Minister: activist push to make Calgary a queer “sanctuary city” is U.S.-style politics
A push from queer advocacy groups for Calgary to declare itself a “sanctuary city” has been met with firm opposition from Alberta’s municipal affairs minister.
A push from queer advocacy groups for Calgary to declare itself a “sanctuary city” has been met with firm opposition from Alberta’s municipal affairs minister, who says the idea carries no legal weight.
In a letter to Calgary’s mayor and council that Global News obtained, Queer Citizens United urged the city to declare itself a sanctuary for queer rights by refusing to comply with provincial policies that restrict transgender health care, mandate parental consent for pronoun changes in schools, and ban biologically male athletes from competing in female sports.
Victoria Bucholtz, a.k.a. Karla Marx, of Queer Momentum called the move unprecedented but necessary, citing “a huge uptick in hate crime incidences specifically targeting the queer and trans communities.”
Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams rejected the notion outright, drawing a comparison to American politics.
“The notion of sanctuary cities is a fabricated import of American politics and has zero legal force of law in Alberta,” said Williams.
He stressed that municipalities are bound by provincial law and warned that cities could not legally defy directives from the legislature.
“Municipalities in Alberta are required to adhere to provincial laws, and I expect the City of Calgary will do so,” Williams said.
Buscholtz previously became renowned for meeting with Alberta MLA Jennifer Johnson, where the trans activist berated the politician for refusing to accept her assertion that transgender women were women, refusing even to agree to disagree.
The interaction caught global attention, with J.K. Rowling sharing the clip and Elon Musk reacting to it.
Amelia Newbert of the Skipping Stone Foundation added that the proposal is meant to show vulnerable residents that “somebody does have your back and governments do care about you.”
Williams added that the government’s legislation is intended to “protect and preserve children and youth from potentially irreversible decisions, keep young women in sports safe, strengthen parental rights, and ensure books with graphic pornographic images do not end up in the hands of children.”
In the United States, sanctuary city policies are most often used to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. In 2018, Edmonton’s city council similarly approved a sanctuary status to aid illegal immigrants.
The battle develops as Alberta prepares to invoke the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to protect three transgender-related laws from court challenges.
Using the notwithstanding clause for the legislation follows Smith’s issuing of new mandate letters to four of her ministers.
One of the letters, sent to Tourism and Sport Minister Andrew Boitchenko, instructed him to use every legal and constitutional option at his disposal to enforce Alberta’s new sports law.
The new legislation requires any athletes 12 years of age or older to confirm they were female sex at birth, with parental consent required for minors. These females will be able to compete in female-only sports leagues, free of intrusion by men pretending to be women.
The Tourism and Sport Ministry told True North that it will vigorously defend any laws should they be challenged in any way.
“Alberta’s government is working to ensure the full implementation of the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act using all available legal and constitutional means necessary to protect the integrity of our province’s female athletic competitions. We strongly encourage other provinces and territories to follow Alberta’s lead to ensure safe, fair and accessible sport for all,” said a ministry spokesperson.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek acknowledged the call but said her priority was safeguarding human rights.
“Once the human rights of one group of people start getting compromised, a lot of people are next,” she said.
Despite the advocacy groups’ push, it remains unclear what practical effect such a declaration would have, given the province’s authority over municipal governments.