US and Toronto psychologists who don’t provide gender-affirming care to minors in N.B. or Canada were invited to present to Higgs’ government about the issue. Higgs publicly quoted one of them, “misrepresenting” how easy is it for minors to get treatment.

Instead of providing an interview, Higgs’ office set up a zoom call with Erica Anderson, a US psychologist who advocates for “more caution.” I asked if she had any evidence Canadian doctors are not being cautious enough when providing gender affirming care to minors. She said no.

Higgs invited James Cantor to present to government. Cantor has testified in more than 25 US cases, supporting bans to trans healthcare and washroom/sports access. Cantor is a Toronto psychologist who has previously said he’s never treated trans youth

2 groups want to support the province. They argue affirming kids' gender identities could be harmful. One says on its website that being transgender is not real. It supports parents in how to "create an environment" for their kids to stop transitioning. https://t.co/qFnEnPWDvO

Also in May, he said “parents didn't know anything about it, and there wasn't any discussion about it.” The 2019 briefing note said parents, PSSCs were involved and "Significant public interest has been generated around this policy, and pressure is increasing for its release.”

In May of 2023 Higgs said “I knew about it, but didn’t know the particular content.”

Higgs’s run ins with the policy before review began: - 2019 Briefing note - 2020 Conversations about it - 2021 Caucus meeting - 2022 Another briefing note - 2022 Emails Bill Hogan, attaches policy - March 2023 Meeting scheduled with Hogan

The CBC’s @HadeelBIbrahim with the most detailed look so far on where the Policy 713 review came from 👇

JUST IN: Judge grants UR Pride's requested injunction against Saskatchewan pronoun policy #SKpoli

You can find the entire application filed by the CCLA embedded in this story

The minister has previously said if a parent complains about a teacher using a gender-related name or pronoun they don't approve of then the teacher could face sanctions.

wouldn't normally presuppose anything. If it is a name, and they're wondering about it, the teacher can always ask."

The scenario I put to the minister... Question: so if 12 year old Charlene says I want to go by Charlie now, and shares no pronoun changes, how should the teacher know whether they need parental consent to use that? Minister: "I guess if it's close to their given name, then one..

Teachers don't need parental consent to use nicknames of kids under 16. They only need consent to use the name if it's related to gender identity. Minister says teachers should know the difference. Lots of names are gender neutral: Charlie, Kris, Jay etc

The minister says teachers can "just ask," if they're not sure if a child is just asking for a nickname or is asking for a new name because they're transitioning. https://t.co/8YnVdvYJQD

From the CBC’s @HadeelBIbrahim: Hogan tweaks Policy 713, asserts “all” of Lamrock’s concerns have been addressed.

From the CBC's @HadeelBIbrahim: Changes to Policy 713 violate N.B. Human Rights Act, Education Act, Charter of Rights, says child & youth advocate.

https://t.co/Uz7lIDMDlq #indigenous #Pride2023 🏳️‍🌈

🚨NEW from me: Tories looking to remove Higgs have the numbers to start internal push for leadership review.

Some parents have questions brought up by Policy 713, and by rapidly changing landscape of gender identity. Those questions are valid & have answers. I answer a few with the help of a child welfare advocate, a teacher, a psychologist and a pediatrician. https://t.co/83hsXBWHJ7