A war of words and principles has broken out among Edmonton Catholic trustees over the rights of a seven-year-old transgender girl, whose mother has filed a human rights complaint against the board.
Trustee Patricia Grell recently wrote a blog post supporting the girl, who was banned from using the girls’ washroom in the school. Grell then turned on the TV news and learned that board chair Debbie Engel had called on her resignation.
“I am not resigning over this social justice issue,” Grell told CBC News on Thursday. “This little girl needs advocates. She needs people like us, trustees, to stand up for her.”
Grell said Engel hasn’t spoken to her directly to ask for her resignation, but said the board chair did ask her to take the blog down, which she refused to do.
“I think she should resign,” Grell said. “Because our chair is not taking any leadership on this social justice issue. It really is a matter of justice. We always say children first, children first. How are we putting children first when we’re telling them, ‘No, you can’t go to the bathroom that you identify with.’ “
Grell said she has heard from only other trustee, who warned her she would “get into a lot of trouble” for speaking out.
“I’m standing up for the Gospel,” she said. “And the Gospel says we should be … reaching out to the marginalized. Bringing them in, helping them welcome in our churches, our communities and our schools.”
The girl’s mother has filed a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission after the school district refused her daughter, born a male, use the girls’ washroom.
She credits the school with creating a gender neutral washroom, but said her daughter is not given the option, as the other children are, to use that washroom or any other in the school.
Girl was being escorted to washroom
“I recently learned that my daughter is being escorted to the washroom,” said the woman, who asked not to be named to protect her child from discrimination.
“She’s the only child in the school who needs an escort to these washrooms. That’s where I’m taking issue. Because, you’re segregating her. You’re outing her. And you’re making her feel more different than she already does.”
The woman said her daughter was born as a girl in a boy’s body.
“My daughter from a young age has always gravitated towards feminine objects. She’s never been one to play with a “male” toy. From a young age, 18 months old, she would say, ‘I’m a girl, I’m a girl, I’m a girl.’ And sadly, we thought it was a phase, and we didn’t listen. Until recently, she stated, ‘I’m different. I have a girl heart and girl’s brain, but I’m stuck in a boy body.”
The mother said she had no idea what transgender even was, until she Goggled it, and learned the term relates to gender identity, not sexual attraction.
The seven-year-old was diagnosed earlier this year, her mother said, by one of the two psychiatrists in Edmonton who deal with cases of gender dysphoria.
“My daughter is a girl who has a penis,” she said. “The prescription really is to live as a female and do everything that females would do.”
She said the other children at school have treated her daughter with kindness.
“The other kids have been amazing. It’s funny how supporting and non-discriminatory kids are. They’ve always accepted her. Even when she was a boy who liked girl things.”
She filed a human right complaint a couple of weeks ago and is now waiting for response from the board. She said the Catholic school district had 30 days to respond, but has already asked for extension of another 30 days.
