In the last few weeks, the Alberta Legislature has proposed laws that could limit transgender mature minors’ access to puberty blockers and gender-affirming surgeries. From February 9 to 11, 2024, we surveyed Canadians to find out their opinion and perceptions on potential new laws on transgender kids.
Some of the key highlights of our survey about Transgender laws include…
- Nearly half of Canadians (45%) believe gender reassignment surgeries for minors 17 and under should be prohibited, 30% would approve with parental consent, and 11% would support without any parental consent. Those with children under 18 (49%) are more likely to prefer all gender reassignment surgeries to be prohibited.
- 42% oppose puberty blockers and hormones for minors 17 and under, 26% would support it with parental consent, and 11% would support it even without parental consent.
- For more mature teens, 35% oppose puberty blockers and hormone therapies for gender reassignment, 24% would support it with parental and medical approval, and 23% would agree without parental but with medical approval.
- 68% are against allowing athletes born male to compete in women’s sports, with 17% in favour.
- 45% think these policies provide clear rules for transgender youth, benefiting them long-term, while 24% view it as an attack on transgender children.
- Over one third (37%) believe that the federal government should intervene in provinces that are introducing policies regarding transgender youth and challenge the passage of any legislation in this area that may limit or restrict the abilities of children to transition genders, while the same proportion (37%) think the opposite, and 26% are uncertain.
Methodology
This web survey was conducted from February 9 to 11, 2024, with 2,439 Canadians (including an oversample of 1,000 Albertans) aged 18 or older, randomly recruited from LEO’s online panel. A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey. For comparison, a probability sample of 2,439 respondents would have a margin of error of ±1.98 %, 19 times out of 20.
To consult the Alberta-specific report, click here.