Press Release: Genspect Canada Supports Alberta’s Bill 26 to Protect Minors from Irreversible Medical Interventions

Genspect Canada affirms its strong support for Alberta’s Bill 26, introduced to protect minors from irreversible medical interventions such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Amid ongoing legal proceedings, we urge policymakers, the public, and the courts to consider the international shift towards a more cautious, evidence-based approach to treating gender-distressed youth. 

Bill 26 is a necessary act of medical regulation, aligned with global trends in paediatric care. Leading health authorities in Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the United Kingdom have conducted independent reviews and found that the evidence for these interventions is exceptionally weak, with risks outweighing the unproven benefits. These countries now restrict the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones in youth, prioritizing psychotherapy and psychosocial support instead. 

Bill 26 reflects Alberta’s commitment to a core ethical standard in paediatric medicine: the child’s right to an open future. Adolescence is a formative period of physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Medical interventions that risk sterility, impaired sexual function, and lifelong medical dependency are never appropriate for healthy young people. 

We also note recent developments in the international legal landscape, including the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in United States v. Skrmetti, which upheld a state’s right to restrict medical transition procedures for minors. This precedent affirms the responsibility of governments to regulate high-risk, experimental treatments in the interest of child welfare. 

In enacting Bill 26, Alberta joins a growing international movement to reevaluate paediatric gender medicine. This shift is driven by a commitment to safeguarding vulnerable youth from unnecessary medicalization and ensures that all interventions are guided by the best available evidence—not ideology. 

We trust that as this case proceeds through the courts, a science-informed and protective approach will prevail. Protecting young people means prioritizing long-term outcomes, respecting developmental maturity, and preserving the widest possible range of future life paths. Genspect Canada stands with families, clinicians, and lawmakers who believe young people deserve psychological support and the opportunity for self-understanding over unproven, life-altering medical interventions. 

Media inquiries: Contact Mia Hughes, Director of Genspect Canada, at mia@genspect.org