01/09/2026
Saturday, January 10, 10 am - 12 pm at City Hall
Invitation to stand together for the love of human rights on January 10th
from the Chair of the Lethbridge Pride Fest Society
The Lethbridge Pride Fest Society invites everybody but especially teachers, AISH recipients, and Two-Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse students and their allies, families, and friends to gather in peaceful assembly at an outdoor rally on the steps of Lethbridge City Hall on January 10, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
This is a nonpartisan call for accountability and caution in the use of public power. We are coming together to express concern about the Government of Alberta’s use of the notwithstanding clause, which is section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to override fundamental rights. Striking teachers were forced back to work, and legislation was enacted that the 2SLGBTQIA+ community experiences as ciss*xist and exclusionary.
It had been our understanding that the notwithstanding clause was intended as an exceptional and temporary measure. Therefore, the repeated use of it to suspend Charter protections motivated the Lethbridge Pride Fest Society to speak out for educators and 2SLGBTQIA+ young people because the suspension of rights in Alberta impacts our collective equality, personal security, and our ability to participate freely in society.
At this time, people in Alberta must remind each other of our shared legal and human rights commitments. 2SLGBTQIA+ people are protected by Canadian law. Court decisions expanded Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms such that it now prohibits discrimination based on s*xual orientation. Since 2017, the Charter has stated that all Canadians have the right to equality, equal opportunity, fair treatment, and an environment free of discrimination on the basis of s*x, s*xual orientation, and gender identity or expression.
Had the notwithstanding clause not been invoked, section 2(d) of the Charter would protect the freedom of association of teachers, including the right of teachers to organize and strike. To quote the Government of Canada: freedom of association is intended to recognize the profoundly social nature of human endeavours and to protect individuals from state-enforced isolation in the pursuit of their ends. It protects the collective action of individuals in pursuit of their common goals. It functions to protect individuals against more powerful entities, thus empowering vulnerable groups and helping them work to right imbalances in society. It allows the achievement of individual potential through interpersonal relationships and collective action.
Had the notwithstanding clause not been invoked, section 7 of the Charter would protect the right to life of trans students. Section 7 is engaged where the law or state action imposes an increased risk of death, either directly or indirectly, and the current ciss*xist legislation can be shown to increase the risk of death for trans youth. According to The Second National Climate Survey on Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia in Canadian Schools - a survey conducted by Égale Canada of 1519 self-identified trans and nonbinary youth aged 14 to 25 from across Canada - trans students in Alberta faced the greatest prevalence of verbal harassment in the country: 90% of trans students in Alberta were verbally harassed based on their gender and/or s*xual identity. 2SLGBTQIA+ students in Alberta were also more likely than students in any other province to report that topics around 2SLGBTQIA+ dating or s*xuality were never discussed in their classrooms (58%), and that when 2SLGBTQIA+ relationships were discussed, they were framed in a negative way (14%). The results of Égale’s survey indicated that trans participants who were prevented from using a chosen name or pronoun felt far more negatively about their schools than trans students who were not denied the use of a chosen name or pronoun. Trans students who were prevented from using their chosen name and pronouns were more likely to agree with the statements: “It is hard for me to feel accepted at my school” (77% versus 50%); “I wish I were in a different school” (59% versus 29%); “I don’t like being at school” (80% versus 57%). The results of Égale’s survey also indicated that the risk factors and negative outcomes - for example, low levels of school connectedness and feelings of safety, and school absence - were notably worse in Catholic schools, in smaller population centers, and for trans and nonbinary Indigenous youth. Other researchers, that is, Veale and others (2017) reported that trans and gender diverse students who feel like they belong at school are much less likely to report extreme despair, which is also relevant to section 7 of the Charter. Had the notwithstanding clause not been invoked, section 7 would also protect the security of the person, which includes a trans person’s right to control their own bodily integrity. It would have been engaged where the state interfered with the personal autonomy of trans youth, and their ability to control their own physical and psychological integrity.
That said, the beginning and end of human rights in Canada is not the Charter. We have other legislation that could be invoked to protect us: a provincial Bill of Rights, and Canada is signatory to United Nations conventions that command our governments to respect our rights such as the rights of young people to privacy and to be supported in the expression of their identity.
Our Charter rights may be suspended, but we can still invoke the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: article 1, that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights; article 2, that rights apply without distinction of any kind; article 19, freedom of expression; article 20, our freedom of peaceful assembly and association; and article 23, our right to just and favourable conditions of work.
Our Charter rights may be suspended, but we can still invoke the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: article 2, protection from discrimination; article 12, the right of children to express their views; article 13, freedom of expression; and article 28, the right to education in an environment that supports their dignity and development.
Our Charter rights may be suspended, but we can still invoke the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: article 2, freedom from discrimination; article 7, the right to security of the person; article 14, the right to education that respects Indigenous identities; article 15, the right to dignity and diversity in education and public life; and article 18, the right to participate in decision-making affecting one’s own rights.
I am not a scholar of law, but maybe we could also invoke the Alberta Bill of Rights: section 1(a), the right to liberty and security of the person; section 1(b), equality before the law; and section 1(f), freedom of association.
On January 10th, we will affirm our shared values: respect for human dignity, the rule of law, meaningful consultation, and the careful use of extraordinary powers. We stand with educators and with young people – especially Two-Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse youth – and those who care for them, and with AISH recipients, who are directly impacted by decisions that have been made without their consent or meaningful participation.
We welcome everybody who believes that rights matter; that children deserve safety and inclusion; and that democratic tools should be used with restraint, transparency, and respect. Let us participate peacefully and respectfully and in large numbers.
Sincerely,
The Lethbridge Pride Fest Society
