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Today marks Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual observance honoring the memory of transgender people whose lives were lost to anti-trans violence.
Since its founding in 1999, this day has served as a solemn reminder of the real, deadly consequences of transphobia and discrimination.
Here in Langley, our community is responding with solidarity and care. Multiple events are taking place today offering opportunities to remember, reflect, and support local transgender residents.
From panel discussions to quiet sanctuary spaces, these gatherings represent the kind of community response that transgender people deserve, standing in stark contrast to the attacks on trans rights happening elsewhere in Canada.
Alberta's Assault on Trans Rights
While Langley extends support to its transgender community, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has invoked the notwithstanding clause to shield three pieces of anti-trans legislation from court challenges.
Bill 9, the Protecting Alberta's Children Statutes Amendment Act, uses this rarely-invoked constitutional override to prevent courts from striking down laws that violate Charter rights.
The Alberta government's legislation represents Canada's harshest attack on transgender rights.
The laws restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare for youth, force schools to obtain parental consent before students can use different pronouns or chosen names, and ban trans youth from participating on sports teams.
The notwithstanding clause has been used fewer than five times in its 43-year history. Smith is weaponizing this constitutional measure because she knows these policies cannot withstand judicial scrutiny.
All three pieces of legislation have faced court challenges and injunctions over the past year based on violations of Albertans' constitutional rights.
This isn't governance. It's authoritarian overreach that tells transgender youth their rights matter less than Smith's political agenda.
Healthcare Is Suicide Prevention: The Evidence
The stakes of Alberta's legislation could not be clearer.
Gender-affirming healthcare is evidence-based suicide prevention, and the research consistently demonstrates this reality.
Transgender and nonbinary youth who received puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormones experienced 60% lower odds of depression and 73% lower odds of suicidality compared to youth who did not receive this care.
At baseline in the study, 56.7% of transgender youth had moderate to severe depression, 50% had moderate to severe anxiety, and 43.3% reported self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
The broader mental health crisis facing transgender youth is severe.
Around 40% of transgender adults have attempted suicide in their lifetimes, and 30% of transgender youth have attempted suicide in the past year.
These rates are drastically higher than those of cisgender peers.
But support and acceptance dramatically reduce these risks. Transgender and nonbinary youth who felt extremely accepted reported, on average, half the rate of past-year suicide attempts compared to those who felt less accepted.
Acceptance from parents was associated with 43% lower odds of attempting suicide, while acceptance from other family members showed 49% lower odds.
Transgender adults who received hormone therapy as adolescents were less likely to experience suicide ideation in their lifetime.
Meanwhile, transgender youth with families that used their chosen name reported less suicide ideation compared to those whose families would not use their chosen name at home.
The evidence is overwhelming. Gender-affirming care saves lives.
Denying young people this care doesn't protect them. It kills them.
A Government Built on Lies
Smith's defense of these policies relies on misinformation that collapses under scrutiny.
She repeatedly claims that puberty blockers sterilize children, which is false. She suggests that top surgery is a sterilization procedure, which is absurd.
When pressed by a reporter who noted there is not a single reported instance of a youth under 18 receiving gender-affirming lower surgery in Canada, Smith countered by citing mastectomies.
But mastectomies do not sterilize people. Thousands of transgender men and breast cancer survivors have had top surgery and gone on to have biological children.
Smith claims "an overwhelming majority of Albertans" support these policies, yet they never appeared on her United Conservative Party platform when they were elected in 2022.
Other controversial Smith government policies attributed to public demand turned out to come from far-right interest groups with ties to Christian nationalism.
These aren't minor misstatements. They're foundational lies used to justify suspending the constitutional rights of vulnerable children.
Langley's Response: Community and Solidarity
In Langley, our community is responding to this day with the solidarity and care that transgender people deserve. Several events are happening today that offer opportunities to remember, reflect, and support local transgender residents.
The Village Cafe Series is hosting a community gathering from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at Timms Community Centre (20399 Douglas Crescent).
This space will allow community members to remember lives lost to anti-trans violence and discuss how Langley can foster safety and belonging for gender-diverse residents.
Tonight from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, also at Timms Community Centre, the Langley Pride Society is hosting "In Our Own Voices," a panel discussion featuring members of the local transgender community.
With snacks, resource sharing, and open conversation, this free event offers a chance to hear directly from transgender people about their stories, joys, fears, and hopes.
Space is limited, and doors open at 6:00 pm with the panel beginning at 6:30 pm.
For those seeking quieter reflection, the United Churches of Langley in Fort Langley and Murrayville will have their sanctuaries open throughout the day for prayer, silence, and lighting candles in remembrance of transgender lives lost to violence.
The Broader Threat
What's happening in Alberta should concern all Canadians.
When a government uses the notwithstanding clause to override Charter rights, courts can declare a law violates constitutional rights but cannot overturn it. This represents a fundamental threat to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms itself.
If it becomes easy to override Charter rights at the first instance, then the Charter will soon no longer be worth the paper it's written on.
This marks the second time Smith's government has invoked the clause this fall, previously using it to force striking teachers back to work under a new contract.
The pattern is clear: this government believes it can suspend rights whenever politically convenient.
Alberta's next provincial election isn't until 2027, so voters won't have a chance to respond at the ballot box for more than a year.
In the meantime, armed with a legislative majority and a willingness to bend constitutional protections to her will, Smith has indicated she will do whatever it takes to impose her agenda, even if transgender children's rights and medical wellbeing stand in the way.
What We Must Do
On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we honor those we've lost by committing to protect those who remain.
That means showing up for transgender people in our community, attending events like those happening today in Langley, and vocally opposing policies designed to erase and endanger them.
It means recognizing that gender-affirming care is associated with reduced prevalence of suicide thoughts and attempts, and that implementing laws and policies that reduce discrimination, increase family and social support, and improve access to this care can save lives.
And it means calling out politicians who weaponize constitutional measures and spread falsehoods to justify attacking vulnerable children.
Langley is showing what solidarity looks like.
Show up today. Listen to transgender voices. Stand with our trans neighbors.
Events in Langley
Community Gathering: Village Cafe Series
- Time: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
- Location: Timms Community Centre, 20399 Douglas Crescent, Langley, BC
- This event is a Village Cafe gathering where the community will remember lives lost to anti-trans violence and discuss ways to foster safety, belonging, and inclusion for all gender-diverse residents in Langley.​
Panel Discussion: "In Our Own Voices"
- Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (doors open at 6:00 pm; panel begins at 6:30 pm)
- Location: Timms Community Centre Multipurpose Room 2, 20399 Douglas Crescent, Langley, BC
- Organized by the Langley Pride Society, this event features a panel discussion with members of the local transgender community. There will be snacks, resource sharing, and open conversation about stories, joys, fears, and hopes of the transgender community. Space is limited and the event is free.​
Religious Reflection and Sanctuary
- The United Churches of Langley in both Fort Langley and Murrayville will have their sanctuaries open for public prayer, silence, and lighting candles in remembrance of transgender lives lost to violence on November 20th.​
United Churches of Langley
References and Further Reading
Diana M Tordoff
Loyal | thisisloyal.com
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