Pronouns, Populism, and Panic: Framing in Alberta's Gender Identity Policies
Date
2025
Authors
Gaetz, Lily
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Publisher
University Of Victoria
Abstract
In Alberta and beyond, contention regarding transgender identities have been increasingly brought to the forefront of public discourse and policy-making. These rhetorics fit into a wider global attack on “gender” as an ambiguous term to represent all that wreaks havoc. In Alberta, such rhetoric has materialized as gender identity policies enclosed in Bill 26, Bill 27, and Bill 29, restricting gender-affirming health care, preferred pronoun use in schools, comprehensive sexual education, and access to sports for trans youth. These bills have been widely criticized - having lacked consultation and based on the dire consequences of the policies. In this thesis, I argue that Alberta’s gender identity policies have utilized moral panic and populist framings in order to provoke fear around trans identities and gender. In doing so, these rhetorics channel fears of diminished freedom towards gender identity, restricting the rights of trans youth in the contradictory name of protection. While the policies speak specifically to transgender identities, they represent conservative “solutions” to larger, more abstract societal uncertainties of the future.
Description
Keywords
transgender, Alberta, moral panic, populism, policy, neoliberalism