About 40 protestors greeted Premier Scott Moe at a fundraiser dinner in Prince Albert Thursday evening. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Politics

Pronoun policy protests plague Moe at Premier’s Dinner

Oct 20, 2023 | 12:00 PM

UPDATE: the provincial government passed the legislation on Oct. 20., the day after the Prince Albert protest.

An annual fundraiser dinner by the Sask. Party in Prince Albert that features Premier Scott Moe was met with protests on Thursday.

Troy Parenteau organized the protest outside the main hall at the Exhibition Grounds and said that the changes will cause harm.

“It’s a group of people from here in Prince Albert organizing at the Premier’s Dinner in protest of the notwithstanding clause and the harm to trans kids,” he said.

About 40 protestors with signs and horns greeted local businesspeople who paid $200 per plate to attend the annual Premier’s Dinner.

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Protests and objections from multiple groups such as the FSIN, Teacher’s Associations, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, students and others have remained constant since the province first said in August it would force schools to report any student using a different name or gender identity to their parents.

A Court of King’s Bench justice granted an injunction that would have paused the change until a lawsuit fighting it made its way through the court process but Moe said he would use the notwithstanding clause of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to override the decision.

He then recalled the legislature early to pass a bill that would allow that to happen.

The provincial changes allow students over 16 to choose whether their parents will learn of changes in pronoun use but those under 16 will be reported to their parents.

Not all parents react well to learning their child identifies differently than their sex, said advocates, and forcing them to come out will lead to real harm.

“It’s not going to go away,” said Parenteau. “I think one thing he under-estimated is that the people who actually have teeth in the game – the people he didn’t actually consult with – they’re the ones out here tonight and they’re the ones talking.”

When asked what the protestors hope would come out of the protest, Parenteau said the goal is to make the donors aware of the issue.

“I think a sign of success is letting these donors know – you know the ones paying $200 a plate tonight at the Exhibition Centre – that their money is going towards the harm of trans kids.”

This is the second protest Parenteau has been part of. The last one was in front of MLA Alana Ross’ office with over 100 people in attendance.

One Prince Albert Police Service officer was present along with several security guards at the Premier’s Dinner. Protestors were also there rallying against Scott Moe’s decision to use the notwithstanding clause. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com