Hundreds march in Regina as part of nationwide protests on gender identity in schools

Hundreds of people in Regina gathered at the legislative building on Wednesday as part of nationwide protests against gender identity in schools.

A group called 1MillionMarch4Children hosted the coast-to-coast walkout, which was followed by a march.

In Regina, protesters marched from the legislative building to city hall, with several honks of support on the way. Several protestors held signs while they marched.

On their website, 1MillionMarch4Children said their walkout is not anti-2SLGBTQIA+ but rather against “gender ideology” in schools.

“If you share our belief that discussions on gender ideology should be approached at age-appropriate times, we wholeheartedly invite you to stand alongside us and amplify this message.”

In their mission statement, the group said they are “standing up to free our children from the bondage of indoctrination, breaking the system designed to sexualize our children.”

On Aug. 22, the Government of Saskatchewan announced a policy which requires parental consent before a student under 16 can change their name or pronoun at school.

The Regina march was one of several staged across the country, with participants saying parental rights must be respected.

Saskatchewan’s policy is being challenged in court by UR Pride, but the province has promised legislation to keep it in place.

Premier Scott Moe took the march as a sign of support for his government's policy.

“When we have parents involved in our children’s education, it makes for a much more responsive education system," he said.

Meanwhile, a mother of a transgender child watched the march with concern and said she felt the term parent's rights is more about pushing a right wing  agenda.

“This rhetoric of parent rights is really just about kind of pushing trans rights away and pushing kind of a right wing agenda forward that promotes hate against a very specific group of people,” she said.

In a short statement, the City of Regina said they are “proud to be an ally of individuals of all genders, including those who identify as non-binary, and of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community,” as part of its commitment to diversity and inclusivity.

In Saskatchewan, protests also took place in Saskatoon and Yorkton with further demonstrations scheduled to take place in Estevan, Prince Albert, and Swift Current, according to the 1MillionMarch4Children website.

-- With files from Wayne Mantyka