Transphobia has no place in our government or communities. On October 17, 2026, a known, hateful transphobe was elected to Victoria City Counsel. Please click here to sign the petition demanding her immediately resignation, and help to protect Victoria’s youth.
Every year, millions of Canadians undergo cosmetic surgery to improve how they feel about themselves (Goldfield, 2025). From breast augmentation to hair plugs, face-lifts to labiaplasty, there are countless ways to nip, tuck, and plump any body parts we’re unhappy with. These forms of cosmetic surgery help affirm the individual’s gender identity by better aligning their outside gender expression with how they feel inside. It takes little research to understand why—anyone that’s woken up with a volcanic, day-ruining zit on their face knows there’s an innate connection between our mental health and how good we feel in our bodies (Helfert & Warschburger, 2013). While cosmetic surgery is now broadly accepted as a means for cisgendered people to feel good in their own skin, the opposite is proving true for transgender individuals who seek care for the same reasons, even when the care is non-surgical. Conservative politicians and media outlets frequently vilify trans people for wanting to feel good in their own bodies (Tasker, J. P. 2023). The intention behind the nature of care they seek is often misconstrued, rebranding gender-affirming care for trans individuals as sexually deviant, hedonistic, or abusive. By weaponizing this type of medical misinformation, Conservative politicians in Canada have put policies into place which intentionally remove access to medical practices that are vital in the reduction of self-harm and suicide for trans youth.
Gender-affirming care is an umbrella term which encompasses a wide variety of mental and physical health practices that can benefit both cisgender and transgender youth and adults (Canadian Medical Association, n.d.). It is not a one-size-fits-all practice and does not refer to a singular method of care. Like all other forms of healthcare, gender-affirming care is most successful when made relevant to the issues each specific person may face (CMA, n.d.). For young children, gender-affirming care may begin with small changes at home to support how they feel their best. This might look like dressing in more typically masculine or feminine clothes or wearing a shorter or longer hairstyle than is typical of the gender they were assigned at birth. Therapy and counselling can also provide mental health support to both parents and children, regardless of their gender identity or gender assigned at birth (CMA, n.d.). With the guidance of medical and mental health professionals, older children may be prescribed puberty blockers, a temporary hormonal intervention that allows trans youth more time to process and plan for the distressing and irreversible changes to their body during puberty (Olson KR, Raber GF, Gallagher NM. 2024). Despite evidence showing the success of puberty blockers, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has banned puberty blockers and other gender-affirming care for transgender youth, while including clear exceptions for cisgender youth (Tasker, J. P. 2023). He claims a ban would “[allow the children to] make adult decisions when they become adults.” When the rates of self-harm are three times more than cisgender youth, and suicide rates are six times higher, it is at best dangerous, and at worst deadly, to force trans youth to wait (Eccles H, Abramovich A, Patte KA, et al. 2024).
Conservative news outlets like the National Post contribute to the circulation of dangerous misinformation and hateful rhetoric by publishing unreliable and inflammatory content (Issa, 2025). In the rare instances where violent crimes are perpetuated by a trans individual, it is most often their transness that is the focus of subsequent political discourse (Birnie, 2026). Statistically, transgender individuals are responsible for approximately .4% of all crime in Canada (Birnie, 2026). This type of bad-faith journalism shares personal opinions and unsubstantiated claims as fact, while ignoring decades of reliable, peer-reviewed research (Issa, 2025). For some conservative journalists, devastating community tragedies like the deadly Tumbler Ridge school shooting earlier this year are simply an opportunity to spread vitriolic ideas about trans identities (St. Denis, Jen 2026). The leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre, and elected Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, both openly bully trans people online, setting a dangerous behavioural example for children and youth in Canada. Given that Canadian politicians are free to bully trans people with no recourse, it should be no surprise that the majority of Canadian youth are also dealing with adolescent mental illness and bullying (Children First Canada, 2025). Trans youth deserve safe and secure futures without the fear of losing their rights the next time a trans person commits a crime. When cisgendered men commit crimes, their access to elective medical care like hair plugs and Viagra remains firmly intact.
Humans are happier when they are allowed to express themselves authentically (Goldfield, 2025). Gender-affirming care helps transgender individuals to authentically express themselves, increasing feelings of safety and comfort in their own bodies. The rate of self-harm in trans youth drops substantially in individuals who are properly supported by these services (Eccles H, Abramovich A, Patte KA, et al. 2024). According to JAMA Paediatrics 2024 study, Levels of Satisfaction and Regret with Gender-Affirming Medical Care in Adolescence, “most youth accessing gender-affirming medical care in adolescence are highly satisfied” (Olson KR, Raber GF, Gallagher NM. 2024). Trans Canadian celebrities like Elliot Page are bright lights in the conversation around trans rights, whose coming out letter praised the trans community for “ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place” (Belle, E. 2020). Journalist Elly Belle shared that at the time of Page’s announcement, their “whole Twitter timeline rejoiced at once” (Belle, E. 2020). While each person’s transition journey is unique, the success of gender-affirming care is shared.
Gender-affirming care helps both cisgender and transgender people find safety and comfort in their own bodies. Trans youth deserve the same opportunity as anyone else to change how they look and express themselves in their lives. They should not be penalized for needing more care and support to get to a safe and comfortable place. Banning these services for transgender youth while retaining service for cisgender youth is a flagrant violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which guarantees all Canadians “the right to life, liberty, and security of the person” (Government of Canada, 2026). The Canadian Government must take swift action to defend the rights of trans youth and stop the continuing rise of anti-trans rhetoric in Canadian media.
References
Canadian Medical Association. (n.d.). What is LGBTQ+ inclusive health care in Canada and how does it work? https://www.cma.ca/healthcare-for-real/what-does-2slgbtqia-inclusive-care-mean-canada
Belle, E. (2020, December 4). Elliot Page Coming Out Sparked Trans Joy & TERF Fallout. Refinery 29. https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2020/12/10209520/elliot-page-transgender-joy-terf-response
Birnie, M. (2026, February 12). Fact File: No evidence of trans shooter ‘epidemic’ in Canada, U.S. Coast Reporter. https://www.coastreporter.net/national-news/fact-file-no-evidence-of-trans-shooter-epidemic-in-canada-us-11874128
Eccles H, Abramovich A, Patte KA, et al. (2024) Mental Disorders and Suicidality in Transgender and Gender-Diverse People. JAMA Netw Open. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/282433
Goldfield, G. (2025) The Rise of Cosmetic Surgery in the Social Media Era. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/no-more-fomo/202502/the-rise-of-cosmetic-surgery-in-the-social-media-era
Helfert, S., & Warschburger, P. (2013). The face of appearance-related social pressure: gender, age and body mass variations in peer and parental pressure during adolescence. Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health, 7(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/1753-2000-7-16
Issa, A. (2025, February 26). National Post doubles down on far-right misinformation with latest JNS report detainees. The Media Accountability Project. https://www.cjpmemap.ca/2025_02_21_national_post
Mokashi, A., Lawson, M. L., Gotovac, S., & Bauer, G. R. (2020). SUN-LB14 Trans and Non-Binary Youth Accessing Gender Affirming Medical Care in Canada: New Research From the Trans Youth CAN! Journal of the Endocrine Society, 4(Supplement_1). https://doi.org/10.1210/jendso/bvaa046.2153
New Report: Vast Majority of Canadian Kids are Bullied and Don’t Feel Supported in School. (2025, September 2). Children First Canada. Retrieved, March 31, 2026 from https://childrenfirstcanada.org/press-releases/new-report-vast-majority-of-canadian-kids-are-bullied-and-dont-feel-supported-in-school/
Olson KR, Raber GF, Gallagher NM. (2024, October 21) Levels of Satisfaction and Regret With Gender-Affirming Medical Care in Adolescence. JAMA Pediatrics. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2825195
St. Denis, J. (2026, February 17). Tumbler Ridge is just the Latest Opportunity for Anti-Trans Hate. The Tyee. https://thetyee.ca/News/2026/02/17/Tumbler-Ridge-Anti-Trans-Hate/
Tasker, J. P. (2023, September 9). Conservatives approve policies to limit transgender health care for minors, end race-based hiring. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservative-policy-convention-transgender-1.6961991
The Government of Canada. (2026, April 2). Charterpedia – Section 7 – Life, liberty and security of the person. Government of Canada. https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/rfc-dlc/ccrf-ccdl/check/art7.html
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