Danielle Smith named in letter denouncing 'anti-trans' policies signed by 400 Canadian artists

Elliot Page poses with Tegan and Sara as they arrive on the red carpet for the Juno awards, in Halifax, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (Chris Young)

Music superstars Tegan and Sara have released an open letter signed by more than 400 fellow Canadian artists from the worlds of music, film and literature denouncing what they describe as “anti-trans” legislation in parts of the country.

The list of stars who signed the letter includes actor Elliot Page, Great Big Sea frontman Alan Doyle, actress Elisha Cuthbert, folk music legend Neil Young, recent Grammy winner Allison Russell and the two surviving members of classic children's entertainment act Sharon, Lois and Bram.

The letter calls out Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s proposed pronoun policies for gender diverse children in schools, as well as new guidelines for hormone therapy.

It also highlights similar school-based pronoun policies in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan as examples of discriminatory legislation targeting transgender youth.

The letter says these policies present a clear risk to the mental and physical well-being of transgender Canadians.

The artists who signed the letter, also including singer Anne Murray, director Deepa Mehta and author Michael Crummey, say they are against these “alarming and destructive policies” and are calling on all levels of government to put a stop to such harmful legislation.

The timing of the letter coincides with Transgender Day of Visibility, which is dedicated to raising awareness of discrimination faced by the trans community.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2024