSIS: The 2025 federal election winners include multiple people with concerning pasts around LGBTQ2S+ issues