Message from Trellis Society on Alberta Government Policy Announcement

On Wednesday, January 31 the Government of Alberta announced proposed legislation that would dramatically impact the human rights of 2SLGBTQIAP+ individuals, particularly Trans and gender-diverse youth.

This legislation, if enacted, is in direct contradiction to the values, ethics and work that our team at Trellis Society upholds. To that end, we are actively communicating with government officials to express our disagreement with and opposition to these policies.

People within the 2SLGBTQIAP+ community face greater barriers to housing, health, and economic stability than the general population. Within Trellis, we witness this every day.

  • 19% of youth who have accessed emergency shelter at Avenue 15 have identified as 2SLGBTQIAP+. Many come to our shelter because their identity made being in their home environment an unsafe and dangerous place to be.

  • 2.85% of all Trellis participants identified as gender-diverse, including Trans and non-binary individuals. Compared to Statistics Canada reports, only 0.39% of Calgarians over age 15 identify as gender-diverse. This disproportionate representation speaks to the increased barriers that they face.

  • 1 out of every 3 young people experiencing homelessness in Canada identifies as 2SLGBTQIAP+.

This legislation will cause serious harm to Trans people, with youth bearing the brunt of discrimination, hatred and isolation. These changes could lead to the loss of many lives in the Trans community and many others will end up at the doors of homeless shelters or within the care of Children and Family Services when their home and families become unsafe.

 We will not stand passively on the sidelines and watch this happen.

 As a nonprofit organization that works with the Government of Alberta as a funder and partner, Trellis Society has a responsibility to advocate for the 2SLGBTQIAP+ community and use our privilege as a large organization to further progressive social policies and change. We often participate in community and government-initiated round tables related to our work and choose to sit at these tables so we can advocate for and alongside the communities we are part of and serve.

Last year, we hosted Premier Smith and members of her team at Trellis’ main office for a roundtable discussion on 2SLGBTQIAP+ issues, particularly barriers facing youth. Participants in this discussion represented various 2SLGBTQIAP+ serving organizations from across Alberta and shared incredibly moving, vulnerable and traumatic experiences.

We were hopeful that sharing space with the Premier alongside leaders from other organizations would result in positive change. Unfortunately, with this week’s announcement, it appears a different path has been chosen.

Regardless of this decision, we will continue advocating for change alongside others working to protect and uplift Trans youth, individuals, and the 2SLGBTQIAP+ community.

Trellis Society is committed to creating safe and welcoming spaces for all voices, individuals, and experiences to be heard. We will continue to offer inclusive services, such as our Aura program, which supports 2SLGBTQIAP+ youth experiencing homelessness to find a safe home and supportive communities.

Our in-school teams will continue to support 2SLGBTQIAP+ youth looking for a safe place outside their family unit to explore their identity, find acceptance and flourish.

We will continue to implement and reflect on Trellis’ organizational inclusivity practices to ensure our staff are supported and empowered to advocate for change.

In the days and months ahead, we encourage individuals and organizations to come together in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIAP+ community and work toward a future where everyone can flourish.

If you or those around you need support, know that you are not alone:

 On behalf of Trellis Society,

Board Chair Karleen Batty (she/her)

CEO Jeff Dyer (he/him)

Hayley Muir